iPhone production will turn into an almost fully automated process, according to Foxconn, they recently revealed that 40.000 robots assemble various products in China. Foxconn has no less than 10 automated lines for assembling a variety of electronic products, but this is only part of the total production capacity that will be available next year.
In 2015, Foxconn initiated a 3-stage plan through which it intends to fully automate the production of iPhone terminals in factories in China. So far it has managed to replace half of its employees with 40.000 robots that assemble various electronic products, but not iPhone terminals, Foxconn is now testing the process with other customers, before implementing it for the iPhone.
Until now, those from Foxconn have managed to give up human employees for the most dangerous and unpleasant processes that must be carried out in the assembly of electronic products, this being the first part of the plan. The second part involves the automation of all production lines, the Taiwanese company already opening several production lines of this kind for products that are not assembled for Apple.
Tens of thousands of robots will assemble the iPhone in China
Although Foxconn currently has only 10 automated production lines, the company aims to automate entire factories in order to have as few employees as possible. The people who will be employed in these factories will only make sure that the robots work properly and assemble the products without problems for the companies that pay for their manufacture.
"There are 10 lights-out (fully automated) production lines at some factories, including table one in Chengdu, AIO (all-in-one) PC and LCD monitor lines at a factory in Chongqing, western China, and a CNC line in Zhengzhou, Dai indicated. In the third phase, entire factories will be automated with only a minimal number of workers assigned for production, logistics, testing and inspection processes, Dai indicated."
These automated product manufacturing lines have the great benefit of lower costs for manufacturers, so everyone wins in the end. For Apple, iPhone production costs could also be reduced if Foxconn fulfills its plans and has automated factories, but for now it is not known when this plan will be completed in 3 stages.
Despite this, Donald Trump's ideas of having factories in the US to produce the iPhone are further from reality, as it is extremely unlikely that Foxconn will also invest in factories in the US while automating its factories in China .
