Apple Experimenting With 3D Printing To Create Devices

According to Bloombeg's Mark Gurman (paywalled), Apple is experimenting with a new 3D-printing manufacturing process for some device production, starting with the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 models. MacRumors reports: The new manufacturing process that Apple is testing would use less material than the large slabs of metal that are needed for traditional CNC manufacturing, plus it would cut down on the time that it takes to make new devices. With a technique called "binder jetting," Apple is able to print a device's outline at close to its actual shape using a powdered substance. A second process uses heat and pressure to squeeze the material into a substance that feels like steel, and it is then refined with milling. Gurman's information echoes what we've already heard from Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Back in July, Kuo said that the upcoming second-generation Apple Watch Ultra will include 3D printed mechanical parts. Specifically, he claimed that Apple is "actively adopting 3D printing technology," and that some of the titanium components in the new Apple Watch Ultra would be 3D printed. Gurman claims that Apple plans to use this new 3D printing method for the chassis of the stainless steel Apple Watch Series 9 models rather than components for the Ultra but either way, it sounds like Apple is more actively testing this manufacturing method as of 2023. Gurman says that Apple plans to 3D print titanium devices in 2024. The report notes that the shift to 3D printing would also "allow Apple to improve manufacturing times and potentially cut down on costs."

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