Apple supplier embraces robotic automation

NANCHANG - In a factory workshop in Ji'an county in East China's Jiangxi province, an automatic curing machine is spraying ultraviolet glue on the components of Apple earbuds relayed along a conveyor belt.Four years ago, it was Zhao Bulan, a post-90s worker, that sprayed the glue with gloved hands. Now, she only needs to check the components on a routine basis.

"It's certainly a lot better to work with these robots[machines]," said Zhao who works for a factory affiliated with Luxshare Precision Industry Co Ltd, a Guangdong-based supplier of Apple's earbuds, "although UV glue is a green product, it has a pungent smell and workers might be allergic to it."

Four years ago, a production line required four workers, capable of producing 1,000 pieces per hour. Now, the number can reach 1,200 pieces with half the number of workers, said Jiang Rui, who works with the robotics branch of Luxshare Precision.