What They Say
Nikkei reports that Sony has ‘sharply’ expanded the automation in its TV factory in Malaysia to compete more effectively with Korean and Chinese brands. The aim is to reduce production costs by 70% between 2018 and 2023. The company is reported to have a completely unstaffed production line and plans to move the technology, using off-the-shelf robots, to other lines, although programming has been done internally because of the difficulty of some processes.
Most staff in the assembly area are said to be on limited term contracts and Sony will simply not renew them as expansion continues.
Annual compensation per worker, including benefits and bonuses, in Malaysia’s manufacturing sector averaged $7,048 in a fiscal 2020 survey by the Japan External Trade Organization, Nikkei said.
Sony recently closed a factory making audio products in the country and these may be later made with automation.
What We Think
I always like to think of pros and cons. There are lots of pros to this development unless you are a worker. But the pros and cons of automation and the implication of robotics are a bit of a deep topic for today! (BR)
