Apple released a detailed technical briefing earlier, announcing this year's...Apple Watch Series 11 vs. Apple Watch Ultra 3The underlying manufacturing innovation is 3D printing titanium technology. This technology not only allows Apple to produce high-quality watch cases using 100% recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder, but also enables it to replace the traditional subtractive manufacturing process with additive manufacturing, successfully reducing the amount of raw materials used by half. It is estimated that more than 400 metric tons of raw titanium materials can be saved this year.
Kate Bergeron, Apple's vice president of product design, pointed out that this is not just an idea, but a mass production technology that has been proven to meet Apple's high-quality standards after continuous prototyping, process optimization, and extensive data collection.
Additive manufacturing replaces subtractive processing, halving raw materials and doubling efficiency.
Traditional forging is a subtractive manufacturing process, which often requires cutting away a large amount of material. Apple's 3D printing process, on the other hand, involves stacking objects layer by layer until they approach the final shape.
Sarah Chandler, Apple’s vice president of environmental and supply chain innovation, explained that this shift allows the titanium cases of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch Series 11 to use 50% less raw materials than the previous generation. This means that the material used to make one case can now be used to make two, which is crucial for achieving Apple’s “2030” carbon neutrality goal.
Six lasers operate simultaneously, stacking 900 layers to create a high-precision watch case.
In terms of manufacturing details, Apple revealed that each 3D printer is equipped with a galvanometer containing six lasers, which operate simultaneously and repeatedly stack more than 900 layers to complete a case.
To ensure quality and safety, the raw titanium must first be atomized into powder with a size of 50 micrometers (like fine sand), and the oxygen content must be strictly controlled to prevent explosion. The thickness of each layer is precisely controlled at 60 micrometers. Apple emphasizes that a balance must be struck between "going as fast as possible" to achieve mass production and "operating as slowly as possible" to ensure precision.
Subsequent processes include coarse powder removal (vacuum suction), fine powder removal (ultrasonic vibration), separation and cutting via charged metal wires, and finally, an automated optical inspection system to ensure dimensional accuracy.
Breaking through traditional forging limitations, improving the waterproofing process, and applying it to the iPhone Air.
Beyond its environmental benefits, 3D printing also brings design breakthroughs. Apple points out that this technology can print textures in areas that traditional forging methods cannot process.
Taking the Apple Watch as an example, this feature was used to improve the waterproofing process of the antenna structure in cellular models. By 3D printing a specific texture onto the inner surface of the metal, the adhesion between the plastic separator (antenna) and the metal was successfully improved.
Even more noteworthy is that the application of this technology is not limited to watches. Apple confirmed that the new iPhone Air also benefits from the flexibility of this technology, with its USB-C port and titanium body both made using recycled titanium powder 3D printing. This is one of the key reasons why Apple was able to create the iPhone Air's ultra-thin yet robust design.
