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Foxconn Set to Deploy Robots to Help Assemble the iPhone
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It isn't the 1980's anymore guys, China is far from the cheapest place in the world for labor.
Actually at one time there was a law in China that prohibited automating production to displace workers. The exception would be work that simply couldn't be done by hand. So in this regards I expect Apple to automate to transition to new electronics assembly technology. I have wondered about all that Saphire they are producing and the potential for that material to be used as a substrate for some sort of chip on board technology.
The third option is that the new generation of electronics costs the same even with automation. This especially if they are ramping up new tech that doesn't normally see mass production.
"The wars of the future will not be fought on the battlefield or at sea. They will be fought in space, or possibly on top of a very tall mountain. In either case, most of the actual fighting will be done by small robots. And as you go forth today remember always your duty is clear: To build and maintain those robots."
You don't think the complainers will just move the goal post? Haters gonna hate, after all
That said, on the topic, this situation isn't exactly new. Careers and jobs spring to life and fade out of existence all the time. I mean, i'm sure it sucks for a telegraph operator that the telephone obsoletes his position. As I'm sure it sucks for the telephone switchboard operator when electronic switchboards obsolete theirs. Just as it sucks for the maintenance staff of those electronic switchboards that cellular service largely obsoletes theirs. So..... Do we never progress forward because that might obsolete someones career or livelihood?
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Honestly I kind of wondered why there were still human workers assembling the iPhone or any smart phone for that matter.
If anyone watched the latest Robocop movie, he gets made in china. He then runs out and escapes the factory and humans are doing low level farming...
It makes me laugh a bit when i hear the word "boring jobs", usually used by westerns
Most job aren't exactly meant to entertain you. And most people around the world do it to keep their nose above the bills. It is not ideal but it is reality and I bet many people doing that "boring job" in Foxconn factories feel lucky.
While it is not shown much in the Mac Pro video, a lot of the line is automated. If they are automating the iPhone line, you might as well have it in the USA as they labor cost is the same. The difference in cost is the skill labor maintaining the assembly line. Unlike a line worker, the skill of an automation tech and engineer magnifies greatly on quality and ROI.
Robots are already heavily used across many manufacturing industries. I'm more surprised that Foxconn seemingly isn't already teaming with them. It must surely be heavily reliant on automated machinery, which is arguably not much different in concept to robotics.
Industrial robots are not going to take over the world. I think some people here are probably imagining fantastical synthetic androids wearing the face of Steve Jobs
Industrial robots are not going to take over the world. I think some people here are probably imagining fantastical synthetic androids wearing the face of Steve Jobs
Someone has to design and maintain those robots, so no jobs are being "lost".
It would be nice if robots could do the repetitive, "robot" jobs while humans could concentrate on doing the things no robot could ever do.
Of course we're not there yet because there are too many people and not enough jobs, but the type of work assembly factory workers do is still not something sustainable in the long run.
Of course we're not there yet because there are too many people and not enough jobs, but the type of work assembly factory workers do is still not something sustainable in the long run.
If automation goes through all mayor industries millions of jobs will be lost in China, no doubt about that.
Question is how many new jobs will be created and will the the recently unemployed have the skills to fill them.
This could be very bad news for the human race if Siri, somehow gets control of the robots and takes over the world. We'll all be working for Apple robots in the future. Siri will be the robot Queen.
Stop kidding yourself. These are not jobs people "actually" want, these are jobs people are forced to choose amongst after being forced off their lands in rural areas. They may be glad for the little bit of extra money to send back to their families, but they would not choose these jobs if given a real choice. No one would, not even you.
Instead of gloating over what you think is a point scored against those who have criticized the treatment of factory workers, maybe do some reading up on the history of how China has industrialized over the past 30 years.
Anyone who looses their job because it's replaced by one of these robots should just get a job at the factory where they make these robots
Why doesn't Apple make some kicking-ass robots by itself to help its own increasingly productivity requirement and years later those robots can be eventually developed into consumers products?
Anyone who looses their job because it's replaced by one of these robots should just get a job at the factory where they make these robots
Most of these robots are Made in Japan, Sweden, and other European countries - most by Kawasaki / Fuji Heavy Industries. Funny how the Chinese rely on European countries and Japan for all their equipment.
Considering how labor costs in China have been going up and up to such an extent that we're even seeing some manufacturing jos returning to the U.S to some limited extent, despite the Chinese governments' efforts to prevent this trough means like illegal currency manipulation, I find this hardly to be any kind of surprise.
Other than the fact that robots can run basically around the clock and lack many of the problems human labor have there's also the precision aspect. For instance in the manufacture of cars the most precise job, welding of body parts, is done pretty much completely by robots because humans can't compete with the level of precision not to mention speed or sustained quality.
If these robots really start taking over this could be pretty bad for China's migrant labor force because there are literally millions of people who travel from rural villages to cities so that they can earn some money to pay for their childrens' higher education. The common misconception is that most people who work for subcontractors like Foxconn do it just to make a living, but the reality is that most people who work at Foxconn do so to earn money for their own or their childrens' education and put in a lot of overtime to get it done faster.
Other than the fact that robots can run basically around the clock and lack many of the problems human labor have there's also the precision aspect. For instance in the manufacture of cars the most precise job, welding of body parts, is done pretty much completely by robots because humans can't compete with the level of precision not to mention speed or sustained quality.
If these robots really start taking over this could be pretty bad for China's migrant labor force because there are literally millions of people who travel from rural villages to cities so that they can earn some money to pay for their childrens' higher education. The common misconception is that most people who work for subcontractors like Foxconn do it just to make a living, but the reality is that most people who work at Foxconn do so to earn money for their own or their childrens' education and put in a lot of overtime to get it done faster.
So tell us, enlightened one, what jobs are there in China that people actually want?
And after your brand-new claim that people are forced off their lands in rural areas (which is surely Apple's fault, right), what I found was comments like this: "Lured by better employment and salaries, as many as 260 million farm workers have left the countryside for cities. A side effect of the exodus is a vast amount of land being left uncultivated.
Authorities have taken moves to make better use of such land. According to a key plenum of the Communist Party of China in November, farmers will be allowed to transfer and mortgage their land-use rights, or turn the rights into shares in large-scale farming entities."
So it seems that it is quite the other way round. People leave their land for better jobs (and then the land is unused). Foxconn is known to be among the best paying employees there.
And look, make up your mind. Is it good if Foxconn offers jobs or not? People here have been tearing into Foxconn and Apple for offering these jobs. Now there will be fewer. So tell us, are you happy about this or sad?