Look, I will try to be as nice here. You’re just posting marketing burble. You don’t actually know much about the materials science or manufacturing here, or the competing technologies in metallic injection molding today.
The upside Apple is going after here is reducing their manufacturing costs, just as the manufacturing of smaller machined parts is going to MIM instead of CNC machining. There are no materials problems or issues with the aluminum they’re using in their cases now, other than the speed of manufacturing. I’m sure Apple is looking at their sales volumes and doing some math on the CNC cycle times, and then the capital costs of adding more CNCs to increase production.
After all, it was only two yeara ago Apple was trumpeting how much waste they reduced by going to CNC machining of their new cases to gain some rigidity. They were so proud of their new case manufaturing technology - and it was entirely modern and a good job. The video they had of the CNC run was impressive for those of us who do machining.
I’m sure that they’ll trumpet the first products cases with this material to high heaven with the usual attending Jobs Reality Distortion Field, but it doesn’t do anything for me, an engineer who knows a couple of things about metals and machining, bending, casting and forging them.
If they wanted to impress a guy like me with how tough their cases are, they’d put out a case made of Inconel. But that ain’t gonna happen; there is absolutely no need for it. 7075 aluminum is entirely sufficient for the job at hand if we discount the CNC cycle times.
For me, the net result will be about as impressive as going from a gun receiver made of a machined forging or billet to a stamped and welded sheet metal receiver. Sure, they both work, but we know the real reason for going to a stamping: speed of production at a low cost.
Who the hell said ANYTHING about going to a "stamping?" They are planning on casting the cases, an easy process similar to the way plastic can be cast... haven't you read ANYTHING about what the advantages of this material are? They can low temperature cast them with little to no shrinkage or after casting machining required.
Or are you referring to the stamped receivers with roll pins that Winchester tried to foist off on the public back in the sixties to replace the machined Pre-64 Model 94s?
In fact, the cost of the material Apple will be using with this technique is HIGHER than the aluminum they are currently using, but the method will save money in the long run, cutting costs by limiting the machining. They are going to have a thinner, lighter, solid cast casing that is resistant to scratching and distortion.
There is a distinct advantage over using the Liquidmetal for the case over the current aluminum for the laptop casing or the stainless steel of the iPhone case.
By using a stronger, lighter material, they can make equally strong, same sized cases with more room inside for larger, higher capacity batteries, providing longer useful operation time before recharging, extending the current ten hours to perhaps 12-14 hours or more for laptops, and the 8 hour iPhone to 10 or 12. That was the one of the primary reasons Apple went with the uniblock construction of the laptops originally: the unitary design strength provided more room for battery placement and allowed Apple to offer industry leading .
Why not try READING the advantages of the material and why Apple has locked in the technology and argue the facts instead of raising an non-existent straw man techniques, or reasons for changing manufacturing methods, that have not even been mentioned, and invoking "The Jobs Reality Distortion Field" as though the cases on the current laptops are not very strong and leading the field.