Endorfy Arx 700 Air chassis review
Beelink SER5 Pro (Ryzen 7 5800H) mini PC review
Crucial T700 PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSD Review - 12GB/s
Sapphire Radeon RX 7600 PULSE review
Gainward GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GHOST review
Radeon RX 7600 review
ASUS GeForce RTX 4060 Ti TUF Gaming review
MSI GeForce RTX 4060 Ti Gaming X TRIO review
GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB (FE) review
Corsair 2000D RGB Airflow Mini-ITX - PC chassis review
Foxconn to deploy 10k robots on assembly lines to replace human
Comments made by Foxconn CEO Terry Gou indicate that, Apple manufacturer Foxconn may soon roll out robots on its assembly lines in order to replace human workers and cut down on manufacturing costs. The robots, which could potentially help construct Apple's rumored-to-be-upcoming iPhone 6, are in the final stages of testing and are set to be deployed in at least one Foxconn factory in the future.
As Neowin reported: The robot worker plan was first announced in 2011, and the 'Foxbots' are entering the final stages of testing -- which means that they could see deployment on Foxconn assembly lines very soon.
Each robot apparently costs upwards of $20,000 to create, but for a company which boasts a workforce of 1.23 million, assembly line robots could be very well worth the steep price tag. Foxconn is still in the midst of a long-term public relations crisis, after numerous allegations of employee mistreatment and multiple cases of employee suicide. Since robots don't feel emotion, Foxconn won't have to worry about providing basic human rights to the 1 million robotic workers it eventually plans to roll out.
The company still relies heavily on human production, though, as they were reported to have hired 100,000 additional workers ahead of the rumored iPhone 6 release. The robots could be deployed in time for production of the iPhone 6, but human workers would still handle the bulk of the work -- at least for the time being.
2000 employees riot Foxconn closes Taiyuan plant - 09/24/2012 10:33 AM
Reports on the web indicate that around 2,000 Foxconn workers rioted at the company's Taiyuan plant in northern China. Reuters received word that Foxconn closed the plant today for investigation.
Watch an iPad get assembled at the Foxconn factory - 04/17/2012 10:17 AM
Marketplace Shanghai Bureau Chief Rob Schmitz is only the second reporter ever to gain access to visit the factory floor at Apple's Chinese producer Foxconn: ...
Foxconn Quantum Force X79 motherboard - 11/02/2011 12:59 PM
Check out the final retail version of the Foxconn Quantum Force series X79 motherboard. The LGA2011 socket supports upcoming Core i7
Foxconn Quantum Force X79 photo - 09/13/2011 10:02 AM
Check out a photo of the latest edition of Foxconn's upcoming Quantum Force X79 motherboard. Having first made waves at this year's Computex, it's time for Foxconn's premium socket LGA2011 motherboard...
Foxconn might buy ECS - 07/20/2011 10:19 AM
Taiwan-based electronics manufacturing service provider Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) reportedly is considering to acquire motherboard maker Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS) and is...
Loobyluggs
Senior Member
Posts: 5029
Joined: 2008-09-07
Senior Member
Posts: 5029
Joined: 2008-09-07
#4868835 Posted on: 07/09/2014 12:43 PM
So many thoughts on this...none which I can verbalise on a forum, except perhaps one:
If this is possible, why isn't Apple doing the manufacturing in the USA? As regardless of whether it will replace human beings in Foxconn, the systems maintenance and systems management positions would surely create jobs in the USA?
It has always struck me as strange that (some) USA products are not manufactured in the USA, and now that the production lines can be (practically) fully-automated - the mid-management positions can be opened up to US citizens to produce fully/wholly USA Products.
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
This could also be applied to Microsoft manufacturing and a whole host of other products not currently made in the USA and make 'Made in USA' actually mean something and for people to, perhaps, be more patriotic of their consumer spending.
That's about as far as I can take this topic.
So many thoughts on this...none which I can verbalise on a forum, except perhaps one:
If this is possible, why isn't Apple doing the manufacturing in the USA? As regardless of whether it will replace human beings in Foxconn, the systems maintenance and systems management positions would surely create jobs in the USA?
It has always struck me as strange that (some) USA products are not manufactured in the USA, and now that the production lines can be (practically) fully-automated - the mid-management positions can be opened up to US citizens to produce fully/wholly USA Products.
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
This could also be applied to Microsoft manufacturing and a whole host of other products not currently made in the USA and make 'Made in USA' actually mean something and for people to, perhaps, be more patriotic of their consumer spending.
That's about as far as I can take this topic.
