Global demand for industrial robots hits all-time high in 2013
Worldwide demand for industrial robots reached an all-time peak in 2013, as approximately 168,000 units were sold in 2013, according to quarterly statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The number of robot units sold in 2013 was 5% more than in 2012 as a result of increasing automation demands in North America and Asia, according to an IFR press release. In addition, the European market showed signs of improvement in Q4, which may lead to a turnaround year in 2014 after a stagnant overall year in 2013 for the euro-zone market.
One contributing factor in the rise of global robot sales is the technological developments in the market, as well as the rise in industrial requirements, suggests IFR president Arturo Baroncelli. Joe Gemma, IFR Vice President, agreed.
"Those of us in the industry are not surprised by the growth as many factors have contributed to the increase use of robotics worldwide, some of which has been driven directly from the automation equipment manufacturers," he said in the press release. "The software to work with and run robots and automation cells has developed rapidly over the last few years and the ease of use has transcended into more applications under a very demanding and dynamic manufacturing landscape that would not have been tackled in the past."
He added, "This has enabled manufacturers to provide products to the market quicker and with flexibility of variations to meet consumer demand and at the same time insure the quality required and the performance demanded."
Increasing use of automation technologies like robots in the automotive industry worldwide has also contributed significantly to the overall growth in the sector. Yoshikatsu Minami, Corporate Vice President and General Manager Robotics Division, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, said that the demand and usage of automation in the automotive industry has spread to Asia, while also increasing in American and the euro-zone market.
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James Carroll
Former VSD Editor James Carroll joined the team 2013. Carroll covered machine vision and imaging from numerous angles, including application stories, industry news, market updates, and new products. In addition to writing and editing articles, Carroll managed the Innovators Awards program and webcasts.