Apple, files for 3D Printing Patents!
Looks like Apple is taking it's first steps to get into the 3D Printing Business. At least the first publicly seen steps.
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Is Apple Inc. (AAPL) Getting Into the 3D Printing Business?
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is pursuing 3D printing, according to Patently Apple.
The tech giant applied for a series of liquidmetal patents, two of which pertain directly to 3D printing technology.
First, for those who don’t know, liquidmetal isn’t the stuff that the Terminator T-1000 is made of.
According to Wikipedia:
“liquidmetal refers to “a series of amorphous metal alloys developed by a California Institute of Technology (Caltech) research team and marketed by Liquidmetal Technologies. Liquidmetal alloys combine a number of desirable material features, including high tensile strength, excellent corrosion resistance, very high coefficient of restitution and excellent anti-wearing characteristics, while also being able to be heat-formed in processes similar to thermoplastics. Despite the name, they are not liquid at room temperature.”
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) believes that 3d printing will use layering techniques to build three-dimensional parts based on computer-generated designs.
Stacking or layering cross sections of a desired object seems to be the “how” of 3D printing technologies.
The cross sections would obviously be joined by a bonding/fusing agent.
The advantage of 3D printing, according to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) (beyond the fact that its really cool) is that it could drastically reduce the amount of time it takes to produce prototype components, thus dramatically speeding up the design process. And in an environment where we’re already talking about the iPhone 6 only months after the release of the 5s and 5c, that’s a very good thing.
Beyond applications for protoyping, it seems Apple intends to use 3D printing technology as an element of the molding process. It seems, too, that the Cupertino-based company seeks to develop 3D technologies to sell, not merely for their own use in product development. The patent application hilights the company’s belief that 3D printing has applications in fields as varied as dentistry and architecture.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) also believes that 3D printing has a role to play in electronic device enclosures, and Tim Cook’s company is already pursuing liquidmetal technologies for its own devices, according to reports.
Read the entire article at: http://www.nextiphonenews.com/2013/1...ting-business/
