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A Tiny Screw Shows Why iPhones Won't Be 'Assembled in USA' (nytimes.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Despite a trade war between the United States and China and past admonishments from President Trump "to start building their damn computers and things in this country," Apple is unlikely to bring its manufacturing closer to home. A tiny screw illustrates why. [Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source.]
In 2012, Apple's chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, went on prime-time television to announce that Apple would make a Mac computer in the United States. It would be the first Apple product in years to be manufactured by American workers, and the top-of-the-line Mac Pro would come with an unusual inscription: "Assembled in USA." But when Apple began making the $3,000 computer in Austin, Tex., it struggled to find enough screws, according to three people who worked on the project and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements.
In China, Apple relied on factories that can produce vast quantities of custom screws on short notice. In Texas, where they say everything is bigger, it turned out the screw suppliers were not. Tests of new versions of the computer were hamstrung because a 20-employee machine shop that Apple's manufacturing contractor was relying on could produce at most 1,000 screws a day. The screw shortage was one of several problems that postponed sales of the computer for months, the people who worked on the project said. By the time the computer was ready for mass production, Apple had ordered screws from China.
In 2012, Apple's chief executive, Timothy D. Cook, went on prime-time television to announce that Apple would make a Mac computer in the United States. It would be the first Apple product in years to be manufactured by American workers, and the top-of-the-line Mac Pro would come with an unusual inscription: "Assembled in USA." But when Apple began making the $3,000 computer in Austin, Tex., it struggled to find enough screws, according to three people who worked on the project and spoke on the condition of anonymity because of confidentiality agreements.
In China, Apple relied on factories that can produce vast quantities of custom screws on short notice. In Texas, where they say everything is bigger, it turned out the screw suppliers were not. Tests of new versions of the computer were hamstrung because a 20-employee machine shop that Apple's manufacturing contractor was relying on could produce at most 1,000 screws a day. The screw shortage was one of several problems that postponed sales of the computer for months, the people who worked on the project said. By the time the computer was ready for mass production, Apple had ordered screws from China.
have little teensy hands, being children. That's the secret sauce. That, along with paying them dirt wages and forcing them into shoddy dorms. #Chinapitalism.
The article never showed the actual screw, I was hoping I'd see a screw...
The Mac Pro will not be a laptop.
I got an idea, why not use one of the already custom made screws you have instead of creating a new custom-made screw? ooo, i have an idea. With new modern CNC machines you can simply have a serialized system where each screw needs its own bit, and the repair techs have to 3d print a new driver bit for each individual screw when it comes time to work on them!
It doesn't matter WHERE you build stuff, you have unique supply chain logistics to work out.
What do you bet that if Apple has a need for screws in Austin and is willing to pay enough, some bright business person will set up a screw manufacturing business that's closer and sell what Apple needs? That's what supply and demand will do in a free market system. This means that IF you can pull manufacturing back into the USA, you will also pull the parts supply chain back to the USA as a secondary effect.
So I see Apple's trouble with it's supply chain being a good thing. There are a lot of places in the USA where they used to make screws, but now don't as this moved off shore. Now there is a chance of puling those jobs back, shortening the logistics supply chain, lowering transportation costs and making inventory management less difficult. In the mean time, Apple just needs to manage their supply chain a bit better so they don't run out of parts.
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
For want of a screw the computer was lost.
For want of a computer the contract was lost.
For want of a contract the worker was lost.
For want of a worker the taxes was lost.
For want of the taxes the infrastructure was lost.
For want of the infrastructure the country was lost.
And all for the want of a miniature screw.
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"C&C"
Oh like a music factory?