CAD/CAM and the Reorganization of Labor Process in the Taiwan Mold Industry
摘要
This article attempts to answer the following questions based on the process of introducing CAD/CAM in Taiwan’s injection mold manufacturing industry. First, what digital tools are being introduced into Taiwan’s industries, and how are they being introduced? Second, how are these digital tools used in Taiwan’s industries? During their use, are these digital tools being restructured, and if so, how? Finally, has the use of these digital tools reconstructed the organization and production practices in Taiwan, and if so, how? Analyzing the impact of CAD/CAM in the labor process through the lens of STS theory on configuring new users, I made the following discoveries. First, although the state provided a lot of assistance to firms when introducing CAD/CAM, it did not grant CAD/CAM users any legal privileged status through state power. This makes the restructuring of the labor process around CAD/CAM the focus of power struggles. Second, the introduction and use of CAD/CAM required firms to configure a new skilled worker – design engineer – as a user. Third, although design engineers broke the previous skill production regime with fitters as the core, they did not completely monopolize jurisdiction over design work. For design engineers to be able to maximize the benefits of CAD/CAM, fitters still play a certain role. Fourth, although managers hope to further restrict the freedom of design engineers by combining CAD/CAM with certain management strategies, the effect so far is still limited.