Robotics market in North America sets a new record in first half of 2015

In the first half of 2015, a record 14,232robots, valued at $840 million, were ordered from North American robotics companies, according to the latest statistics from the Robotics Industries Association (RIA).

These figures represent an increase of 1% in units and 7% in revenue over the same time period in 2014, which had previously been the record.

"We’re encouraged by the continued strength in the North American robotics market," said Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA. "The interest in robotics remains strong not just in North America, but all over the world, as companies recognize that robots can help them improve productivity, product quality, and flexibility."

Sales of allindustrial robots grew in a number of key segments, including semiconductors (30%), automotive components (23%), and life sciences (8%). Orders to automotive OEMs, however, were down 18% from a record high performance, year over year. Furthermore, segments such as coating/dispensing and material handling helped increase numbers.

"Robots ordered for use in coating/dispensing and material handling applications grew 36% and 27% respectively through June," said Alex Shikany, RIA’s Director of Market Analysis. "Material handling is the largest category we measure and touches many important industries to the robotics market. It’s encouraging to see such strong growth in this segment."

The increase in material handling was augmented by growth in such non-automotive industries such as semiconductors/electronics, and life sciences, according to Shikany. The RIA estimates that some 232,000 robots are now being used in United States factories, putting the US second only to Japan.

Pictured:Workerbot3 from pi4_robotics meets the requirements set forth in ISO 10218 and features an optional vacuum gripper with integral 5MPixel GigE industrial camera for recognizing the position of objects within its field of view.

View more information on theRIA.

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