Denial
Senior Member
Posts: 14091
Joined: 2004-05-16
Senior Member
Posts: 14091
Joined: 2004-05-16
#4868906 Posted on: 07/09/2014 02:08 PM
So many thoughts on this...none which I can verbalise on a forum, except perhaps one:
If this is possible, why isn't Apple doing the manufacturing in the USA? As regardless of whether it will replace human beings in Foxconn, the systems maintenance and systems management positions would surely create jobs in the USA?
It has always struck me as strange that (some) USA products are not manufactured in the USA, and now that the production lines can be (practically) fully-automated - the mid-management positions can be opened up to US citizens to produce fully/wholly USA Products.
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
This could also be applied to Microsoft manufacturing and a whole host of other products not currently made in the USA and make 'Made in USA' actually mean something and for people to, perhaps, be more patriotic of their consumer spending.
That's about as far as I can take this topic.
The cost of manufacturing in the US is significantly higher not just because of labor costs but taxes, environmental regulations, shipping infrastructure, etc.
If I want to build a manufacturing plant in China I just buy the land and build the thing. In the US I have to do a million dollar environmental assessment on how migration patterns of local wildlife will be effected, rain water run off control, pollution prevention, etc. And that's just to start -- now that you're building it you run into all kind of interesting issues. Local population doesn't want a giant building in their area, it effects property value, petitions of the local government. Now you need to run an ad campaign about how it's bringing jobs and stuff to the area. You need an attorney involved. You need permits for everything. Working in an area with low income/minorities? Now the construction company you are hiring has to meet certain local requirements that inflate costs. 40% of their workforce/subcontracts have to be minorities or minority owned. Except in most cases that number is impossible meet given local union labor, so you need to hire minorities that aren't skilled in the particular field to just stand around so you can meet that requirement. All these employees are union, get paid $60+ an hour with benefits. Operators/Dock Builders/Steel workers/etc all make more. Specialized welder? $120+ an hour.
To put it in perspective, the company my father works for did an assessment on a chemical manufacturing plant they were constructing. To build the plant in Newark, NJ would have cost $270M. To build it in China (which they ended up doing) was $90M.
And that was just the construction. Shipping the products globally was 37% cheaper out of China then it was out of the US. Labor costs/property tax/environmental maintenance -- everything was far cheaper.
Eric Schmidt, Ex-CEO of Google (Now on Board of Directors) talked about how US manufacturing would be superior due to increased quality control and turn around. And yet after only a year Google closed the Motorola manufacturing plant due to cost overhead. Moved all the jobs back overseas.
I mean I don't think the US should obviously undo everything it has with environment/labor and stuff like that. But from a business perspective it just makes no sense to manufacture stuff here. Taxes are way to high. Cost of construction is way to high. The back of the iPhone says "Designed in California" it was designed here because designing things is the only thing immune to all the extra costs incurred from being in the US.
So many thoughts on this...none which I can verbalise on a forum, except perhaps one:
If this is possible, why isn't Apple doing the manufacturing in the USA? As regardless of whether it will replace human beings in Foxconn, the systems maintenance and systems management positions would surely create jobs in the USA?
It has always struck me as strange that (some) USA products are not manufactured in the USA, and now that the production lines can be (practically) fully-automated - the mid-management positions can be opened up to US citizens to produce fully/wholly USA Products.
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
This could also be applied to Microsoft manufacturing and a whole host of other products not currently made in the USA and make 'Made in USA' actually mean something and for people to, perhaps, be more patriotic of their consumer spending.
That's about as far as I can take this topic.
The cost of manufacturing in the US is significantly higher not just because of labor costs but taxes, environmental regulations, shipping infrastructure, etc.
If I want to build a manufacturing plant in China I just buy the land and build the thing. In the US I have to do a million dollar environmental assessment on how migration patterns of local wildlife will be effected, rain water run off control, pollution prevention, etc. And that's just to start -- now that you're building it you run into all kind of interesting issues. Local population doesn't want a giant building in their area, it effects property value, petitions of the local government. Now you need to run an ad campaign about how it's bringing jobs and stuff to the area. You need an attorney involved. You need permits for everything. Working in an area with low income/minorities? Now the construction company you are hiring has to meet certain local requirements that inflate costs. 40% of their workforce/subcontracts have to be minorities or minority owned. Except in most cases that number is impossible meet given local union labor, so you need to hire minorities that aren't skilled in the particular field to just stand around so you can meet that requirement. All these employees are union, get paid $60+ an hour with benefits. Operators/Dock Builders/Steel workers/etc all make more. Specialized welder? $120+ an hour.
To put it in perspective, the company my father works for did an assessment on a chemical manufacturing plant they were constructing. To build the plant in Newark, NJ would have cost $270M. To build it in China (which they ended up doing) was $90M.
