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There are a record 293,000 robots in U.S. factories, according to new world report

The new World Robotics 2020 Industrial Robots report presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) says there are about 293,000 industrial robots operating in U.S. factories -- an increase of 7%. Sales of new robots remain high, with 33,300 units shipped in 2019. This is 17% less compared to 2018, but it is still the second-highest sales volume ever recorded.

"The United States is by far the biggest robot market in the Americas," says Milton Guerry, president of the International Federation of Robotics. "The annual number of robots sold is highly influenced by the automotive industry, which is the most important customer. In 2019, the U.S. car market was again the second-largest car market in the world, following China, with the second-largest production volume of cars and light vehicles."

Annual installations of industrial robots in top 15 countries. © World Robotics 2020 Report.

 

 

The North American countries United States, Canada, and Mexico represent the second-largest operational stock of industrial robots in the world after China. Following the U.S. with 293,000 units in 2019, Mexico´s operational stock comes second with about 40,000 units, which is a plus of 11%, and Canada with about 29,000 units, which is a plus 2%. Most of the robots in the United States are imported from Japan, Korea, and Europe. Although there are not many North American robot manufacturers, there are numerous important robot system integrators.

Collaborative and traditional industrial robots. © IFR International Federation of Robotics

 

 

With a look to the future, COVID-19 has had a strong impact on 2020 globally, of course, but it has also provided a chance for modernization and digitalization of production on the way to recovery. In the long run, says the report, the benefits of increasing robot installations remain the same: Rapid production and delivery of customized products at competitive prices are the main incentives.

VIDEO: Facts about robots worldwide. [Source: IFR]

Automation enables manufacturers to keep production in developed economies -- or reshore it -- without sacrificing cost efficiency. The range of industrial robots continues to expand from traditional caged robots capable of handling all payloads quickly and precisely to new collaborative robots that work safely alongside humans, fully integrated into workbenches.

The full report can be purchased from IFR here.

Source: IFR

Published January 2021

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