英闻天下——215 Labor Intensive Industry Adopts Automation

 　　Peng Dingchang is a worker in Guangzhou Automobile² Group's welding department in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.

 

　　He says in the past an eight worker unit needed to spend 3 minutes on assembling. Now, by using robots, the time for assembly has been cut to 90 seconds. The automation of the manufacturing process significantly improved their factory's efficiency.

 

　　At another company Rapoo, which manufactures computer exterior³ equipment like keyboards and mice, a unit which used to require 10 workers now only needs one person to monitor the machine.

 

　　Deng Qiuwei is the manufacturing center chief supervisor⁴ of Rapoo Technology.

 

　　"In the past, we needed seven workers for our old U shape streamline⁵. The seven person unit could make 2,500 products in the day shift. But now a two person work unit can produce 1,200 products. The efficiency increased by 30 to 50 percent."

 

　　The mass use of robots is a sign which indicates that the traditional labor⁶ intensive manufacturing industry in China's Zhujiang River delta⁷ area has upgraded to a new level. Ma Yiqiang, a senior staff of Guangzhou Auto¹ Group says the trend will continue.

 

　　"In the future, according to our production plan, the work done by the robots and machines will reach more than 90 percent. The current workers will play the role of 'technical blue collars' in the future. They will be responsible for the maintenance of the machines and quality control, rather than actually doing the labor work."

 

　　The automation of the traditional labor intensive industry in the Zhujiang River delta area is the result of rising labor and HR management costs.

 

　　For instance, Deng Qiuwei says it may take them one month to train a new employee. But the highly intensive work load made many people quit, so the money and time for training were wasted not to mention the short staffing they need to deal with during the long Spring Festival holiday.

 

　　Deng says, the use of robots significantly saved their operation costs.

 

　　"In 2008, the total salary for an employee in our company was 1,500 yuan, but now the cost has risen to 5,000 yuan. We bought 75 robots last year and it freed 300 workers. Using the salary only to make a comparison, our company may need to pay additional 4 to 5 million yuan if we still use the workers rather than robots."

 

　　Companies such as Rapoo and Guangzhou Auto Group also say while the initial investment in robots may be large, but when the increased efficiency and lower labor costs are factored in, the cost may be recouped within two to three years. So in the long run, automation is becoming the industry standard.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

2 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

3 exterior   

adj.外部的，外在的；表面的

参考例句：

• The seed has a hard exterior covering.这种子外壳很硬。
• We are painting the exterior wall of the house.我们正在给房子的外墙涂漆。

4 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

5 streamline   

vt.使成流线型；使简化；使现代化

参考例句：

• We must streamline our methods.我们必须简化方法。
• Any liquid or gas passing it will have streamline flow.任何通过它的液体或气体将呈流线型的流动。

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。