There, a mere 300 workers or so are enough to assemble components already wired, plumbed and insulated.

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Robots are getting better at co-operating with each other: in some car plants a big robot now lifts a small one inside the vehicle to assemble components.

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The only Chinese input is labor, which is used to assemble the components manufactured in other countries.

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The factories make components and assemble parts for car manufacturers.

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No other smartphone vendor, from Apple to ZTE to Motorola to Nokia, make that high a proportion of components and assemble them into their own phones.

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Relatively inexpensive to manufacture, steel and glass components were also comparatively simple to assemble because the buildings were designed to "express" their materials.

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In northern and central Mexico German companies turn out electrical components for Europe, Canadian firms assemble aircraft parts and factory after factory makes televisions, fridge-freezers and much else.

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When all the components are ready, the middlemen collect them and find someone to shrink-wrap and assemble them.

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