To easily product a spongy metal material with simple equipment by atomizing a molten metal against a collector and depositing on the collector while rapidly solidifying droplets immediately before droplets reach a collector.

A molten metal M falling down from a holding furnace R is atomized against a collector C by a gas atomizer method. Water droplets W are sprayed immediately before the fine droplets M1 reach the collector C. The fine droplets are deposited while rapidly solidifying, thereby a spongy metal material S having 50% void volume is produced. In the case a solid phase rate of the fine droplets M1 deposited on the collector C is about 80%, the spongy metal material S having a good void volume is produced. Alternatively, by immersing the collector C in water beforehand, atomizing a molten metal, and depositing fine droplets M1 on the collector C while rapidly cooling in water, a spongy metal material S may be produced.