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Chinese Factory Replaces 90% of Humans With Robots, Production Soars

posted by takyon on Monday August 03 2015, @08:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the coutsourcing dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

In Dongguan City, located in the central Guangdong province of China, a technology company has set up a factory run almost exclusively by robots, and the results are fascinating.

The Changying Precision Technology Company factory in Dongguan has automated production lines that use robotic arms to produce parts for cell phones. The factory also has automated machining equipment, autonomous transport trucks, and other automated equipment in the warehouse.

There are still people working at the factory, though. Three workers check and monitor each production line and there are other employees who monitor a computer control system. Previously, there were 650 employees at the factory. With the new robots, there's now only 60. Luo Weiqiang, general manager of the company, told the People's Daily that the number of employees could drop to 20 in the future.

The robots have produced almost three times as many pieces as were produced before. According to the People's Daily, production per person has increased from 8,000 pieces to 21,000 pieces. That's a 162.5% increase.
...
The growth of robotics in the area's factories comes amidst a particularly harsh climate around factory worker conditions, highlighted by strikes in the area. One can only wonder whether automation will add fuel to the fire or quell some of the unrest.

Is eliminating the work force the best way to solve labor unrest?

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @01:28PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @01:28PM (#217388)

    I have no data either way, but it did seem odd that the original article (linked above, http://en.people.cn/n/2015/0715/c90000-8920747.html [people.cn] ) used a stock photo of a robot welding line for cars...not pictures of robots assembling electronic components.

    The first six pages of a Google search for Changying Precision Technology Company was not helpful, although there is plenty of news echo on this topic (some with different stock photos of robots). You may be right that this story is a fabrication...

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  • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @03:41PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @03:41PM (#217429)

    You may be right that this story is a fabrication...

    But was it fabricated by robots?

  • (Score: 2, Informative) by hogger on Monday August 03 2015, @06:31PM

    by hogger (1090) on Monday August 03 2015, @06:31PM (#217491)
    This story [technews.co] is from May 6, and appears to be about the construction of that facility.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @10:10PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 03 2015, @10:10PM (#217621)

      Thanks for the technews link, which is earlier. Also mentions that it was translated.

      This is another stock photo, showing a robot picking cutting tools (milling cutters, drill bits, etc)--again, nothing to do with electronic assembly.

      Anyone here been to Dongguan who could verify any of this story?