Wuxi machines produce 80% of iPhone batteries

Some 80 percent of iPhone's batteries are produced by Wuxi Lead Intelligent Equipment Company, whose lithium batteries are used in Tesla's electric cars as well. [Photo by Fang Luofan]

A staggering 80 percent of the iPhone's batteries are produced by a company in Wuxi. The Wuxi Lead Intelligent Equipment Company is the world's largest producer of lithium batteries.

Lithium batteries are now widely used in daily life, in smartphones, cameras and even in electric vehicles. Tesla, the leader in new energy cars, also utilizes lithium batteries produced by Lead's machines.

Though many people may not be familiar with this enterprise, it does cooperate with many giants in the electronics industry, such as Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony. The company focuses on developing advanced autonomous production facilities, which is the foundation of predominantly machine-operated workshops.

Lead often designs customized mechanisms according to clients' requirements. With over 6 percent of its sales poured into research and development, some 400 engineers have made multiple breakthroughs in the field. For example, Lead's machines can remarkably produce 30 lithium batteries per minute, while Japanese machines can produce only 26 at most.