Apple is making a push toward 3D-printing its aluminum device enclosures in the future, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Gurmans comments came in Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter, where he claims that Apple is is planning to move to 3D-printed aluminum enclosures for its future devices. Using 3D-printed aluminum enclosures would allow Apple to save material and increase efficiency. The process is likely to be used on the Apple Watch first, and potentially the iPhone at a later date.
3D printing aluminum is a challenging process, as high reflectivity and thermal conductivity makes the material difficult to form with lasers, and the process requires extreme precision to avoid the risk of microscopic internal voids which can reduce the strength of the finished product.
Apple uses a new aluminum manufacturing process for its recently introduced MacBook Neo laptop, using 90% recycled aluminum overall. The process saves as much metal as possible to keep costs lower and to speed up production.
The enclosure is manufactured with a material-efficient forming process that uses 50 percent less aluminum compared to traditional machining methods.
Gurman also indicated that Apple may expand its new “Neo” branding to the Apple Watch SE in the future, offering an “Apple Watch Neo.”