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iPhone Output at Foxconn’s Biggest Plant Could Fall by 30% Next Month Due to China Lockdowns
Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn’s main Zhengzhou plant, which employs about 200,000 people, was hit by the stringent curbs after an outbreak at the factory, which led the city of about 10 million people locked down as a result.
It’s not clear how many cases of the virus have been identified, but the outbreak forced staff to lock down at the workplace, which has reportedly caused unrest and even led some employees to escape by jumping a fence outside the plant.
Foxconn is working to boost iPhone production at another factory in Shenzhen city to make up for the shortfall, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. A second person familiar with the situation said many workers remained at the Zhengzhou plant and that production was continuing.
Last week, Foxconn announced it was banning all dine-in catering at the Zhengzhou plant and would be requiring workers to eat meals in their rooms. At the same time, the Taiwanese company said it was maintaining normal production as it ramped up iPhone 14 assembly ahead of the busy holiday period.
Localities in China continue to grapple with President Xi Jinping’s rigid zero-COVID policy, which imposes strict measures including anything from regular testing and travel restrictions to full-scale lockdowns.
Factories are usually able to continue to operate under a “closed loop” system where staff live and work on-site, but the arrangements have caused various problems, including workers expressing anger on social media at their treatment and living conditions.
This article, “iPhone Output at Foxconn’s Biggest Plant Could Fall by 30% Next Month Due to China Lockdowns” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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This machete-wielding plant belongs in Aperture Labs
Canon Is Building Its First Lithography Plant In 21 Years
The company currently operates two other plants in Japan, mainly for the production of chips for the automotive industry, and anticipates that this new facility will double the production capacity. According to Nikkei Asia, sales of semiconductor lithography equipment are “expected to rise 29%, year on year, in 2022 to 180 units, a fourfold increase versus ten years ago.” Currently, Canon produces 30% of the world’s lithography equipment, which is about half of the closest competitor, ASML. Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor have said they will expand their operations as well.
Nikkei Asia also notes that Canon will “develop next-generation technology called nanoimprint lithography” due to the high cost and high energy consumption of current equipment, and nanoimprint lithography will handle “finer line widths,” which means more capacity and reduced processing time per chip. Canon is reported to expect 40% lower costs for the new process, as well as a reduction in power consumption by 90%. The new plant is expected to come online in 2025 and will be built adjacent to an existing plant. Canon has not created a new lithography plant in 21 years.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.