Foxconn, Apple's main assembly supplier, has by far installed 40,000 production robots in China, as it looks to reduce the number of its employees.

The industrial robots called 'Foxbot' are being built in the company's plants in Taiwan, Shenzhen, and Jingzhen with a total annual production capacity of up to 10,000 units, Dai Chai-peng, Foxconn's general manager of the automation technology department committee, told Taipei-based Central News Agency as quoted by DigiTimes.

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Other than key components like speed reducers and servo motors, Foxconn's Foxbot are built entirely in-house. And the company is developing related software and solutions too.

The Foxbots are said to be operating an industrial base in Zhengzhou, a tablet plant in Chengdu, and computer products and peripheral plants in Kunshan and Jiashan.

Meanwhile, Foxconn revealed it does not rule the possibility of acquiring other robot-producing firms. In fact, Dai revealed the company's plans to upgrade into producing medical robots.

While it is cheaper for companies to hire and pay thousands of employees low wages, Apple Insider noted that the increasing labor standards and lack of interest from young workers have pushed some firms to shift and invest in automation.

Last May, reports reveal that Foxconn has allegedly replace some 60,000 factory workers in China. The Apple supplier did admit it was starting to automate several manufacturing tasks; however, it did not say if such move will eventually lead to cutting down jobs.

Foxconn introduced robots to free employees from doing repetitive tasks and to shift their focus on higher cognitive jobs such as research and development, quality control, and process control.

TagsFoxconn, Robots, Foxbot, china, automation, Workforce, Foxconn Robots