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Apple 3D Prints the Hinge for Its First Foldable Phone: The iPhone Duo
Last week, Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. Many people online are comparing it with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8. For the additive manufacturing sector, however, the main development lies in a critical foldable-phone part: the hinge. The…
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Last week, Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, its first foldable phone. Many people online are comparing it with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8. For the additive manufacturing sector, however, the main development lies in a critical foldable-phone part: the hinge.
The iPhone Duo’s hinge cover is 3D printed from 100% recycled Grade 5 titanium. Its bead-blasted finish contrasts with the mirror polish on the rest of the chassis. The complete hinge assembly contains more than 100 components.
Inside the iPhone Duo, the hinge and its more than 100 components sit alongside the new A20 Pro chip and a vapor chamber that dissipates heat.
The next stage of the process is particularly significant. During the product presentation, Apple Senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji explained that a confocal laser scans the topology of each unit. The system then prints up to 25 micro-layers of a custom-developed photopolymer to eliminate residual waviness. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms also match each hinge with the housing that provides the best fit.
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Six other notes from the rest of the bench.
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