​INDUSTRIAL DESIGNERS: 3D printing is no longer the future

Written By Blair Hasty

Additive has been used in production before, but never at this scale with this level of finish. Apple is now 3D printing the titanium cases for all Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Series 11 using recycled aerospace-grade powder, meeting structural, cosmetic, and sustainability requirements at once. That’s millions of units.

The shift from subtractive to additive changes what’s possible: built-in textures, near-final geometry, half the raw material, no tooling limitations.

This isn’t a prototype pipeline. It’s mass production with fewer constraints and better outcomes, for the company and the planet.

3D printing is no longer the future. It’s the present. Are you ready to change your concept of manufacturing?

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Blair Hasty
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