Machining Methods Used In Smartphone Manufacturing

Have you ever wondered how smartphones get made? These now-essential devices are a marvel of modern design, engineering, and construction, but just how do they get assembled? There’s a lot of clever craftsmanship that makes this process possible; let’s take a look at some of the most notable techniques that underpin the major stages of smartphone production.

Generating the Concept and Designs

Smartphones don’t just come from thin air. There’s typically a team of designers who have to envision what a phone will look like, how much it will weigh, it’s dimensions, etc. There’s a wide range of computer software that allows them to do that, and once they’ve settled on some designs they like, phone creators will often create prototypes using techniques like 3D printing. 

Preparing the Smartphone Electronics

The electronics are the proverbial “organs” of your smartphone, and the components from these can come from all over. In addition to assembling all of the smartphone electronics into one, manufacturers must also account for getting all the right features and software installed on the phone as well. That proprietary software is designed by coders, and programmed into the components of the phone before final assembly and construction begin.

Creating the Smartphone Frame/Body

Perhaps the most crucial (and certainly the most noticeable) part of every phone is the body that houses all of its precious internal components. That body is often constructed from materials like aluminum, and such materials are often manipulated using CNC machinery.

A little bit on the history of CNC, if you didn’t already know, is that the process has been around for a good many years, and cell phones weren’t even on the radar back during its inception. In spite of that, it’s carried on as an essential part of manufacturing to this day, and has been well-adapted to taking on the challenges of modern machining.

Thanks to their accuracy,CNC machines are suited for creating the precision contours on modern smartphone casings, and can do so, with that high degree of exactitude, over and over again. It’s little wonder that CNC machines are so often employed for this type of work.

Creating That Touch-Sensitive Glass

The glass itself isn’t our focus here (there are often chemical processes that smartphone glass undergoes to create its toughness and resilience). Cutting that glass into the shape it needs to be for a smartphone screen, though? Again, that may often fall to CNC machinery, and again, the precision of CNC machinery is what makes them a good choice. They can get those rounded corners and help preserve the high-quality surface necessary for smartphone screens, and they can do that all repeatedly with on the most minimal of deviation.

Putting On the Finishing Touches

All around most contemporary smartphones, you’ll see embellishments, flourishes, flairs, and more. These lovely aesthetic touches are often a product of deft CNC machine work. Using the exact movements of the CNC machine, manufacturers can create engravings of mere millimeter thickness—an impressive complement to an already impressive device.