Apple’s latest Apple Watch features a 3D printed titanium case made from 100% recycled material.
The consumer technology giant revealed the use of additive manufacturing (AM) with the launch of its new Apple Watch Series 12. It follows on from last year's Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series 11 launches which featured cases 3D printed from 100% recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder.
The use of metal AM is said to support the company’s Apple 2030 carbon neutrality target across its manufacturing supply chain and lifetime use of its products. The Apple Watch Series 12 is made with 40% recycled material overall, which includes the 100% recycled titanium in the 3D printed titanium case. All of the electricity used to manufacture Apple Watch Series 12 is said to be sourced from renewable energy and Apple has also invested in enough renewable energy around the world to match the electricity customers use to charge their Apple Watch.
Earlier this week, Apple also revealed the use of metal 3D printing on its new foldable iPhone Duo, which features an additively manufactured hinge cover, manufactured from 100% recycled titanium. The hinge cover has been printed using grade 5 titanium, selected for its 'incredible strength', and finished with a contrasting micro-blasted texture. Apple also says the hinge has been engineered from more than 100 components to precisely control opening and closing, while supporting the centre of the display.
AM has proven to be a valuable production process for a new wave of foldable phones, with companies such as Oppo and Honor deploying the technology for their own foldable products. Apple has previously used AM for the USB-C port of the iPhone Air.
