HBD/Honor
Though the parts may be tiny, the buzz around additive manufacturing (AM) in consumer electronic devices is huge. Apple may have stolen the headlines this summer with speculation around its use of metal AM in its latest watch series, but smartphone manufacturer Honor has also been busy working with several AM companies on its HONOR Magic V2 foldable phone.
One of them is HBD. The company worked on the Luban Titanium Alloy Hinge, a crucial component which played a significant role in achieving its 9.90mm thickness breakthrough. Leveraging titanium alloy, HBD says it was able to successfully reduce the overall thickness and weight of the folding screen.
Here, Celine Xie, HBD Overseas Business Development Manager explains why HBD's metal technology is a perfect fit for lightweight, integrated, and finely structured metal parts for 3C (Computer, Communication and Consumer electronics), and how this project could influence future AM in consumer devices.
TCT: How did HBD get involved in the HONOR foldable phone project?
CX: HBD has found that 3D printing has significant advantages in the consumer electronics sector. Downstream product manufacturing costs are effectively reduced and efficiency is improved. 3D printing eliminates the need for moulds and machining, directly transforms design drafts into solids, efficiently creates product models that can be tested and evaluated, simplifies the production process, reduces the time and assembly costs of the traditional manufacturing process, and promotes subsequent development and innovation. All these advantages pave the way for HBD to participate in the innovation of cell phone production.
TCT: Why was 3D printing chosen for this particular component?
CX: The metal structural parts of electronic products are generally based on stainless steel and aluminium alloy. Stainless steel has a good glossy feeling, but the weight is not advantageous. Aluminium alloy has the advantage of lightweight, but the general hardness. The strength of the alloy is higher than stainless steel, the weight is only half of the same volume of stainless steel - it can do both hardness and weight. Due to the alloy of the traditional processing difficulty, low yield, resulting in higher production costs, it has not been widely used by the 3C industry.
In this case, 3D printing emerged as the ideal choice for the Luban Titanium Alloy Hinge due to its capacity to streamline the production process. By eliminating the need for moulds and machining, we achieved a delicate balance between lightweight design and enhanced hardness. The innovative use of 3D printing not only simplified production, reducing time and assembly costs but also allowed us to create intricate titanium alloy structures, reduce cell phone weight, elevating the user experience.
TCT: Why do you think this project is so significant?
CX: Metal 3D printing can be very effective in solving the problem of moulding alloy materials. Prior to this, metal 3D printing of alloy parts has been widely used in aerospace, medical and other fields, and now in the 3C industry is undoubtedly a major breakthrough. The HONOR Magic V2, leveraging 3D printing technology, achieved a groundbreaking reduction in thickness and weight, surpassing previous models in the market. This achievement speaks volumes about the potential of 3D printing in the high-end market for folding screen cell phones. It not only meets consumers' demands for lighter devices but also opens the door to personalised, customised products tailored to individual preferences.
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TCT: What does this project tell us about future adoption of metal 3D AM in consumer electronics?
CX: This project serves as a testament to the transformative power of 3D printing in consumer electronics design. It liberates products from the constraints of traditional manufacturing, allowing for richer use of materials, more flexible use of process technology, and customisation according to individual preferences. As consumer demand for personalised electronic products increases, and companies demand more cost-effective, productive products, 3D printing technology offers the freedom to customise products to enhance the user experience. We believe this trend heralds a promising future where metal 3D printing will continue to revolutionise mass-produced consumer electronics, offering innovative solutions and endless design possibilities.
