“Rumors are buzzing that Apple has been working on a revolutionary manufacturing process involving lasers and waterjets and solid blocks of aluminum for the upcoming MacBooks. The contention is that the rumored “Brick” product actually refers not to a product itself, but the manufacturing method for the MacBooks,” Adam Richardson writes for CNET.
MacDailyNews Note: Richardson notes that although Apple and frog design, where he works, worked together in the 1980’s and pioneered injection molding techniques with plastic that are now commonplace on computer products, Richardson states that he doesn’t have any insider knowledge whatsoever on this rumor.
Richardson continues, “In reality, Apple has been using laser and waterjet methods for quite sometime… For example, if you look at the iPod Shuffle you can tell it is hogged out aluminum. On such a small product this is do-able. On a large product like a laptop this would typically result in a massive amount of waste (so kiss your green credentials goodbye). And the notion that this is somehow cheaper than stamping thin sheets or molding plastic is completely wrong – it’s much more expensive.”
“Given the complexity of the components that need to get tightly mounted inside a laptop casing, and the number of ports and so on that need to be exposed to the outside, it’s unlikely that it will literally be a hollowed out block of aluminum,” Richardson writes. “And even if it was, it would not particularly help much with weight (it’s still aluminum) compared to the stamped case of the current Aluminum MacBook Pros.”
Richardson writes, “Having said that, and not discounting Apple’s ability to go beyond the bounds of what others pull off, going by the 9to5mac article there isn’t necessarily anything very revolutionary being described.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Dale E.” for the heads up.]
What do you normally use to crash Windows? A brick is a codename for Apple’s final blow against the dominance of Windows…
As a Windows user I usually find running Quicktime does the job. In fact, it’s only Apple software that ever crashes Vista.
The leaked code name isn’t ‘Brick’, it’s ‘Brick-Head’.
The code name isn’t for a new Apple product, it’s the code name for the next Disney-Pixar movie.
The rumor business just ain’t what it used to be.
If anything, such a process might be used to produce a small number of prototype cases, nothing else.
It would be prohibitively expensive and cumbersome for actual production.
By the way: It requires a high amount of energy to re-use the waste from milling, which would typically be most of the total mass being used for a computer case. It would be breathtakingly inefficient and thus completely nonsensical for mass production.
Milling metal is SLOW, it’s far faster to stamp a sheet. If you mill too fast, the heat can warp and damage the material you are milling, even if you use frickin laserbeams!
There’s no cost advantage whatsoever. This is a ludicrous rumor.
I’d like to see Apple move on to carbon fiber.
There is not heat to warp the metal. You are cutting the metal with high pressure water which carries the heat away.
I want: There is not heat to warp the metal. You are cutting the metal with high pressure water which carries the heat away.
At velocities like the ones used for cutting metal I wouldn’t be so sure about that — besides the fact that you can only cut with water or lasers, not excavate hollow forms with any precision.
For lightweight laptop casings stamped sheet metal is by far lighter, stronger and cheaper than milled-down whole blocks.
I’d like to see Apple move on to build the T3000.
How do you think dod contractors cut titanium plates? They use water and diamond dust at high pressure. Aluminum would be like a cutting warm butter with a knife.
Man, you guys are referencing movies I have in my collection.
Hmm, am I a nerd, too?
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
Or maybe a ceramic case, no more scratches.
Although Richardson may not be an elderly scientist, I think Clarke’s 1st Law may still be applicable.
funny when you see the boneheads post here; haha.
people didn’t get the “liquid metal” joke, not for many posts
then some guy says “C and C” — yeah, like you unpack your MCV into a MBP… hahaha.
Folks — surf the Web more, read more, get out more, is what I say… (no these are not mutually exclusive)