"Apple's shift to 3D-printed titanium marks a turning point, not just for wearables, but for how material innovation becomes the foundation for meaningful design change. Every Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Series 11 case now emerges from additive manufacturing using 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder. The process cuts raw material consumption in half and saves over 400 metric tons this year alone."
"Six lasers build each case layer by layer, over 900 times, until the form reaches near-final shape using only what the design actually needs. "It wasn't just an idea: it was an idea that wanted to become a reality," Kate Bergeron, Apple's vice president of Product Design, explains. The team spent over a decade watching 3D printing mature across industries. Hospitals printed prosthetics. Astronauts manufactured tools aboard the International Space Station."
Apple produces Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Series 11 cases using additive manufacturing with 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder, halving raw material consumption and saving over 400 metric tons this year. The cases achieve a mirrored polish and featherweight durability comparable to traditionally forged pieces while concealing an additive manufacturing process that converts waste into design possibilities. Traditional subtractive machining wastes large amounts of titanium; additive manufacturing builds each case layer by layer using six lasers and over 900 layers to reach near-final form and use only required material. Titanium powder must be atomized to 50 microns, making oxygen content critical because excess oxygen risks uncontrolled reactions during laser processing. The materials science team engineered a low-oxygen powder to enable precision manufacturing at scale.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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