Or elsewhere in the thread, the example of moving a previously-modular computer part onto the logic board, so that it can be soldered on rather than needing to be installed later in the assembly process.

Companies like Rethink weren't in this world— they were trying to build a manipulator (Baxter) which was a drop-in replacement for a person doing pick and place work. Which has a certain appeal, if it works ("no need to retool anything; just buy it and put it to work!"), but it puts you up against the direct price comparison of just having a human continue to do that job.

In manufacturing most of these labour are still in Asia. And the cost / productivity is still insanely cheap. It isn't just the cost of the Robot itself, but to program a new task which requires software testing and engineers. So the cost barrier is still so far apart. Foxconn make hundreds of millions of smartphone every year. You would have thought saving $10 per phone would have net them a few billions extra profits. And yet their employment rate has remained largely the same.

If and If, US and Tech managed to do this ( there is nothing even remotely close in the next 10 years, but let say somehow there is for the sake of argument ), this will be the largest reset of manufacturing and likely be Industrial Revolution 3.0.