June 25, 2024 – Following the production halt at Foxconn in 2022, Apple has been aggressively pursuing factory automation, resulting in a significant reduction of up to 50% in the number of employees on iPhone assembly lines, according to a report published by tech media outlet The Information on June 24th.
The report revealed that Apple has long had plans to explore iPhone assembly automation projects but had previously shelved them due to high costs. However, the Foxconn production stoppage prompted Apple to move forward with its automation initiatives, leading to the implementation of “substantial” automation in the production of the iPhone 15 series. Despite these advances, the complexity of the manufacturing process has posed challenges for Apple.
Currently, the main issue facing the iPhone assembly automation project is the high defect rate, which has forced Apple to abandon some automation processes for the iPhone 16 series. According to three individuals working within Apple’s supply chain, the company continues to invest heavily in automating technologies, utilizing machines to install iPhone components such as buttons, receivers, speakers, and main logic boards.
Nevertheless, these sources indicated that one of the primary challenges with the current machine deployment is the difficulty in properly securing these parts, as they require precise and delicate handling to be screwed into place at unusual angles.
