Apple wants to make iPhones even more durable. The US Patent Office shows the existence of an Apple patent relating to “shells for additive manufacturing devices”, with the aim of making Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other devices even more resistant.
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This was reported by AppleWorld. In the patent in question, the House of Cupertino states that electronic devices, including portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and watches, can come into contact with various surfaces during use, and as we know, the use, handling and storage of these devices can result in mechanical and thermal stresses.
The housing of an electronic device can boast different combinations of properties relating to strength, appearance, solidity, abrasion resistance, weight, corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, electromagnetic shielding and costs, so that the device can function as desired.
Some materials, or some material forming methods, may offer the desired level of performance with respect to some properties but may not be able to provide an optimum level of performance with respect to yet other properties. For these reasons, Apple believes it may be desirable to offer a multi-material or multi-process device enclosure to achieve the desired level of performance over as many of the desired properties as possible.
In the Apple patent speaks of “a component for electronic devices” that can “include a pre-formed substrate, comprising a metal of first choice, and a component made with additive manufacturing linked to the pre-formed substrate”. The portion obtained with additive manufacturing, Apple explains again, can include a first portion comprising a secondary metal, and a second portion with material that boasts properties other than the first choice one. In other words, the idea seems to be to use layers with different materials, increasing the resistance.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max continue to offer state-of-the-art durability features in the market thanks to the Ceramic Shield front, an element that Apple calls “stronger than any smartphone glass”; the devices in question are protected from splashes and common accidents, being resistant to water and dust according to the IEC 60529 standard.
