According to The Wall Street Journal, since Foxconn CEO Terry Gou announced; Million robots” After the plan, some workers have begun to feel its impact, and the assembly line that originally required 20-30 people has now been reduced to 5 people. However, for this controversial manufacturing factory, let robots“ On duty \";, Perhaps it's not just about reducing employees; Disturbance” And to cope with the rising labor costs. A former Foxconn employee told reporters that Foxconn's research and development of automated production equipment involves multiple aspects such as hydraulic buffering, mechanical control, and information control& ldquo; If the technology matures and is promoted, Foxconn will be able to sell a complete set of automated production equipment, and Terry Gou's goal is far more than just being a contract manufacturer& rdquo;

Will Foxconn become a high-tech enterprise that sells robots? Foxconn has never made a clear statement on this, but the reporter saw on Foxconn's official website that& ldquo; Technological Transformation; As an important goal of Foxconn, it has become the most mentioned word.

Guo Taiming once stated that he hopes to assemble 300000 robotic arms by the end of 2012 and 1 million by 2014. He aims to see the first fully automated factories within 5 to 10 years and eliminate simple repetitive processes through automation within a few years.

The reporter learned that since last year, robotic arms have appeared on some production lines of Foxconn. Currently, what these media outlets are referring to as'... '; Robots” More importantly, it involves completing simple and repetitive tasks such as moving components. But insiders at Foxconn have stated that& ldquo; Once technology accumulation and production capacity are formed, customized production can be carried out. Foxconn can also expand its business and transform into an equipment manufacturer& rdquo;

Compared to soaring labor costs, robots are equally valuable. Analysts predict that the annual capital related expenses required to establish an automated factory will be at least $2.1 billion, and may even exceed $10 billion, while Foxconn's previous capital expenditures have remained around $3 billion.

However, robots may also bring high returns to Foxconn. Robot outsourcing has become a trend, with the International Federation of Robotics reporting a 38% year-on-year increase in robot sales in 2011. The widespread adoption of robots can help reduce global production costs. Recently, it has been reported that Foxconn intends to expand its production line to the North American market, and the improvement of automation productivity is clearly the foundation of this plan.