Titanium alloys, as a high-quality lightweight metallic structural material, not only have low density, high specific strength and specific fracture toughness, good fatigue strength and crack propagation resistance, but also excellent corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Compared with stainless steel and aluminum alloys, titanium alloys can better meet the dual requirements of lightweight and high durability in 3C products, making them a new material choice for 3C consumer terminals such as smartphones, smart wearable devices, and laptops.
In the mobile phone industry, titanium alloys are mainly used in components such as the mid-frame, screen support plate of foldable screen hinge components, camera module bezels, and USB-C ports. In the smart wearable device industry, titanium alloys are mainly used in smartwatch cases/straps, smart glasses frames/hinges, smart ring bodies, and TWS (True Wireless Stereo) bodies. In the laptop industry, titanium alloys can be used in laptop hinges and shell structural components.
△ The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, an ultra-thin flagship phone, features a titanium-cast frame.
△ The Apple Watch Series 11 features polished aerospace-grade titanium with a durable sapphire crystal.
△ The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Titanium's A-side uses a composite material of titanium and carbon fiber.
Since 2023, leading 3C consumer electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, OPPO, and VIVO have actively launched flagship products made of titanium alloys, leading the trend of titanium material application in the consumer electronics industry and accelerating the penetration of titanium alloys in the 3C field.
Currently, the processing of titanium alloy structural components in 3C consumer electronics mainly employs CNC machining, 3D printing, and MIM (metal powder injection molding) processes, providing multiple options for the precise manufacturing of complex structural components.
1. CNC Machining
CNC machining is a technology that uses computer-controlled machine tools for machining. It is suitable for processing various metallic and non-metallic materials, encompassing cutting (such as milling and turning) and grinding. It offers advantages such as high precision, high efficiency, good workpiece surface quality, and applicability to various complex structures.
However, due to the high strength and low thermal conductivity of titanium alloys, machining is difficult, resulting in low efficiency and severe tool wear, thus leading to higher manufacturing costs. Nevertheless, with the continuous improvement in CNC cutting and grinding yields and the sustained decrease in costs, CNC machining technology has matured and offers high precision, remaining the mainstream machining method for titanium alloys.
△ The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra features a robust titanium frame.
2. 3D Printing
3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a rapid prototyping technology. It constructs objects by discretizing layers using software and a CNC forming system, then printing layer by layer. It offers advantages such as customization, low waste, precision manufacturing, and lightweighting of complex components.
Compared to traditional casting processes, 3D printing's biggest advantage lies in its ability to directly and freely manufacture complex parts from raw materials, without involving traditional manufacturing methods such as extrusion, forging, casting, and secondary processing. It achieves the desired shape with nearly 100% material utilization. 3D printing technology aims to shorten delivery times, reduce costs, and form complex structural parts, and it has significant technological advantages in the production of titanium alloy castings.
However, in most cases, when producing complex products, 3D printing often needs to be combined with CNC machining to achieve the required precision in the final product.
Currently, titanium alloy 3D printing technology has achieved large-scale application in the mobile phone industry. For example, the Honor Magic V2 began using 3D printing to manufacture the hinge cover, marking the first time that titanium alloy materials were used on a large scale in mobile phones. The OPPO Find N5 foldable phone's hinge wing plate and outer hinge frame both use 3D-printed titanium alloy, achieving ultra-thin and miniaturized hinges while improving overall strength. The iPhone Air's USB-C port uses titanium 3D printing technology, reducing thickness and increasing strength to fit a slim design, while using 33% less material than traditional manufacturing processes.
△ The hinge cover of the Honor Magic V2 is the first to use titanium alloy 3D printing technology.
△ The titanium USB-C port of the iPhone Air uses 3D printing technology.
Furthermore, in the field of smart wearables, Apple's latest smartwatch titanium alloy case is also innovatively manufactured using 3D printing technology, saving 50% of raw materials compared to its predecessor.
△ The Apple Watch Ultra 3 case is manufactured using 100% recycled titanium 3D printing technology.
3. MIM (Metal Injection Molding)
MIM (Metal Injection Molding) is a near-net-shape forming technology. It involves selecting metal powder and binder that meet MIM requirements, mixing them into a uniform injection molding feed at a specific temperature using appropriate methods, granulating the feedstock, and then injecting it into the mold. The resulting green body is degreased and sintered to achieve densification, becoming the final product.
MIM processing offers high raw material utilization, high molding precision, and high production efficiency, making it suitable for large-scale, rapid production of complex structures.
The Xiaomi 14 Ultra Titanium Special Edition uses a more robust and stronger TC-4 titanium alloy with a yield strength of up to 900MPa. Traditional machining methods are difficult to apply, so MIM processing is used. After subsequent CNC machining and surface treatment, the mid-frame of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra Titanium Special Edition is formed.
△The Xiaomi 14 Pro Titanium Special Edition's mid-frame utilizes a hybrid MIM and CNC molding process.
In summary, CNC machining, 3D printing, and MIM each have their unique characteristics in manufacturing titanium alloy structural components for 3C products, providing multiple options for precise manufacturing and lightweight design.
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