ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
grippers and even online application builders .
“ Interest in ease of programming and usability is growing particularly for customers with high-mix , low volume production who do not have in-house robotics specialists trained in different proprietary robot programming languages . Increasingly , established industrial robot manufacturers provide a simplified programming tool , often GUI-based , providing pre-customised building blocks and also typically using tablets as interfaces ,” continued Marina Bill .
“ AMRs ( autonomous mobile robots ) are seamlessly integrated into the manufacturing process together with industrial robots , enabling new production layouts . It appears to be the logical next step to integrate the robot arm directly into the AMR to achieve ‘ mobile manipulators ’, showcased by a growing number of manufacturers . Advanced vision systems and artificial intelligence are also opening new possibilities , especially for picking and gripping as well as in quality inspection ,” she added .
Digitalisation and connectivity of robotic systems are making significant progress . Digital twins allow for remote monitoring and fleet management for predictive maintenance and process optimisation , enabling new business models .
“ In times of rising energy prices and a focus on corporate social responsibility , the sustainability of production tools is a growing trend . Total cost of ownership considerations provide opportunities for fewer energyconsuming robots , and repairability as well as the overhaul of machines to extend the overall lifetime ,” explained Marina Bill .
Robot density
According to the World Robotics report , China ’ s massive investment in industrial robotics has put the country in the top ranking
Above : LARA ( Lightweight Agile robotic assistant ) mounted on MAV ( Multi-Sensing Autonomous vehicle ) palletizing products . Image : NEURA Robotics GmbH .)
of robot density , surpassing the United States for the first time . The number of operational industrial robots relative to the number of workers hit 322 units per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry . Today , China ranks in fifth place .
“ The world ´ s top five most automated countries in manufacturing [ for ] 2021 are : South Korea ; Singapore ; Japan ; Germany and China ,” confirmed the report .
“ Robot density is a key indicator of automation adoption in the manufacturing industry around the world ,” said Marina Bill , President of the IFR . “ The new average of global robot density in the manufacturing industry surged to 141 robots per 10,000 employees – more than double the number six years
Marina Bill , President , IFR . ago . China ’ s rapid growth shows the power of its investment so far , but it still has much opportunity to automate .”
“ Driven by the high volume of robot installations in recent years , Asia ’ s average robot density surged by 18 % compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) since 2016 to 156 units per 10,000 employees in 2021 . European robot density had been growing by 8 % ( CAGR ) in the same period of time , reaching 129 units . In the Americas , it was 117 robots – plus 8 % ( CAGR ),” highlighted the World Robotics report . The Republic of Korea hit an all-time high of 1,000 industrial robots per 10,000 employees in 2021 . This is more than three times the number reached in China and makes the country number one worldwide . With its globally recognized electronics industry and a distinct automotive sector , the Korean economy profits from two large customer industries for industrial robots .
Singapore takes second place with a rate of 670 robots per 10,000 employees in 2021 . Singapore ’ s robot density had been growing by 24 % on average each year since 2016 . “ There is a remarkable gap to Japan ( 399 robots per 10,000 employees ) which ranks third . Japan ’ s robot density had grown by 6 % on average each year since 2016 . Germany , in fourth place ( 397 units ), is the largest robot market in Europe . China is by far the fastest growing robot market in the world . The country has the highest number of annual installations , and since 2016 it has each year had the largest operational stock of robots ,” continued the report .
Robot density in the United States rose from 255 units in 2020 to 274 units in 2021 . The country ranks ninth in the world , down from seventh – now head-to-head with Taiwan ( 276 units ) and behind Hong Kong ( 304 units ) and Sweden ( 321 units ). n
:// ifr . org /
ISMR December 2022 / January 2023 |
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