And that was just the construction. Shipping the products globally was 37% cheaper out of China then it was out of the US. Labor costs/property tax/environmental maintenance -- everything was far cheaper.
Eric Schmidt, Ex-CEO of Google (Now on Board of Directors) talked about how US manufacturing would be superior due to increased quality control and turn around. And yet after only a year Google closed the Motorola manufacturing plant due to cost overhead. Moved all the jobs back overseas.
I mean I don't think the US should obviously undo everything it has with environment/labor and stuff like that. But from a business perspective it just makes no sense to manufacture stuff here. Taxes are way to high. Cost of construction is way to high. The back of the iPhone says "Designed in California" it was designed here because designing things is the only thing immune to all the extra costs incurred from being in the US.
schmidtbag
Senior Member
Posts: 7431
Joined: 2012-11-10
Senior Member
Posts: 7431
Joined: 2012-11-10
#4869022 Posted on: 07/09/2014 04:17 PM
Great question, but I'm guessing these robots are insanely annoying to calibrate, so it's still easier to pay low-wage employees and construct the factory over seas. Also, is Foxconn a Thai company, not American. Apple doesn't give a crap about anybody but themselves as long as they get what they want for the price they ask. If Foxconn is their provider because they have the price point Apple is looking for, then they're going to do things how they see fit.
I agree, but as many Europeans fail to realize - the US got it's position as a world superpower because of capitalism. Personally, I hate it and wish this wasn't the case. But everything the US does that seems asinine or even cruel to its citizens is because someone is raking in unfathomable amounts of cash. If there's a cheaper way to do it, these people WILL do it. The problem is today, there are companies far more powerful than governments, and pay these governments (including the US govt) to make laws that abide by their demands. This is why SOPA almost happened, and why the US is so oil/war hungry. The president we vote for literally doesn't matter, because in the end they follow whoever gives them the most cash. I'm not sure how much the rest of the world follows in American politics but Obama is really no different than Bush at all, aside from the fact that he's charismatic and funny, which makes him look a lot less of an idiot.
I have a huge respect for countries like Norway, Sweden, and Germany, where their politicians are (relatively) un-corrupted and do things for the good of their people. Their ideas are proven working, their citizens seem like great people, and while taxes may be high, I think they're worth every euro. I hope to move to one of those countries some day.
If this is possible, why isn't Apple doing the manufacturing in the USA? As regardless of whether it will replace human beings in Foxconn, the systems maintenance and systems management positions would surely create jobs in the USA?
Great question, but I'm guessing these robots are insanely annoying to calibrate, so it's still easier to pay low-wage employees and construct the factory over seas. Also, is Foxconn a Thai company, not American. Apple doesn't give a crap about anybody but themselves as long as they get what they want for the price they ask. If Foxconn is their provider because they have the price point Apple is looking for, then they're going to do things how they see fit.
It has always struck me as strange that (some) USA products are not manufactured in the USA, and now that the production lines can be (practically) fully-automated - the mid-management positions can be opened up to US citizens to produce fully/wholly USA Products.
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
This would make the 'Manufactured in California' stamp actually mean something on an iPhone/iPad...
I agree, but as many Europeans fail to realize - the US got it's position as a world superpower because of capitalism. Personally, I hate it and wish this wasn't the case. But everything the US does that seems asinine or even cruel to its citizens is because someone is raking in unfathomable amounts of cash. If there's a cheaper way to do it, these people WILL do it. The problem is today, there are companies far more powerful than governments, and pay these governments (including the US govt) to make laws that abide by their demands. This is why SOPA almost happened, and why the US is so oil/war hungry. The president we vote for literally doesn't matter, because in the end they follow whoever gives them the most cash. I'm not sure how much the rest of the world follows in American politics but Obama is really no different than Bush at all, aside from the fact that he's charismatic and funny, which makes him look a lot less of an idiot.
I have a huge respect for countries like Norway, Sweden, and Germany, where their politicians are (relatively) un-corrupted and do things for the good of their people. Their ideas are proven working, their citizens seem like great people, and while taxes may be high, I think they're worth every euro. I hope to move to one of those countries some day.
Brasky
Senior Member
Posts: 2531
Joined: 2011-05-19
Senior Member
Posts: 2531
Joined: 2011-05-19
#4869029 Posted on: 07/09/2014 04:20 PM
Glad Foxconn is able to modernize it's facilities.
Glad Foxconn is able to modernize it's facilities.
Click here to post a comment for this news story on the message forum.
Senior Member
Posts: 4095
Joined: 2009-03-02
but then they would create skynet...
and skynet being controlled by foxconn and apple......we dont have a chance cause android wont save us..