Apple shakes tech industry with 3D printed cases

Apple has achieved what its executives call a manufacturing breakthrough that could chart a course for the broader tech industry: the first consumer electronics with cases entirely 3D printed from 100% recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder.

- Vishal Mathur

Apple's cases are 3D printed from 100% recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder.

The Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series Il mark this milestone, while the iPhone Air's USB-C port features a3D-printed titanium enclosure that enables a thinner design than previously possible.

The innovation is central to Apple’s 2030 carbon neutrality vision, with CEO Tim Cook having called these targets “un-negotiable” in an earlier conversation with HT. The company estimates more than 400 metric tonnes of raw titanium will be saved this year alone through the new process.

“We hope others come along with us, change the system and change the approach,” Sarah Chandler, VP of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation, told HT. “We're really trying to find things that we can unlock that others can then copy because ultimately, if the system changes, that’s how not just us but others will also decarbonise.”