For people who wonder how their MacBook, iPhone and iPod stay so structurally sound through everyday use, the answer is anodization.
"Anodization is essentially corrosion. What Apple does is take the aluminum they make your MacBook Pro or iPod out of and corrode it until a honeycomb of pores open in the surface," Cult of Mac said. "They then ‘paint’ it with colorful dye and boil the aluminum until the pores seal, locking the dye into the metal irreversibly. The result? A uniform color of silver on your MacBook, and brightly colored iPod nano and shuffle."
This process makes the Apple product tougher against cracks in the surface and scratches that can leave it looking damaged. However, despite all of the Cupertino, California-based company's efforts, it has yet to release a product that is truly indestructible. So while the iPad and iPhone are fairly strong pieces of technology, their cases can get dented, damaged or cracked – problems that can go beyond mere cosmetics.
The beautiful anodized aluminum finish on many Apple products keeps them from corrosion, provides a hard and (mostly) scratch resistant surface, and even -- in the case of the iPod nano and shuffle -- a beautiful color tint. But have you ever wondered about the process of anodizing? To give yourself an edge the next time you're trying to impress someone, watch the short video at the end of this post and learn everything you've ever wanted to know about anodizing aluminum.
In the video, Bill Hammack the Engineer Guy provides a succinct description of how oxidizing aluminum (basically making it "rust", although that term specifically describes oxides of iron) can provide a hard protective layer and be dyed to provide coloration. Yes, Apple could produce multicolored MacBook Airs if they wished, all with a tough and scratch-free finish.
Enjoy the show, and the next time you pick up one of your favorite Apple products, thank for the video engineer.
Stay Tuned..
"Anodization is essentially corrosion. What Apple does is take the aluminum they make your MacBook Pro or iPod out of and corrode it until a honeycomb of pores open in the surface," Cult of Mac said. "They then ‘paint’ it with colorful dye and boil the aluminum until the pores seal, locking the dye into the metal irreversibly. The result? A uniform color of silver on your MacBook, and brightly colored iPod nano and shuffle."
This process makes the Apple product tougher against cracks in the surface and scratches that can leave it looking damaged. However, despite all of the Cupertino, California-based company's efforts, it has yet to release a product that is truly indestructible. So while the iPad and iPhone are fairly strong pieces of technology, their cases can get dented, damaged or cracked – problems that can go beyond mere cosmetics.
The beautiful anodized aluminum finish on many Apple products keeps them from corrosion, provides a hard and (mostly) scratch resistant surface, and even -- in the case of the iPod nano and shuffle -- a beautiful color tint. But have you ever wondered about the process of anodizing? To give yourself an edge the next time you're trying to impress someone, watch the short video at the end of this post and learn everything you've ever wanted to know about anodizing aluminum.
In the video, Bill Hammack the Engineer Guy provides a succinct description of how oxidizing aluminum (basically making it "rust", although that term specifically describes oxides of iron) can provide a hard protective layer and be dyed to provide coloration. Yes, Apple could produce multicolored MacBook Airs if they wished, all with a tough and scratch-free finish.
Enjoy the show, and the next time you pick up one of your favorite Apple products, thank for the video engineer.
Stay Tuned..
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