Wintek
Encyclopedia
Wintek is a maker of electronic components, mainly touch screens
for devices such as Apple's iPhone
.
, Taiwan
and India
.
, leading to nerve damage and in some cases paralysis
. n-Hexane was introduced into the production process because it evaporates very quickly, thus speeding the manufacturing. A hospital in Suzhou
has treated more than 100 workers who breathed in the hexane vapours. Some workers have been hospitalized for more than six months. While some workers have said that Wintek paid their medical bills and promises to keep their jobs for them while on medical leave, under Chinese law these workers will only get compensation if they leave these jobs.
Capacitive sensing
In electrical engineering, capacitive sensing is a technology based on capacitive coupling that is used in many different types of sensors, including those to detect and measure: proximity, position or displacement, humidity, fluid level, and acceleration...
for devices such as Apple's iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
History
Wintek was established in 1990 and produces components in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Worker illness controversy
In May 2010 it emerged that employees in China producing touchscreens for the iPhone had been poisoned by a cleaning chemical called n-hexaneHexane
Hexane is a hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C6H14; that is, an alkane with six carbon atoms.The term may refer to any of four other structural isomers with that formula, or to a mixture of them. In the IUPAC nomenclature, however, hexane is the unbranched isomer ; the other four structures...
, leading to nerve damage and in some cases paralysis
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
. n-Hexane was introduced into the production process because it evaporates very quickly, thus speeding the manufacturing. A hospital in Suzhou
Suzhou
Suzhou , previously transliterated as Su-chou, Suchow, and Soochow, is a major city located in the southeast of Jiangsu Province in Eastern China, located adjacent to Shanghai Municipality. The city is situated on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Taihu Lake and is a part...
has treated more than 100 workers who breathed in the hexane vapours. Some workers have been hospitalized for more than six months. While some workers have said that Wintek paid their medical bills and promises to keep their jobs for them while on medical leave, under Chinese law these workers will only get compensation if they leave these jobs.