Foxconn’s Foxbots will only play a supporting role in building the iPhone 6

Robots are the future of manufacturing. But even Foxconn, a leader in consumer electronics manufacturing, has to deal with some of its limitations.

Foxconn /4/be busy gathering its robot army to meet the manufacturing demands of Apple’s iPhone 6, but the company’s 10,000 “Foxbots” will only play a supporting role, reports Chinese site UDN.

On Monday, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou revealed his ambitious plan to deploy robots on Foxconn factories. These so-called Foxbots can reportedly create an average of 30,000 devices a year.

But according to UDN, the robots will only be used on routine tasks such as tightening lock screws and polishing components. Foxconn will continue to hire human workers to work on complex tasks related to assembly and manufacturing.

Considering Apple’s eye for design, it would be stupid for Foxconn to leave everything to the robots. For example, quality control will still need the expertise of the trained human eye.

Apple is expected to unveil its flagship iDevice later this year. Under the leadership of Tim Cook, Apple has managed to supercharge its production capabilities.

Given that Foxconn is a key partner to Apple, the Taiwanese company must keep up with the demand. Robots /4/offer a solution, but these machines aren’t ready to replace the human touch.