Liquidmetal Technologies Demonstrates Material Performance In Collaboration with Jet Propulsion Laboratory
RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 28, 2014--
Liquidmetal® Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: LQMT) the leading
developer of amorphous alloys and composites, announced that it had
recently participated in a development project with Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) to demonstrate the properties of amorphous alloys in
mechanical devices that transfer or transform force, motion, or energy
to another point through elastic deformation. Compliant mechanisms are
advantageous since they provide benefit by reducing part count,
simplifying manufacturing and reducing assembly time and cost.
Designed by JPL and LQMT, bistable flexural mechanisms were fabricated
at Visser Precision Cast, LLC (VPC) by injection molding of LM-001B
alloy into a split mold cavity under an inert environment. When tested
in a load frame the LM-001B mechanisms displayed bistability,
successfully showing a clear intermediate unstable point while having a
two-fold increased factor of safety when compared to those made of
titanium (Ti-6-4).
The collaboration resulted in publication of a significant article, “New
Methods for Developing and Manufacturing Compliant Mechanisms Utilizing
Bulk Metallic Glass,” in Advanced
Engineering Materials. The article reports that “[amorphous
alloys] are shown to have an optimal combination of mechanical
properties and processing ability, making them ideal for complex,
low-cost compliant mechanisms...[This work] pushes the envelope for
integration into widespread commercial applications by allowing high
mechanical performance to be achieved in complex components that can be
cast like polymers.”
About Liquidmetal Technologies
Rancho Santa Margarita, California-based Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc.
is the leading developer of bulk alloys and composites that utilize the
performance advantages offered by amorphous alloy technology. Amorphous
alloys are unique materials that are distinguished by their ability to
retain a random structure when they solidify, in contrast to the
crystalline atomic structure that forms in ordinary metals and alloys.
Liquidmetal Technologies is the first company to produce amorphous
alloys in commercially viable bulk form, enabling significant
improvements in products across a wide array of industries. For more
information, go to www.liquidmetal.com.
Source: Liquidmetal® Technologies, Inc.
Liquidmetal Technologies, Inc.
Otis Buchanan
Media Relations
949-635-2120
otis.buchanan@liquidmetal.com
