What are the effects of surface texture treatment on electronic casings?

一, Functional Enhancement: Physical Modification from Protection to Interaction
1. Wear and scratch resistance: mechanical optimization of microstructure
Sandblasting treatment forms a uniform micro pit structure on the surface of metal or plastic by high-speed spraying of glass beads or diamond particles. This treatment can increase the Mohs hardness of aluminum alloy shells by more than 30%, significantly reducing the risk of scratches in daily use. For example, after using sandblasting technology on the back cover of Huawei Mate series phones, the surface damage threshold was increased from 500 times of friction with ordinary anodizing treatment to 2000 times in laboratory wear resistance testing. More importantly, the matte surface formed by sandblasting can effectively disperse light, avoid visual residue of fingerprint oil stains, and solve the cleaning problem of high gloss shells.
2. Corrosion prevention and stress relief: invisible protection of material life
For metal shells, a composite process combining chemical etching and anodizing can construct a double-layer protective system. Taking the iPhone aluminum alloy frame as an example, the surface is first chemically etched to remove the processing stress layer, and then anodized to form a 5-20 μ m aluminum oxide film. This structure extends the salt spray test life from 48 hours to 500 hours, while the insulation performance of the oxide film can prevent static electricity accumulation from interfering with the internal circuit. In the field of precision electronics, laser etching technology can carve anti-corrosion patterns with a depth of only 0.01mm on stainless steel shells through nanoscale precision control, maintaining surface flatness and forming a physical barrier to prevent the penetration of corrosive media.
3. Heat dissipation optimization: Collaborative innovation of structure and materials
The bottom of the laptop adopts a honeycomb texture design, which can increase air convection efficiency by 40%. The Dell XPS series uses CNC machining to carve 0.3mm deep hexagonal grooves on the aluminum alloy bottom shell, combined with graphene heat sinks, to reduce the surface temperature of the CPU by 5 ℃ when fully loaded. The more advanced 3D laser engraving technology can directly form microchannel structures on magnesium alloy shells, achieving dual optimization of heat conduction and convection heat dissipation. This design has been applied to some high-end gaming laptops.
二, Interaction upgrade: precise control of tactile feedback
1. Anti slip design: deep application of ergonomics
In the field of sports cameras, GoPro uses a dual density injection molding process to embed silicone particles with a hardness of Shore A 70 in the anti slip area of the housing, combined with 0.5mm deep wavy patterns, to increase the friction coefficient when wet hands grip from 0.3 to 0.8. This design can reduce the risk of equipment slipping in deep-sea shooting scenes. For wearable devices, the inner side of the Bose headphone headband features 0.2mm pitch silicone ripples that disperse pressure points, increasing comfort for long-term wear by 60%.
2. Blind operation guidance: industrialized implementation of tactile positioning
The depth of the scale groove on the camera mode dial needs to be precisely controlled at 0.15 ± 0.02mm. If it is too deep, it will cause excessive rotational resistance, while if it is too shallow, it will not provide clear tactile feedback. Canon uses electric spark pattern technology to carve a Ra 1.6 μ m V-shaped groove on a stainless steel turntable, combined with nickel plating treatment to enhance wear resistance, achieving a blind operation accuracy of 98%. In the field of smart homes, the fingerprint recognition area of smart door locks adopts 0.05mm deep braille markings formed by laser shading, which not only meets accessibility design standards but also avoids visual interference.
三, Aesthetic breakthrough: paradigm shift from craftsmanship to art
1. Texture creation: the ultimate expression of material characteristics
The anodizing process of Apple MacBook uses electrolytic coloring technology to form an oxide film with a thickness of only 8 μ m on the surface of aluminum alloy. With 12 polishing processes, it achieves a visual effect of metal like wire drawing and a ceramic like touch. This process increases the premium space of the product by 25%, becoming a benchmark in the high-end market. More radical innovations such as the ceramic sandblasting process of Xiaomi MIX Alpha create a 0.1 μ m micro porous structure on the ceramic surface through nanoscale zirconia particle bombardment, achieving a balance between diffuse light reflection and metallic luster, and pioneering a new aesthetic language for ceramic materials.
2. Brand symbol: Symbolic transformation of texture
The skin like coating of ThinkPad is created through sandblasting and coating composite technology, creating a unique matte texture. This design language has been passed down for 20 years and has become a visual symbol of business laptops. Beats headphones convey the brand's youthful and trendy genes through a contrasting design of gradient sandblasting and highlight trimming. In the field of automotive electronics, the central control panel of Tesla Model S adopts a carbon fiber texture formed by laser drying, which not only reduces production costs but also enhances the sense of technology. This design has been imitated by many new energy vehicle companies.
四, Industry Trend: Technology Integration and Sustainable Development
1. Nanoscale accuracy: the rise of 3D laser engraving
By 2025, 3D laser engraving technology has achieved a processing accuracy of 0.5 μ m, which can engrave three-dimensional grating textures on curved glass. This technology has been applied to the hinge decoration of folding screen mobile phones. More noteworthy is that AI algorithms have begun to intervene in texture design, automatically generating optimal texture parameters by simulating user tactile preference data, reducing product development cycles by 40%.
2. Environmental Revolution: The Popularization of Waterborne Coatings
The problem of dust pollution caused by traditional sandblasting processes is being solved by alternative solutions using water-based coatings. Sony's latest environmentally friendly laptop uses water-based polyurethane coating combined with sandblasting pretreatment, which reduces VOC emissions by 90% while maintaining a matte texture. This process has passed the EU REACH certification, indicating the industry's transition towards green manufacturing.
3. Multi functional Composite: Cross border Application of Texture
Huawei's latest patent shows that it is developing a surface texture that combines heat dissipation and antibacterial functions. By carving microchannels at specific angles on aluminum alloy substrates and combining them with copper ion coatings, both heat dissipation efficiency and bacterial growth can be improved. This multifunctional composite design may become a standard configuration for the next generation of medical electronic devices.