2023-09-29 19:17:51
With the high number of iPhone units — among other devices — that are manufactured, it is natural that there are a number of components that are not suitable for use and must be discarded. And the Apple — known for its extreme care with all the details of its devices — created a system to prevent fraud in this area.
As shown by The Informationdespite purchasing the glass material for its screens from Corning (manufacturer of Gorilla Glass), there is yet another production stage, which takes place in the factories of Lens Technology it’s yes Biel Crystal. There, the displays are refined to adapt to the company’s standards, among other processes.
The interesting thing is that two QR codes, with the aim of increasing control over manufacturing stages, especially in the case of defective units. The codes are very small (~0.2mm) and can only be viewed with special equipment; They are also located in different locations, depending on the unit.
Apple invested millions in 2020 to implement these codes. Such efforts were motivated by difficulties in accurately monitoring the number of defective displays that were discarded by factories, with suspicions of fraud in this data, which implies higher costs in the production process. After starting to use the solution, the proportion of components with problems fell from 30% for just 10%.
As mentioned, the codes are not visible to the naked eye, although one is slightly larger than the other — a grain of sand and the tip of a crayon are used as size references. They contain information regarding the manufacturing of each display; the smaller one is aimed at those that are supposedly defective, while the other is aimed at those that actually present problems. With them, Apple can know which of the factories the component passed through and other data.
The implementation of the codes did not occur following just a mere decision. It was necessary to face engineering challenges, as when inserting the codes into the displays — which is done using a matrix of 625 laser points — they were initially less resistant and more prone to falls.
In the end, the codes were no longer inscribed so deeply on the display glass, avoiding negative effects in terms of resistance. The codes are read by Apple using microscopic lenses and lights. Despite having spent on development, the company saves by reducing production costs, as it has greater control over defective units.
Still according to the The Information, the two suppliers presented obstacles to Apple’s other attempts to control production problems. This opened the way for fraud in the number of defective displays, which might increase the cost of producing the component under bad faith product.
via AppleInsider
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