Overview
- Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports Apple’s manufacturing design and operations teams are developing methods to 3D‑print aluminum, initially targeting Apple Watch cases with iPhone enclosures under consideration.
- Apple has not announced a timeline or rollout plan, and the effort remains unconfirmed by the company.
- Apple already uses 3D‑printed titanium in Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11, and credits 3D printing for enabling the thinner titanium USB‑C port in iPhone Air.
- The recently announced MacBook Neo employs a material‑efficient aluminum forming process that Apple says uses about 50% less aluminum than traditional machining, helping reach a $599 starting price.
- Scaling aluminum 3D printing poses hurdles such as faster cooling, potential warping or cracking, and likely alloy changes, though successful adoption could cut material waste and manufacturing cost while enabling new internal geometries.