Apple has introduced a novel manufacturing process for the Apple Watch Ultra 3, utilizing 3D printing technology to craft watch cases from 100 percent recycled titanium powder. This innovative approach significantly reduces raw material usage, with an estimated 400 metric tons of titanium saved this year alone.
The intricate process involves blasting titanium dust with lasers, building up over 900 layers of material, each a mere 60 microns thick. To prevent explosions from high heat exposure, the titanium powder must undergo meticulous refinement to lower its oxygen content.
While Apple currently applies 3D printing to watch cases and the iPhone Air’s USB-C port, the company plans to expand this technology across its product lineup. “We’re never doing something just to do it once – we’re doing it so it becomes the way the whole system then works,” says Sarah Chandler, Apple’s VP of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation.
Source: The Verge