Analysis of Demand for Intelligent Automation in Taiwan’s Notebook PC Assembly Industry

Assembly manufacturers of 3C (computers, communications and consumer electronics) products in Taiwan play a crucial role in the global market. Most of these manufacturer’s plants, however, are located in China, where quality issues tend to be a problem. This study explores the notebook PC assembly industry, which is characterized by higher output values, growth rates and market share in the 3C assembly sector. The study aims to assess the potential demand for intelligent automation. Investments in intelligent automation must be based on potential input-output benefits, thus manufacturers can only create potential benefits through selecting key processes which are characterized by relatively high standardization and high quality thresholds.