Apple's Rumored Carbon Fiber Part Shipments Said to Be Result of Multi-Year Partnership

Late last month, Mac Otakara reported that Apple had ordered carbon fiber components for an unknown product from a Japanese company. The order was said to be too large to simply be a sample, but no other details on the part were revealed.

Mac Otakara now reports that the shipments are actually the result of a long-standing partnership between Apple and the carbon fiber company dating back at least three years.

I reported Apple ordered some - huge number of - sample of carbon fiber products for Japanese company, and now I tell that research devision of this company has been co-operated with Apple at least for 3 years.

Details on the exact part or the device for which it is intended are still unknown, but Apple is said to be looking to create a "completely different weaved fiber" from that used in other products.

Diagram of carbon fiber weave from October 2007 Apple patent application
Apple's interest in carbon fiber is well-known, and several rumors had suggested that Apple was at least toying with the idea of using a carbon fiber rear shell on the iPad 2 to increase strength while decreasing weight. Those efforts obviously did not pan out, but it seems clear that Apple continues to be interested in the material.