Hon Hai AI-driven factories to begin production in Taiwan, Mexico

Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. will soon begin production at two factories in Taiwan and Mexico using a digital simulation technology created by AI chipmaker Nvidia Corp., the companies said.

In a press release Tuesday, Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn on global markets, said it had first unveiled the collaboration with Nvidia at its Hon Hai Tech Day exhibition in 2023.

At the event, it showed how it planned to use Nvidia's Omniverse platform to create a 3D "digital twin" for simulating automated production lines at its factory in Hsinchu, Hon Hai said.

A "digital twin" is a digital replica of a physical object, system or process that organizations can use to simulate real situations and outcomes, allowing them to make better decisions.

In addition to assisting with factory layout, the Omniverse platform can be used to test and optimize factory operations in a digital twin, before making cost-saving changes to a manufacturing order or contract in the real world, Nvidia said in a post on its company blog Monday.

Hon Hai did not offer a clear timetable for when the AI-powered factories would go online.

In its blog post, however, Nvidia said Hon Hai's Taiwan factory will begin production using the digital twin technology in December, while its Mexico facility will begin production early next year.

Among other things, the Hon Hai factories will be used to test and produce Nvidia's Blackwell AI chips, the release of which could be further delayed due to overheating issues, the tech industry news site The Information reported Monday.