iPad plant is back in business

Following the last month’s explosion that knocked offline Foxconn’s iPad 2 assembly facility in Chengdu, China and left three killed and at least fifteen injured, the news is reaching us that the assembly line has resumed operation. John Paczkowski on the All Things D blog relays this tidbit from a Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White’s note:

Our meetings today indicate that the Chengdu facility has been held back by yield issues on certain outside components; thus, the operation may not have reached the optimal utilization rate. Therefore, the explosion in Chengdu may result in more of an equilibrium situation with certain component vendors, rather than a shortage situation. Netting this all out, we believe the production of iPad 2 will be supply constrained during the June quarter; however, we are not prepared to place the bulk of the blame on the Chengdu operation.

Foxconn has concluded investigation into the explosion, but has yet to release any results, Paczkowski says. The explosion may have cost Apple anywhere between half a million iPads up to a third of total iPad 2 output.