Collaborative efforts to promote intelligent manufacturing have continuously made new progress. For decades, Chinese suppliers deeply involved in the Apple industry chain have achieved impressive performance while also continuously achieving high-quality development. A newly added camera control button aggregates 9 different mechanical and electrical components with high precision. With the release of Apple's new series of mobile phone products in September, many highlights from advanced manufacturers including Shenzhen based company Luxshare Precision are also presented to consumers. As products become increasingly advanced, many suppliers from China have become more innovative and flexible than ever before. Apple has stated that it will work closely with suppliers to continuously innovate and accelerate progress from automation to intelligent manufacturing, in order to continue pushing boundaries. At the same time, we will also jointly promote green manufacturing and supply chain employee training.
The reporter learned that the newly released iPhone 16 series models Apple Watch Series 10、 Among many new products such as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods 4, which have a black titanium appearance, Lixun Precision's advanced manufacturing is reflected. Recently, at the iPhone 16 series assembly plant of Lite On Precision located in Kunshan, Jiangsu, Cui Yushan, Vice President of Apple Asia Procurement Operations Management, and Zhang Jun, General Manager of Lite On Technology under the Lite On Group, visited the relevant production line and attended a leadership training course for supply chain employees. At this final assembly factory, you can see the middle frame assembly line, the assembly process of the brand new camera control buttons, as well as the packaging production line and intelligent warehouse.
Every continuous upgrade in product performance constantly sets new standards for manufacturing processes, requiring collaborative efforts to explore the best solutions, promote technological innovation, and overcome assembly challenges. Lixun has a team of thousands of automation engineers who not only have good vertical integration in system assembly, but also in parts and modules. Now Apple also has a team of thousands of engineers in China, who will work closely with supplier teams on site and enter factories and laboratories for research and development from the earliest product development stage, "said Cui Yushan.
The reporter learned that in the assembly process of iPhone, more than ten technical processes such as pasting, pressing, welding, and fastening are used, and the innovative sandwich assembly structure creates greater possibilities for the centralized production of modules. The automated assembly line for the middle frame can efficiently complete the assembly of components such as heat dissipation, shock-absorbing foam, power keys, and quantity keys. By developing standardized and modular automated production lines, the factory has achieved ultra-high precision manufacturing processes.
As one of the important upgrade points for this year's iPhone 16 series, the design of the camera control button further enhances the camera experience for consumers, and this feature is also full of innovative technology, including a tactile switch that enables a touch experience, a high-precision pressure sensor that supports light touch gestures, and a capacitive sensor that provides touch interaction. It is reported that there is a height difference of up to 0.1 millimeters between the camera control buttons and the horizontal plane of the iPhone's middle frame. The key gap pads responsible for fixing the buttons need to be matched according to the actual iPhone data. The core assembly process of this - the selection of key gap gaskets - uses a high-precision 3D laser system to select suitable gaskets with a measurement accuracy of 0.001 millimeters to ensure the consistency of the ultimate feel.
Apple has partnered with Lite On Precision to create a new supply chain from raw materials to final assembly, and has achieved fully automated manufacturing. In the compact space of the camera control assembly process, nine different mechanical and electrical components are accommodated, harmoniously assembled to work together, providing a silky camera experience and meeting Apple's strict durability standards. For example, the camera controlled welding process also took the lead in using laser seamless welding, ensuring seamless welding through multiple directions of pushing and pressing blocks. After welding, the automation equipment automatically detects the height difference between the button and the side frame to ensure the stability of the button quality.
According to relevant sources, the automatic packing equipment on the packaging production line of the final assembly factory can simultaneously meet the production requirements of multiple different countries, be compatible with different quantities of packing methods, and use software and machine vision to establish an intelligent error prevention platform to ensure zero errors in product assembly. In addition, by building an intelligent management platform, real-time tracking of production and operation can be achieved, and big data models can be used to analyze the output and quality stability of equipment and personnel; Through real-time and accurate data transmission, the factory has significantly shortened product delivery time and improved logistics efficiency.
In terms of green manufacturing, this year's iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max use over 25% recyclable materials, including a structural frame made of 100% recycled aluminum metal. As one of the first suppliers to join Apple's "Supplier Clean Energy Program," Lite On Precision has achieved 100% use of clean energy to provide electricity for related production in 2022. As of now, more than 80 Chinese suppliers, including Lite On Precision, have committed to using 100% renewable electricity to produce Apple products, and this practice is also continuing to deepen. Meanwhile, 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the implementation of Apple's supplier zero waste program. It is reported that more than 300 supplier factories in Chinese Mainland have participated in the zero waste plan, and Lexcent Precision is also one of them, including the recycling of pallets used in production lines.