In the tech world, the buzzword for consumer electronics has been “magnesium alloy body”. It sounds like a clunky, Frankenstein-like device. However, it is the cutting edge in technology today. The world of consumer electronics and computer technology is constantly on the lookout for the lightest, strongest, thinnest, most versatile housing for the new products. It seems that they’ve found it in magnesium alloy.

A Techie’s Dream Material

Magnesium alloy’s benefits seem custom made for the tech world. The magnesium sheet technology that was perfected in the 21st century officially sealed the alloy as the favorite among users. It took very little time for manufacturers to see that techie enthusiasm for the alloy could translate into high consumer demand and increases in sales.

The Appeal

Magnesium alloy bodies in technology are popping up in many consumer products, from photography to computers and cell phones. Unlike its predecessors, the new alloy bodies:

Absorbed the fall better. Magnesium is known for their dampening abilities. This feature protects the components inside the body.

Durability. The rigidity prevents dents and dings in the body, while adding extra protection to the components inside.

Lightweight. The alloy is extremely light, much more than the aluminum and stainless steel before it. The laptops by ASUS and Lenovo that tout magnesium allow bodies are much lighter than their competitors and also the earlier laptop models.

Formability. The quest for the thinnest laptop has also benefit from the magnesium body. Magnesium sheet is extremely light and without the bulk of other materials. The alloy is thus easily formed into a laptop shell and does not add any extra bulk. This has allowed the design of laptops that are thin enough to fit into envelope. The alloy’s formability also allows for a tighter fit around components and also a body design from one continuous piece of magnesium alloy.

Strength. The magnesium body on cameras can hold onto the LCD screen preventing cracking.

The magnesium alloy material thus allows tech research and development to design ever smaller computing components without worrying about the limitations of the housing material. Magnesium sheets often contain aluminum because it enhances the magnesium’s strength and durability, among other traits. The next time you pick up a solid, light piece of new technology, don’t assume that you are staring at plastic. It is probably magnesium alloy.