Liquidmetal ready for PC production in several years

X-bit Labs spreads word that Liquidmetal may be ready for PC production several years from now. This material promises superior strength, maintaining of good looks, resistance to scratching and corrosion, and relative light weight. Atakan Peker, one of the inventors of the Liquidmetal alloy, says Apple may use the material for a "breakthrough" product several years from now. Liquidmetal promises to make it easier and cheaper to mass manufacture laptop cases than with aluminium.

Liquidmetal, which is currently used in various medical, military, industrial, sports and technical applications, can be cast in various forms and will maintain good look, superior strength, scratch and corrosion resistance and other advantages, e.g. relative light weight. Unfortunately, mass manufacturing infrastructure is currently not ready for liquidmetals. Although Apple has bought exclusive rights to use liquidmetals in its PCs, phones, tablets and other electronics, it will take hundreds of millions of dollars and several years before the company starts to use the new material in large scale.

"I would not say Liquidmetal was perfected. This is a technology that has yet to be matured and perfected both in manufacturing process and application development. I should note that this is a completely new and different metal technology. Therefore, there is no suitable manufacturing infrastructure yet to take full advantage of this alloy technology. For example, I estimate that Apple will likely spend on the order of $300 million to $500 million - and three to five years - to mature the technology before it can used in large scale," said Atakan Peker, one of the inventors of the Liquidmetal alloy, in an interview with Business Insider web-site.