Foxconn, the maker of most of your Apple handheld devices (updated) have started shipping iPads from its new manufacturing facility at Chengdu, China. The Digitimes is reporting that they have started a single production line for the iPad at the Chengdu facility. This plant is currently capable of making over 300,000 iPads a month and will expand to over 50 production lines in the near future to produce a staggering 40 million iPads per year.
Foxconn’s Shenzen facility already makes over 2.5 million iPad’s a month and both the plants will also make the iPad 2 which is expected by the first quarter of 2011. People had reported earlier this year that Foxconn is planning to use the new Chengdu facility to make iPads. However, Foxconn had vehemently denied these reports. However, we now have confirmation of sorts regarding the fact that Foxcon had already shipped the first consignments of the iPads from the new pant sometime earlier this month.
A major reason being touted for the opening of a plant in the interior parts of China is because of the accusations against Foxconn about the inhuman conditions in which workers of the plants work. Workers from Chengdu can go back to their homes after a hard days work unlike the case of other Foxconn facilities where workers live within the factory compounds.
Anyway, with an entirely new facility out there, looks like Apple has all plans to be on the offensive by ramping up the production of the iPad.
[Via DigiTimes]