Apple may also use Liquidmetal technology to reduce manufacturing time and costs

After revealing that Apple has already used Liquidmetal technologies in one of its products, the Cult of Mac today brought more details about the techniques that are within reach of Jony Ive and company for the production of gadgets insanely great.

Component manufactured for the aerospace industry

Looking at the little piece above, we can imagine that it has nothing special. However, to reach a format with this level of complexity using ordinary manufacturing methods, it would be necessary to go through several stages of cutting, grinding, drilling, tapping, deburring and polishing. Without step Seven! With a Liquidmetal mold injection machine, there is no step two. Yes, that good.

For now there is only one prototype capable of making parts for this summary process, but Apple should order more of them. An operator would be able to handle two such devices, which would be capable of producing four or five gadgets the size of an iPad at a time. However, the cooling process of the metal alloy must be well controlled, or the end result is a brittle material.

When everything goes well, on the other hand, the magic result: a strong alloy like titanium, but which consumes less material and is resistant to scratches, corrosion and grease marks, in addition to having a precise finish and a refined appearance, which can gain an aspect of jewelry just with the addition of some noble metals to the mix. This is just one manufacturing step.

Supposedly Ive would be the person to give more support to the use of the new technology, which is not difficult, given the notorious passion of the designer for unusual manufacturing processes, who doesn't know about the candy factory visit to refine the color of the first iMacs? In addition, Apple would have spent some two years (!) Producing prototypes of frames and frames. As a matter of fact, until now Liquidmetal has basically lived off making prototypes for free to try to sell its fish, something that has caused it to go into debt epically.

The deal with Apple, therefore, not only came at a time of extreme need, as it reflects how promising the products manufactured in this way are. After all, it has been difficult for Jobs' team to shoot a target and make a mistake lately, so Liquidmetal must be worth the investment.