Apple has been studying the use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) for years. The company has finally moved beyond using AM for prototyping. In a recent announcement, the company says this year all Apple Watch Ultra 3 and titanium Apple Watch Series 11 cases are 3D printed with 100 percent recycled aerospace-grade titanium powder. It is the first time the consumer electronics giant has used AM for volume production.
The journey, Apple says, started with a question. What if 3D printing — historically used to create prototypes — could be leveraged to produce millions of identical enclosures to Apple’s exact design standards, with high-quality recycled metal? “It wasn’t just an idea — it was an idea that wanted to become a reality,” says Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of Product Design. “Once we asked the question, we immediately started testing it. We had to prove, with continuous prototyping, process optimization, and a tremendous amount of data gathering, that this technology was capable of meeting the high standard of quality we demand.”
The polished mirror finish on Series 11 had to be pristine. Ultra 3 had to maintain its durability and lightweight form to meet the demands of everyday adventurers. They both also had to be better for the planet without compromising performance, and use the same or better-quality materials.
“At Apple, every team holds Environment as a core value,” says Sarah Chandler, Apple’s vice president of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation. “We knew 3D printing was a technology with so much potential for material efficiency, which is critical for getting to Apple 2030.”
READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE including technical details: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/11/mapping-the-future-with-3d-printed-titanium-apple-watch-cases/
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