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Unleashed: The Story of 6AI4V

Mar 09, 2021

 

ADVENT® TITANIUM IPHONE 12 PRO CASE

Google “Titanium Phone case” on the internet and the first thing you’ll see are the ADVENT® and ALTER EGO® for the iPhone 12. Yet, few understand why titanium is our material of choice, the foundation for our vision of the future. 

Most phone cases today are made out of TPU, polycarbonate, silicon or leather. A few others have dared to introduce aluminium into the fold. With the competition choosing such cheap materials, why did we do the irrational and opt for an expensive one instead?


At GRAY®, everything is done with a purpose. This philosophy extends to the materials that we use. From the very beginning, we set out to think and do different. That meant turning away from cheap plastic and boring leathers to embrace the materials that best match purpose with passion. That meant ushering aerospace grade titanium - 6Al4V.


Of all the titanium alloys, Titanium 6AL-4V (Grade 5) is the most widely used. This material was first made for light-weight and high strength applications in the aerospace market. Specifically, Grade 5 Titanium is used in turbine blades, and aircraft structural components. 6Al4V is known for its low density, high strength-weight ratio, allowing it to find a home in aerospace, formula one and biomechanical applications.


These very same reasons meant that it was natural for GRAY® to make the world’s first aerospace grade titanium iPhone case with the Advent® and Alter Ego®. As strong as steel but less than half its weight, a titanium iPhone 12 case is the perfect companion for the GRAY® network, ensuring that wherever life brings you, your iPhone is ready. In a world today where our phones are our most essential companions, allowing us to remember the past, experience the present and shape the future, we understand that it is absolutely critical your phone case is as powerful as the technology within. 


Of course, it is not all work and no play. Starting at room temperature, titanium is the silvery colour that everyone knows well. However, introduce heat into the picture, and titanium begins to oxidize with the surrounding air to form a dense oxide film. This process allows titanium to adopt its Aurora qualities, turning from red, blue, gold, bronze and even purple. Our craftsmen take advantage of these unique qualities, hand-torching the iPhone cases to achieve the iconic Aurora finish. In a world where every product appears the same, we believe that there is something special to having a creation that is uniquely yours, and the Aurora’s hues are its fingerprints, setting your creation apart from the rest. 


When all is said and done, there is just something different about titanium, from its incredible lightness, unbelievable strength and unique properties. Yet, there is a reason why few others have embraced this material. Machining titanium is an expensive and laborious process, due to the materials extreme hardness. With a blunt machining tool alone, you would not be able to achieve the same clean lines and textured finish that set our titanium iPhone 12 cases apart. Our ability to work with titanium, a craft that we have honed since our very first day, sets us apart. It is this spirit of excellence, the willingness to do everything it takes to bring our vision to life, that allows us to unleash titanium, like a sculptor working a prized Carrara marble. It is this spirit that allows us to unleash the future.

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Get 10% off all your purchases on GRAY® when you own a GRAYCRAFT Collectible.
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