2023-08-31 13:11:38
An Apple Watch made of stainless steel is partly made with a 3D printer.
Image: Imago
A new manufacturing method for Apple products might ensure more efficient and environmentally friendly production.
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The next Apple Watch will probably be one of the first mass-produced products that was partially manufactured using 3D printing. However, Apple has been researching the technology for several years. The main advantage is that few raw materials are wasted.
Apple has apparently started to produce the first components for its products using 3D printing. Like «Bloomberg» reported, The case of the stainless steel version of the Apple Watch 9 is the first Apple device to use the technology in its production.
Apple has been experimenting with 3D printing for several years. With the higher-priced Apple Watch variant, which has only very low sales figures, Apple is now very cautiously beginning to put this into practice. If successful, the technology might also be used in other Apple products, including the iPhone, of which Apple manufactures over 200 million units a year.
3D printing unusual in mass production
In mass production, 3D printing is still rather unusual. Instead, its advantages are seen in the manufacture of individual pieces or prototypes. 3D printing is becoming increasingly popular with hobbyists, also because there are now usable 3D printers for private users for a few hundred francs.
The Apple production facilities are probably a little more expensive. Here, a steel powder is brought into the shape of the housing by the 3D printer and then heated, more precisely that sinteringsolidified.
The advantage is that there is hardly any loss of raw material. With conventional production, on the other hand, the housing is cut out of a block of stainless steel, with a corresponding surplus that then has to be disposed of or melted down once more.
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