APPLE STREAMLINES MANUFACTURING WITH 3D PRINTING

Apple is moving further into advanced manufacturing by expanding its use of 3D-printed components for the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra 3 and elements of the iPhone Air.

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The shift reflects Apple's broader effort to refine production efficiency, reduce material waste, and streamline complex design processes using additive-manufacturing methods that were tested on select Apple Watch models over the past year. With the next cycle of devices, Apple is scaling this approach from limited production runs to a more integrated framework across its wearable and smartphone lines.

The transition marks one of Apple’s most notable manufacturing changes in recent years. While traditional CNC machining has defined the company’s enclosure production for more than a decade, 3D printing of metal components introduces a method that allows engineers to consolidate parts, experiment with structural variations, and reduce the amount of titanium and aluminum required during fabrication. The shift has not altered the external appearance of the devices, but it is reshaping how these enclosures are made and how Apple plans future hardware cycles.

Apple's growing reliance on additive manufacturing is prompting adjustments to equipment, training and production scheduling. The company’s early trials with 3D printing involved stainless-steel components in smaller numbers, but the new phase brings titanium—one of Apple's most critical premium materials—into a more mature additive workflow. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to be the first mass-market device from the company to rely extensively on 3D-printed titanium structural parts. The iPhone Air follow a similar blueprint for selected internal and external elements, forming the basis for broader adoption in later flagship models.

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