Mikey CampbellIt was reported on Tuesday that an investigation by China Labor Watch (CLW) found aluminum dust produced by the polishing of iPad cases as the cause of a blast at Ri Teng Computer Accessory Co., which injured 61 workers on Dec. 17, according to Bloomberg.
CLW, a not-for-profit labor organization, noted that the recent explosion at Ri Teng was similar to that of an accident at Apple supplier Foxconn's Chengdu factory. In both cases, the blasts were located in a section of the factory that handles the polishing of the iPad's aluminum chassis.
The source of the Foxconn accident was never conclusively established, however Apple's largest Chinese manufacturer said it was probably "combustible dust" that caused the explosion that left 3 dead and 15 injured.
It is unclear whether the accidents are related or merely coincidental, however CLW alludes that the events could be part of a larger supply chain problem, and claim that Apple suppliers have little control over their operations as they must adhere to strict guidelines set by the Cupertino, Calif. company.
Interviews conducted by CLW with factory managers reveal that the tech giant has "systematic control" over plant operations, including the design and implementation of the assembly line. If all of Apple's Chinese suppliers' plants have identical layouts, the recent explosions could point to a fundamental flaw in the supply chain.
However, CLW fell short of saying the the Ri Teng iPad polishing facility was a replica of Foxconn's, saying only that both factories were in the process of "expanding their production capacity and trying to win more orders from Apple when the blast occurred."
According to a post on the Sina Weibo microblogging service, local officials in the Songjiang area of Shanghai have already begun an investigation at Ri Teng, though the government has yet to release a preliminary report.
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15 Comments
It was reported on Tuesday that an investigation by China Labor Watch (CLW) found aluminum dust produced by the polishing of iPad cases as the cause of a blast at Ri Teng Computer Accessory Co., which injured 61 workers on Dec. 17, according to Bloomberg.
I think things are OK. It doesn't sound like it will affect Apple's stock price.
Aluminum dust is damn dangerous as all us high school chemistry students know all too well. A few rusty iron filings, an ignition source and you have a thermite reaction. I cracked my dad's garage floor when I was 13 testing this out. It is also highly probably the Hindenburg's dramatic end was caused by being painted with the basic ingredients for this reaction.
CLW alludes that the events could be part of a larger supply chain problem, and claim that Apple suppliers have little control over their operations as they must adhere to strict guidelines set by the Cupertino, Calif. company.
I seriously doubt Apple specifies inadequate ventilation in the facility. If they are expanding their production line capacity, they need to expand the rest of the facility to support that capacity. Are they simply cramming too much capacity into too small a space?
That said, if there's enough dust in the air to explode, kinda makes you wonder what the workers are inhaling. Those in the immediate vicinity may be wearing breathing protection, but what about elsewhere?
It makes me wonder where the lubricant is? Who polishes metal dry? It just clogs the abrasives and makes dust! Duh!
Me wonders if someone was trying to do something on the cheap without Apple's blessing so they didn't have to filter as much water in and process hazmat lubricant out of the plant. That way they could "skim" a little extra profit on the contract.
Aluminum dust is damn dangerous as all us high school chemistry students know all too well. A few rusty iron filings, an ignition source and you have a thermite reaction. I cracked my dad's garage floor when I was 13 testing this out. It is also highly probably the Hindenburg's dramatic end was caused by being painted with the basic ingredients for this reaction.
Nothing like a bit of thermite to get the day started. Good point, you have to wonder about the whole production chain in that regard, even the unibody case construction would create small particles of aluminum.
From the first reading of unibody I wondered what apple was doing with all the waste, if they were collecting it and reconstituting it to optimize raw material usage. I imagined some extraction process which loosely sucked up the dust and filings to a vat.