Robots Take Over The Apparel Production
Published on April 3, 2017 on LinkedIn by Susanna Koelblin
First large scale shoe robot factory unveiled: Adidas will use machines in Germany instead of humans in Asia to make shoes.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/robots-take-over-apparel-production-susanna-koelblin?trk=eml-email_feed_ecosystem_digest_01-hero-0-null&midToken=AQE4SBM90HDDsQ&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=0aeIn8gSU2inI1
Adidas, the German maker of sportswear, has announced it will start marketing its first series of shoes manufactured by robots in Germany from 2017. More than 20 years after Adidas ceased production activities in Germany and moved them to Asia, Adidas unveiled the group’s new prototype “Speedfactory” in Germany. As of this year, the factory will begin large-scale production. What's more, Adidas will also open a second Speedfactory in the U.S. in 2017, followed by more in Western Europe. According to the company, the German and American plants will in the "mid-term" each scale up to producing half a million pair of shoes per year.
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Cost of an Industrial Robot: €/$ 5 an hour
German robot maker Kuka, acquired last year by China’s Midea, estimates a typical industrial robot costs about 5 euros an hour. Manufacturers spend 50 euros an hour to employ someone in Germany and about 10 euros an hour in China. Rather than seek out an even cheaper source of labor elsewhere - in another emerging Asian economy, say - Chinese manufacturers are choosing to install more robots, especially for more complex tasks. China isn't getting rid of the work, just the workers.
Several excellent graphs here.
