In the first half of 2019, the North American robotics market was up 7.2 percent. Companies in the continent ordered 16,488 robots, valued at $869 million, according to the Robotic Industries Association, part of the Association for Advancing Automation in Ann Arbor.
The largest driver of the year-to-date growth was an 83 percent increase in units ordered by automotive OEMs. Semiconductor and electronics ordered an increase of 12 percent, life sciences orders increased by 8 percent, and food and consumer goods orders increased by 3 percent.
In the second quarter, North American companies ordered 8,572 robots, valued at $446 million. This represents a growth of 19.2 percent in the number of robots ordered and a 0.6 percent increase in dollars compared to the same time period the year before.
“Robot use continues to grow, which is helping make U.S. companies more competitive and leading to new job growth,” says Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association for Advancing Automation. “We are currently experiencing the greatest period of robot expansion in history — over 180,000 robots have been shipped to American companies since 2010, and more than 1.2 million new manufacturing jobs have been created during this time.”
The Association for Advancing Automation is a global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform business. It represents more than 1,200 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups, and consulting firms.
The association hosts conferences and events including the biennial Automate Show and Conference, to take place May 17-20, 2021, in Detroit.
