Apple Watch Workholding

gkoenig · Mar 12, 2015

Apple showed some quick videos of the production of their new Watch. It's always neat for me to see how they are building stuff.

The stainless ones are machined from a cold forging, and Apple shows this quick shot of what appears to be some of the excess forging material getting milled off to make a lip for 5 axis workholding done in upcoming operations. Curious though, what workholding are they using here? Any ideas?

G-Auto · Mar 12, 2015

I can't tell how they are clamping that. Collet of some sort?

Brian · Mar 12, 2015

It would be a wild ass guess on my part, but I wonder if they form a draw stud type piece on the bottom of the forging. Then the portion you can see is just to orient and level the part, the grip portion is internal to what we see and probably hydraulic or pneumatic actuated.

Orange Vise · Mar 12, 2015

Do you have a link to the video?

rlockwood · Mar 12, 2015

Orange Vise said:
Do you have a link to the video?

They have these ones..

Apple - Apple Watch - Craftsmanship

on their website, but I don't think I actually saw the image shown above in any of them. Neat stuff either way. Aluminum shows a robodrill, couldn't make much out in the others.

dcsipo · Mar 12, 2015

Orange Vise said:
Do you have a link to the video?

here is one

JMC · Mar 12, 2015

bout halfway thru the stainless vid they show the pic from above being machined...tho its tough to tell the workholding system

rkwadd · Mar 12, 2015

rlockwood said:
...

Apple - Apple Watch - Craftsmanship

...Aluminum shows a robodrill, couldn't make much out in the others.

They also released a video last year or at the end of 2013 showing iPhone 5s case milling with a Robodrill as well. Mainstream tech press repeated "diamond cut" in every single article which made me laugh.

doug925 · Mar 12, 2015

Dcsipo,

That spoof video is ABSO-FRICKEN-LUTELY hilarious!
Thanks for making my day!

Doug.

Jashley73 · Mar 12, 2015

So in this "revolutionary" watch, we have dozens of new "alloys", "Billet" solid gold, and countless other innovations. Whoever their marketing folks are, they seem to be doing a good job...

John Welden · Mar 12, 2015

It's kind of funny they seem to be using an ER tool holder. And the endmill isn't even stub length.

gkoenig · Mar 12, 2015

Jashley73 said:
So in this "revolutionary" watch, we have dozens of new "alloys", "Billet" solid gold, and countless other innovations. Whoever their marketing folks are, they seem to be doing a good job...

Apple is very careful in this regard. They never use the word "billet" aside from the proper definition. They do not call the aluminum "aircraft grade." They are, in fact, creating their own 6000 and 7000 series alloys to their own specifications (I've met 2 of their PhD metallurgists).

In Q12015, Apple shipped the weight equivalent of a Boeing 787 every 23.5 hours in iPhone 6s. If you think they aren't pushing their processes as hard as Boeing is, you would be wrong.

Also, check out the Aluminum video- not only are the serrations on the crown laser machined, Apple is using lasers to deburr edges inside the part. It's pretty flipping sweet!

John Welden · Mar 12, 2015

Jashley73 said:
So in this "revolutionary" watch, we have dozens of new "alloys", "Billet" solid gold, and countless other innovations. Whoever their marketing folks are, they seem to be doing a good job...

I have a problem with companies that have shitty products and try to market them as being great. (microsoft) I don't mind Apple's (sometimes over the top) marketing because they really do make great stuff most of the time. Even if you aren't interested in their products, you have to give them credit for their incredible industrial design and craftsmanship. Show me a consumer product that is made better than Apple shit.

Jorgo · Mar 12, 2015

John Welden said:
I have a problem with companies that have shitty products and try to market them as being great. (microsoft) I don't mind Apple's (sometimes over the top) marketing because they really do make great stuff most of the time. Even if you aren't interested in their products, you have to give them credit for their incredible industrial design and craftsmanship. Show me a consumer product that is made better than Apple shit.

I despise Apple products but have to agree
Jordy

dcsipo · Mar 12, 2015

doug925 said:
Dcsipo,

That spoof video is ABSO-FRICKEN-LUTELY hilarious!
Thanks for making my day!

Doug.

Thanks,

while i am typing this on my macbook and my iPhone is buzzing...

dee
;-D

Jashley73 · Mar 12, 2015

John Welden said:
I have a problem with companies that have shitty products and try to market them as being great. (microsoft) I don't mind Apple's (sometimes over the top) marketing because they really do make great stuff most of the time. Even if you aren't interested in their products, you have to give them credit for their incredible industrial design and craftsmanship. Show me a consumer product that is made better than Apple shit.

Motorola phones, for one example. Carbon-Kevlar construction, Owens-Corning "Gorilla Glass" screens, good battery life, fast processing, and if you like Androids, a good operating system.

And I'm sure I could muster up several others... There's too many examples, good and bad, to say that Apple products are better than others, or vice-versa. Especially if we're talking about the hardware aspect... Let's take a show of hands, regarding broken screens, on iPhones vs. any other major smart phones. Bending phones... Oh, and let's not forget the, "thanks for your loyalty, we're going to stick it to you with our new redesigned chargers, so that all your old accessories are now worthless" lightning-charger connector. Meanwhile, every other smart-phone made uses a standard micro-USB connector... I know not the first thing about their other products, and don't really care to, because I suspect they're much similar to the phones.

But whatever, if you (plural) like Apple products, then good for you, I hope you enjoy them. I personally don't care for their stuff, so I'll be one-less person crowding the lines for the newest, latest, greatest iDevice. But I have to give a hats-off congratulations to their marketing guys. They really have built an empire for themselves.

Sent from my oh-so-mediocre iPhone...

SeymourDumore · Mar 12, 2015

gkoenig said:
Apple is very careful .... aside from the proper .... They are, in fact, creating their own ... alloys to their own specifications... their PhD

equivalent of a Boeing 787 .... pushing their processes as hard as Boeing

.... the serrations on the crown laser machined, Apple is using lasers to deburr edges....
It's pretty flipping sweet!

Should I get you a tissue?
Or, perhaps something bigger, like a towel or a throw rug even?

Sean S · Mar 12, 2015

I am SOOOOOOOoooo waiting for the iVMC!

John Welden · Mar 12, 2015

I

Jashley73 said:
Motorola phones, for one example. Carbon-Kevlar construction, Owens-Corning "Gorilla Glass" screens, good battery life, fast processing, and if you like Androids, a good operating system.

And I'm sure I could muster up several others... There's too many examples, good and bad, to say that Apple products are better than others, or vice-versa. Especially if we're talking about the hardware aspect... Let's take a show of hands, regarding broken screens, on iPhones vs. any other major smart phones. Bending phones... Oh, and let's not forget the, "thanks for your loyalty, we're going to stick it to you with our new redesigned chargers, so that all your old accessories are now worthless" lightning-charger connector. Meanwhile, every other smart-phone made uses a standard micro-USB connector... I know not the first thing about their other products, and don't really care to, because I suspect they're much similar to the phones.

But whatever, if you (plural) like Apple products, then good for you, I hope you enjoy them. I personally don't care for their stuff, so I'll be one-less person crowding the lines for the newest, latest, greatest iDevice. But I have to give a hats-off congratulations to their marketing guys. They really have built an empire for themselves.

Sent from my oh-so-mediocre iPhone...

You are an idiot.

mTeryk · Mar 13, 2015

John Welden said:
I

You are an idiot.

Never figured you for an Apple fanboy.

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