Precision stamping technology is widely used in smartphone manufacturing, and it's a crucial step. Without it, achieving the compact, precise, and high-performance design of smartphones would be impossible. Precision stamping differs from traditional stamping in that it can produce extremely small, complex, and smooth metal parts with exceptional precision and stability.
The following are the main components in smartphones that utilize precision stamping:
1. Midframe/Metal Frame
This is the largest and most important application of precision stamping. As the "frame" of the phone, it secures all core components, including the motherboard, battery, and camera module.
Process: Typically, aluminum alloy or stainless steel sheets are formed through multiple stamping, bending, and CNC machining steps. Stamping primarily creates the initial shape and forms some of the structural components. It ensures the phone's strength, rigidity, and lightweight design.
2. Internal Structural Parts and Brackets
The interior of a phone contains numerous tiny metal brackets, all of which are the product of precision stamping.
Camera bracket: Used to precisely secure and protect the fragile camera module, requiring extremely high levels of flatness and precision; even the slightest deviation can affect focus and image quality.
Motherboard bracket/mount: Used to securely secure the motherboard to the phone body and provide grounding and heat dissipation.
SIM card tray: This is a typical precision stamped part, compact and requiring precise dimensions for smooth insertion and removal.
Buttons (side buttons): The internal metal components of the power and volume buttons are often stamped.
3. Connectors and Interface Components
This is crucial for ensuring signal transmission and charging.
Charging port: The metal springs and housing inside the Type-C or Lightning connector. These springs require complex shapes to ensure good contact after repeated insertion and removal, making precision stamping the most cost-effective mass production method.
Antenna components: Some phones use stamped metal for antenna breakouts or antenna connectors.
FPC connector: The flexible printed circuit board that connects the motherboard to the display, fingerprint module, and other components. The metal reinforcements and contacts at its ends are also often stamped.
4. Electromagnetic Shield
Purpose: There are many small metal shields inside the phone, covering the main chips. They prevent external electromagnetic interference from the chips and also prevent electromagnetic interference from the chips from affecting other components.
Process: Typically made from thin steel sheets or copper alloys through precision stamping, the shape perfectly matches the chip and motherboard circuitry.
5. Camera Ring
The camera module on the back of the phone often has a shiny metal ring around it, which not only enhances the aesthetics but also protects the lens glass. This ring is also manufactured through precision stamping.
6. Cooling System Components
Vapor Plate Support Frame: Some high-end phones use a vapor chamber for heat dissipation, and the external metal support frame is also a stamped part.
Graphite Heat Sink Backing: Sometimes a thin copper foil is used as the backing, with a graphite sheet laminated on top. This copper foil is also stamped.
Precision stamping is one of the cornerstone manufacturing processes that enable smartphones to achieve miniaturization, high integration, and high reliability. This small and exquisite device in our hands is filled with countless "small skeletons" and "small joints" that have been precisely stamped.