Apple Plans to Use 3D Printing for Other Products

Apple continues to expand its use of 3D printing as it looks for new ways to build device covers while reducing manufacturing waste and improving efficiency. The company is already using the technology in a few recent products, and its engineering teams now want to apply the same process to more things and more devices across the system. If that effort is successful, future models of the Apple Watch and iPhone will rely heavily on parts produced by 3D printing.

The change began with titanium parts. Apple introduced a 3D-printed titanium shell with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and the company is using the process for the titanium version of the Apple Watch Series 11. Apple also used 3D printing in the design of the USB-C port on the iPhone Air, which helped engineers create a smaller port while keeping the device smaller and stronger.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman at Open it Newsletter, Apple now plans to take the next step by experimenting with 3D printed aluminum lids for future products.

“The company’s design team and its operations department are working on 3D aluminum printing methods, which will bring greater efficiency to the production of Apple Watch cases and iPhone covers one day.”

Apple’s interest in 3D printed aluminum ties directly into its broader manufacturing strategy. The company seeks to reduce the use of raw materials, improve production efficiency, and lower costs without sacrificing build quality.

For example, the recently launched MacBook Neo uses a redesigned aluminum manufacturing process that focuses on reducing metal consumption. Apple says the laptop uses 50 percent less aluminum than traditional manufacturing methods, which helps reduce costs while maintaining a strong chassis.

3D printing advances that idea because the process allows engineers to shape parts more precisely and avoid wasting necessary materials.

The benefits that Apple has already achieved in 3D printing

Apple is already using 3D printing in several areas where traditional manufacturing methods create limitations.

Key benefits include:

• Waste of reduced materialsince printing uses only the metal needed for the part
• Low production costs by using more efficient production methods
• Improved design flexibilitywhich allows developers to create situations that are difficult to create
• Better structural integritysuch as the design of the improved antenna housing in the mobile models of the Apple Watch
• Small partswhich includes the USB-C port used in the iPhone Air

Engineers used 3D printing on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 to create textured interior surfaces that improve the bond between plastic and metal around the antenna housing. That change helped improve water resistance in cellular models.

Apple still needs to perfect the aluminum printing process before it can be widely seen in consumer products. The Apple Watch will likely adopt the technology first, while the iPhone could follow later once the process scales to mass production.