New Apple Watch Ultra to come with 3D printed parts, launch later this year

The second-generation Apple Watch is expected to be launched this year with 3D-printed mechanical parts, said Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at TF International Securities who gathers intelligence on Apple's Asian supply chain.

Details of second-generation Apple Watch Ultra

The details were revealed in a post that was published on Medium. Kuo cited that the findings of the latest survey of Apple's supply chain indicate that the tech giant is actively adopting 3D printing technology for making its parts.

2H23 New Apple Watch Ultra mechanical parts to adopt 3D printing technology; key suppliers including IPG Photonics, Farsoon and BLT / 2H23新款Apple Watch Ultra機構件生產將採用3D列印技術，IPG Photonics、華曙高科與鉑力特為關鍵供應商https://t.co/PngNIIihC9

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) July 14, 2023

"In terms of the supply chain for 3D printers used to produce mechanical parts for the Apple Watch Ultra, IPG Photonics is the exclusive supplier of laser components, and the printer suppliers are Farsoon and BLT. If shipments go well, I believe more Apple products will adopt 3D printing technology, which will help improve production cost and ESG performance in Apple’s supply chain, and the above-mentioned suppliers will also benefit from this new production trend," Kuo revealed.

This includes specific components especially some of the titanium mechanical parts of the 2023 Apple watch ultra, which will be made with the help of 3D printing.

The proposed components could include Digital Crown, Side Button and Action Buttons as these are the present mechanical parts, other components which are made of titanium are currently being manufactured by CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines.

Kuo also revealed that the step could effectively improve production time and reduce costs. Apple is also expected to proceed with 3D manufacturing on a larger scale if the shipments from suppliers go well.

It is expected that Apple would release a second generation Apple Watch Ultra with Apple Watch Series 9 later this year, stated Bloomberg.