ASE Technology Holding Co (ASE, 日月光投控) yesterday said it is to invest NT$94 billion (US$3.3 billion) to develop a third smart manufacturing campus in Kaohsiung after rolling out the world’s first smart factory using Qualcomm Inc’s 5G millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology.
The project is expected to create 8,600 jobs, the world’s biggest chip testing and packaging service provider said, adding that it plans to introduce the 5G mmWave technology to its new factories as well.
ASE started to upgrade its manufacturing systems 11 years ago, using fixed-line, Wi-Fi, or 4G technologies and other hardware to connect 2,000 different machines, it said.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
The company hopes to boost its workforce in Kaohsiung to 40,000 from 25,000 now, ASE chief executive officer Tien Wu (吳田玉) told a news conference in Kaohsiung.
Ultimately, it hopes to increase its headcount in Taiwan to 80,000, from the current 60,000, making it the biggest employer in the nation, Wu said.
ASE operates 18 smart factories in Kaohsiung, making up 20 percent of the company’s total factories in the city, Wu said.
The company aims to upgrade half of its Kaohsiung factories to smart, connected and automated facilities in the near term, he added.
It plans to add seven smart factories next year, bringing the total number to 25, he said.
Based on an initial calculation, a smart factory or highly automated factory can save 15 percent in manufacturing costs compared with traditional plants, he said.
If the economic benefits of the 5G mmWave smart factory are verified, ASE does not rule out introducing the smart manufacturing system to its existing smart factories, Wu said.
The new smart factory is to operate on a 5G mmWave private network built by Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), with almost all devices and equipment sourced from local suppliers, such as Sercomm Corp (中磊), which provides small cell stations.
To facilitate the deployment of the 5G mmWave network, Qualcomm for the first time utilized engineering service resources to help its local partners overcome engineering challenges, Qualcomm Inc Taiwan and Southeast Asia president S.T. Liew (劉思泰) said.
Qualcomm’s chips — including Snapdragon X55, Snapdragon QSM5165, Snapdragon XR2 and GZX5-AR — are used in devices such as augmented reality (AR) glasses to enable smart manufacturing applications at ASE’s fab.
The introduction of 5G mmWave network helps ASE implement automatic line inspection via smart uncrewed vehicles installed with cameras, infrared sensors and microwave sensors, it said.
Combining AR technology, the 5G network significantly boosts equipment maintenance efficiency and provides a safer work environment for employees through minimal equipment contact, it said.
ASE also introduced 5G mmWave technology and AR technology to its Green Technology Education Center, at its water recycling plant in Kaohsiung, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in an interactive experience at the center.
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