# Experimental Printed Furniture Self-Assembly Lab and Steelcase Developed 'Rapid Liquid Printing' By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2017-05-20 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rapid-liquid-printing References: [psfk](https://www.psfk.com/2017/05/liquid-3d-printing-can-grow-pieces-of-furniture-in-just-minutes.html) & [selfassemblylab.net](http://www.selfassemblylab.net/RapidLiquidPrinting.php) The Self-Assembly Lab from [MIT](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/speech-to-reality), furniture manufacturer [Steelcase](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rockford-and-galesburg) and designer Christophe Guberan recently collaborated on the development of a new kind of 3D printing technology called 'Rapid Liquid Printing.' This new 3D printing process makes it possible for 3D objects to be "grown" by being drawn in a 3D gel suspension. As the project describes, Rapid Liquid Printing "enables the creation of [large scale, customized products](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/contour-collection) made of real-world materials." This process is also said to address many of the limitations of 3D printing and other types of furniture manufacturing, as large-scale custom creations can be built with high-quality industrial materials in a matter of minutes. According to the Self-Assembly Lab, 3D printing hasn't taken off in mainstream furniture manufacturing because of restrictions such as these, but Rapid Liquid Printing has the potential to change this. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.5/10 - Popularity: 12% | Activity: 56% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Rapid Liquid Printing:** The development of Rapid Liquid Printing technology enables the creation of large-scale, customized products made of real-world materials, disrupting traditional manufacturing methods. - **Large-scale Custom Creations:** The ability to create large-scale custom furniture in a matter of minutes using high-quality industrial materials opens up disruptive innovation opportunities in the furniture industry. - **Overcoming 3D Printing Limitations:** Rapid Liquid Printing addresses the limitations of traditional 3D printing, paving the way for innovative advancements and disruption in the manufacturing sector. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Furniture Manufacturing:** The development of Rapid Liquid Printing technology has the potential to revolutionize the furniture manufacturing industry with its ability to create custom, high-quality products on a large scale. - **3D Printing:** Rapid Liquid Printing is a disruptive innovation within the 3D printing industry, offering a solution to overcome the current restrictions and propel the adoption of 3D printing in mainstream manufacturing. - **Industrial Manufacturing:** The advancements in Rapid Liquid Printing technology have the potential to disrupt the industrial manufacturing sector by enabling the rapid production of large-scale customized products using real-world materials. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [3D-Printed Wooden Furniture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/econitwood.md) - [Comfy Printed Component Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/3dprinted-chair-design.md) - [Digital Glass Design Breakthroughs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/g3dp-2.md) - [3D Glass Printing Methods](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/complex-glass-structures.md) - [In-Situ Circular Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/portal-by-decibel.md) - [Ribboned Recycled Seating](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ruffini.md) - [3D-Printed Quartz Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ozruh.md) - [Sustainable 3D-Printed Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wood-loop-lounge-chair.md) - [3D-Printed Recycled Misprint Chairs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-new-raw-studio.md)