Machine Nation News Team
August 11, 2025 at 10:15:00 AM
Apple And Corning Announced A Major Expansion Of Partnership To Make Precision Glass For Apple Products. Apple Is Making A New $2.5 Billion Commitment in Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Apple Inc. and Corning Incorporated announced on August 6, 2025, a $2.5 billion expansion of their 18-year partnership to produce all iPhone and Apple Watch cover glass at Corning’s Harrodsburg, Kentucky, facility, marking the first time 100% of this glass will be U.S.-made. The investment, part of Apple’s $600 billion American Manufacturing Program (AMP) over four years, will transform the 1.2-million-square-foot Harrodsburg plant into the world’s largest smartphone glass production line, dedicated entirely to Apple. The project, supported by President Trump’s 10% global tariffs and Made in America tax credits, will increase Corning’s local workforce of 420 by 50%, adding approximately 210 jobs, and includes a new Apple-Corning Innovation Center for developing advanced materials like Ceramic Shield, which uses nano-ceramic crystals for durability. Targeting a $5 billion precision glass market, the initiative strengthens Kentucky’s 12,000-strong manufacturing workforce. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated, “Every iPhone and Apple Watch worldwide will soon feature Kentucky-made glass, showcasing American innovation.”
For the precision machining industry, the Apple-Corning expansion underscores the critical role of tool wear in manufacturing glass components. Parts like Ceramic Shield panels require CNC milling with minimal tool wear, typically monitored to maintain edge degradation below 0.0001 inches, to achieve tolerances within ±0.0005 inches and surface roughness as low as Ra 2 µin for glass-ceramic composites. 5-axis milling machines, optimized to manage tool wear through adaptive feed rates, support automated production with real-time quality control. The project drives demand for local machine shops to supply precision tooling, adopting Industry 4.0 technologies like AI-driven milling and additive manufacturing. As part of a $50 billion precision manufacturing market, this initiative creates opportunities for suppliers in Kentucky, where manufacturing jobs grew 2% since 2022, strengthening electronics supply chains.
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Social Media Buzz (powered by X):
X is gleaming with excitement over Apple and Corning’s $2.5 billion Harrodsburg expansion, with posts from August 6–10, 2025, calling it a “shining win for U.S. tech.” Users celebrated the 210 new jobs, with one stating, “Kentucky’s crafting the future of iPhones!” while another linked it to “tariffs fueling reshoring.” Some raised concerns about job estimates being vague. The X glow radiates pride for domestic manufacturing but seeks firm hiring numbers.
What is the Tool Wear?
This is one of many key terms of our broad Machine Nation Essential Modern Precision Industries Guidebook (MPIG). Click here to get a copy straight to your inbox.
Tool Wear - The gradual degradation of a CNC milling tool’s cutting edge, measured in inches, critical for maintaining precision and surface quality in component production.
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Related Tags:
#AppleCorning #CeramicShield #ToolWear #PrecisionMachining #GlassManufacturing #Reshoring