On July 30, Japanese Economic News reported that Foxconn, Taiwan’s leading precision industry company, has officially commenced its investment in the United States. On July 26, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou made an official announcement at the White House press conference in Washington, revealing plans to invest $10 billion in projects such as the construction of a large LCD panel factory in Wisconsin. This move is expected to boost U.S. employment rates and reduce trade deficits, aligning with U.S. President Donald Trump's agenda. Gou expressed his commitment to realizing the vision of American manufacturing, emphasizing the importance of starting with a panel factory and developing 8K and 5G-related production bases in the U.S.
During the White House press conference, Gou, bending slightly, shook Trump’s hand firmly. He highlighted his dedication to implementing the U.S. manufacturing concept and outlined plans for constructing the world's most advanced "10.5th generation" LCD panel factory, creating a one-stop production system for large-screen TVs. Furthermore, Foxconn aims to extend its panel and imaging technologies into medical devices and autonomous vehicles, fostering ecosystems within these industries. Sharp’s technological expertise, acquired in 2016, will play a critical role in supporting these initiatives.
Foxconn has built extensive facilities across mainland China since the early 2000s. Following the surge in labor costs, the company has been compelled to undergo a strategic transformation. Under this new investment strategy, the U.S. is seen as the next growth phase following China.
It is worth noting that Foxconn is China’s top exporter, with the U.S. being its primary market. For Trump, who faces declining approval ratings, the arrival of Foxconn’s factory in the U.S. represents a significant accomplishment. Amid rising global protectionism, Gou emphasized the importance of manufacturing, proving that Foxconn’s presence in the U.S. is both feasible and beneficial.
Wisconsin emerged victorious in the competition for Foxconn’s investment, with approximately seven states vying for the opportunity. Gou reportedly engaged in direct discussions with Trump as well as the governors of various states, securing favorable terms regarding land and energy costs.
The establishment of a robust supply chain for components and production equipment remains a key concern. Foxconn is simultaneously constructing the world’s largest panel factory in Guangzhou, China. Meanwhile, mainland Chinese enterprises are ramping up their production efforts, leading to insufficient spare capacity among panel suppliers.
In summary, Foxconn’s decision to invest in the U.S. marks a pivotal moment for both parties. As the company transitions strategically, its efforts could set a precedent for other global manufacturers looking to capitalize on the benefits of American manufacturing while addressing global economic challenges.
Silica Sol Casting
Compared with large complex thin - wall castings, civil products have lower requirements on casting quality. However, for the latter, shorten the production cycle, improve the production efficiency of the problem becomes more prominent. The gelation process of common silica sol mainly depends on the dehydration and drying of silica sol, which takes longer time than the gelation of chemical hardening ethyl silicate. Ethyl silicate shell using ammonia dry each layer can be completed in 2h, and the final hardening of silica sol generally takes more than 12h, for some deep holes and other difficult to dry parts of the need for a longer time. At the same time, because the Investment Casting shell needs to be made in layers, each layer needs to be fully dried, to ensure that the lower shell immersion coating will not cause the problem of remelting off, and immersion coating itself, water will be immersed in the dried shell, resulting in a long overall drying cycle. It is a schematic diagram of the production cycle of silica sol shell investment casting under general conditions. As can be seen from the figure, shell making time accounts for more than 50% of the whole casting production cycle. To shorten the delivery time and shell making cycle is the core of the problem. The key factors to shorten the shell-making period can be divided into two aspects: internal cause and external cause. The main internal cause is the characteristics of the binder, and the external cause is the drying condition.
Silica Sol Casting industry in China is developing rapidly and its application is also very extensive.
Tianhui Machine Co.,Ltd , https://www.thcastings.com
