Apple Job Listing for Plastics Design Engineer Hints at Innovative Designs for Future Products

iphone3gsApple today posted a new job listing for a Manufacturing Design Engineer with a focus on Advanced Plastic Tooling and Process. According to the job description, Apple is looking to expand and improve its current plastics division.

Identify, develop and launch new tooling and process capabilities in support of new Apple product developments. Areas of focus will be "non-traditional" Apple plastic processing such as thermoforming, foam molding, blow molding, etc., and their application to new Apple products. The successful candidate will have demonstrated history of bringing new process and tooling technologies through a full development cycle and launch into high volume production.

Though Apple has focused heavily on aluminum for the iPad, the iPhone, and the MacBook line for the past few years, the Cupertino-based company has continued to prominently use plastics in such products as the Apple TV, the AirPort Extreme, keyboards, and other accessories.

Recent rumors have suggested that Apple is working on a low cost iPhone that will be constructed primarily of plastic. The iPhone is said to be a hybrid of the iPhone 5 and the iPod touch, with a plastic enclosure.

A new hire specializing in plastics is unlikely to be involved in the design of the low cost iPhone, given that it is rumored to be released later this year, but the open position does support reports that Apple is focusing on novel uses of plastics for upcoming products.

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Top Rated Comments

jav6454 Avatar
160 months ago
Plastic? They've learned....

Score: 57 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Small White Car Avatar
160 months ago
Or the guy that works on the Magic Mouse just quit and they're replacing him.

I'm sorry, but I hate the "a job posting means a new direction for Apple products" stories.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SlCKB0Y Avatar
160 months ago
So is plastic good or bad? I'm confused now..
Duh!! It's durable, beautiful, innovative and magical with pixies and unicorns when Apple uses it. When Samsung uses it, plastic is just cheap crap. :D
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krazy Bill Avatar
160 months ago
I dunno folks... I look at my 4S and marvel at the precision machine engineering that went into the thing.

Plastic meh. Give me rubber... something that bounces on concrete. :(
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
160 months ago
<insert smarmy comment about how Apple would never use Plastic as it's cheap>

:rolleyes:


I still think that whilst the iPhone 5 is a sexy phone, it'd be nicer with the glossy plastic back of the 3/3s. Nothing wrong with plastic.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mrsir2009 Avatar
160 months ago
But Apple would NEVER (again) use cheap, crappy plastic, would they? This would never have happened (even tho it did with the 3GS) if Jobs was still around. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)