Apple starts testing 3D printers to make smartwatch casings

Apple is testing 3D printers to make the steel frames of some of its upcoming smartwatches, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The production technique would render obsolete the need to cut parts of metal into the product’s shape, reducing the time it takes to make the devices and also helping the environment, according to the report.

Normally, to make steel chassis, Apple’s manufacturers cut large slabs of metal in the product’s shape. Shifting to 3D printing would result in less time taken to build the devices, all while using less material.

If the experimentation with the Apple Watch goes according to Apple’s plans, it would reportedly expand the manufacturing procedure to its other products over the next several years.

Apple and its suppliers have been working on the 3D printing technology for at least three years, and have recently been testing it with steel cases for the Apple Watch Series 9, which is expected to be announced on September 12th at the tech giant’s ‘Wonderlust’ event.

However, according to the report, there’s no guarantee that the first batch of the new steel Apple Watches will be made with the 3D printing method.

Further, Apple wants to use the same technology with Titanium for its Apple Watch Ultra, though reportedly not this year.