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Apple-Liquidmetal Joint Patent Could Enable Futuristic-Looking Mobile Devices
MojoKid writes "Apple may be closer than previously thought to using Liquidmetal's technology to manufacture casings for its mobile devices. In a patent filing, a company called 'Crucible Intellectual Properties, LLC' (which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liquidmetal dedicated to Apple work) laid claim to a manufacturing process for creating 'bulk amorphous alloy sheets', also known as bulk metallic glass (BMG). The process, called 'float glass', involves two layers of molten metal, and the result is a glass-like metal that allegedly would be strong, incredibly lightweight, corrosion-resistant--and low cost. Further, the manufacturing process would ostensibly make it far easier to create specific items, as it removes some of the barriers and issues related to forming and cutting metal, and specifically BMG."
Another Terminator tech coming true.... Are we there yet? I want to burn alive in a swing :)
When dropped to the floor, will it melt and re-assemble?
James Cameron got the idea years ago for Terminator 2.
... "hold it the wrong way" wasn't good enough, so they plan now to make a mobile phone case which entirely shield out the radio waves?
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by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
When dropped to the floor, will it melt and re-assemble?
...No it will bounce...really really well...and even though it won't melt and reassemble...it can me made into complex bends and shapes.
Its in the article.
What can we do with this that we can't already do?
Calm down before you all jump on the "Enable" wagon. It's actually a decently details filing with less ambiguous wording than assumed.
Abstract: "Embodiments herein relate to a method for forming a bulk solidifying amorphous alloy sheets have different surface finish including a “fire” polish surface like that of a float glass. In one embodiment, a first molten metal alloy is poured on a second molten metal of higher density in a float chamber to form a sheet of the first molten that floats on the second molten metal and cooled to form a bulk solidifying amorphous alloy sheet. In another embodiment, a molten metal is poured on a conveyor conveying the sheet of the first molten metal on a conveyor and cooled to form a bulk solidifying amorphous alloy sheet. The cooling rate such that a time-temperature profile during the cooling does not traverse through a region bounding a crystalline region of the metal alloy in a time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram. "
This is it -> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8485245.html
PDF -> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8485245.pdf
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So Apple bought Plexicorp out, too?
Patents are important to protect innovative small little startup companies such as Apple against all too mighty competition.
sure as hell sounds like the pilkington method to me. is applying it to a different material sufficient enough to warrant a new patent?
If my phone bounces like the ball does in the demo video here, them for the first time in my life, I will happily pay a premium for a shiny apple case.
Imagine the hand-eye dexterity you'd gain from catching your phone on the rebound from the pavement.
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Why does it remind me of the Star Trek movie in which the Enterprise go back in time to save a couple of whales. In the process, they teach a local company how to make glassy-alumnium (or was it some other metal ?) for the needed fish-tank (or rather mammal-tank, with lot of seawater anyway).
Cheap, bulk amorphous metal?
Never mind iPhone cases - that stuff can be used to make transformers more efficient and more compact. If you could get it cheap, it could potentially cut a percent or two off of energy transmission losses.
As Apple now quite likely will be the only IT tech company using Liquidmetal I doubt that this alleged lower cost will be passed on to the consumers.
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LIQUID METAL. Now your phone will morph metal swordhands and stab the shit out of you.
i. for one, welcome our new liquid metal overlords.
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As in transparent aluminum?
Didn't know Scotty really gave it to us...
I likes my tablets and phones as rectangles. Just don't make this Apple:
http://phandroid.com/2011/10/06/dunder-mifflin-releases-new-pyramid-tablet-challenges-conventional-rectangle-tablets-video/
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.
Here's a link to the YouTube video in question.
If you have HTML5 enabled in your YouTube settings, it will play without requiring Flash.
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Didn't even bother to read further...
Liquidmetal isn't anything new, Samsung and Nokia have used it on some phones. The distinction is that they've generate been restricted to smaller components and not entire shells because of the expense and limitations in manufacturing. Interestingly enough, this technology was developed at Caltech and is marketed by this Liquidmetal Technologies. Perhaps someone more informed can explain how that works.
As far as the technology itself is concerned, it seems promising. However, from what I've read, the benefit isn't that they can produce "futuristic-looking" devices but rather that this metal is supposed to be much more wear resistant. It is true that the forming process is more akin to molding plastic, but I don't think we've been restricted by our ability to shape metal in recent years. Whether this tech lives up to promises remains to be seen. From what I've read of owners of Liquidmetal equipped Omega watches aren't too impressed; wear resistance doesn't seem to be any better than other materials the company has used.
I think it's one of those things where on paper it looks impressive, but in real life the forces these materials are subjected to generally far exceeds their tolerances. It's kind of like gorilla glass. People still manage to scratch up their screens when they don't break them outright. But still, any technological evolution is a good one.
The thing that surprised me was to learn that Apple acquired an exclusive, perpetual license with the company to use this technology in consumer electronics. So this isn't an example of Apple innovating, but rather preventing any competitors from getting their hands on the same technology.
In a era of emerging 3D printing of products that meet any design requirement for peoples daily lives, we have the Mac's at Apple yelling, "fire up the furnaces!"
And stock holders are left to wonder why their investment in Apple is souring.
From the wikipedia page on liquidmetal: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidmetal
One of the first commercial uses of Liquidmetal was in golf clubs made by the company, where the highly elastic metal was used in portions of the face of the club. These were highly rated by users, but the product was later dropped, in part because the prototypes shattered after fewer than 40 hits
Is it Glass or is it Metal? This may sound like a dumb question, but I really can't tell:
..." (Incidentally, float glass is nothing new, let alone patentable)
... and all that said, I was under the impression this stuff was metal. Either way, this is a pretty shitty article if I can't even get that basic fact straight, unless I'm just being really stupid here.
"'Crucible Intellectual Properties, LLC' (...) laid claim to a manufacturing process for creating 'bulk amorphous alloy sheets', also known as bulk metallic glass (BMG)."
"The process, called 'float glass'
"and the result is a glass-like metal"
I know my nerd card is in jeopardy, but I thought the formula for transparent aluminum was the payment for the thick Plexiglas they actually used. Anyone remember/feel like Googling?
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