ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION
123,030 units . This number also includes units produced in China by non-Chinese suppliers .
Chinese robot manufacturers mainly deliver to their domestic market , where they held a market share of 27 % in 2020 with 45,347 units shipped .
Top five robotic trends for 2022
The International Federation of Robotics has analysed the top five trends that are shaping robotics and automation around the globe . industry , the Korean economy is based on the two largest areas for industrial robots ,” commented the IFR in the report .
Singapore takes second place with a rate of 605 robots per 10,000 employees in 2020 . Singapore ’ s robot density had been growing by 27 % on average each year since 2015 . Japan ranked third in the world . In 2020 , 390 robots were installed per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry . Japan is the world ´ s predominant industrial robot manufacturer : the production capacity of Japanese suppliers reached 174,000 units in 2020 . Today , Japan ´ s manufacturers deliver 45 % of the global robot supply .
“ Exports of Japanese industrial robots on average [ saw ] a compound annual growth rate of 6 % in the last five years ,” said Milton Guerry , President of the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ). “ At the same time , imports of robots have always been extremely low . In 2020 , only 2 % of Japanese installations were imported . The domestic Japanese robot market is the second largest in the world after China .”
According to the report , robot density in the United States rose from 176 units in 2015 to 255 units in 2020 . The modernisation of domestic production facilities has also boosted robot sales in the United States . The use of industrial robots also helps to achieve decarbonisation targets e . g . in the costefficient production of solar panels and in the continued transition towards electric vehicles .
Europe ´ s most automated country is Germany , ranking fourth worldwide with 371 units . The annual supply had a share of 33 % of total robot sales in Europe 2020 – around 38 % of Europe ’ s operational stock is in Germany .
France has a robot density of 194 units ( ranking 16th in the world ), which is well above the global average of 126 robots and relatively similar compared to other EU countries like Spain ( 203 units ), Austria ( 205 units ) or The Netherlands ( 209 units ). EU members like Sweden ( 289 units ), Denmark ( 246 units ) or Italy ( 224 units ) have a significantly higher degree of automation in the manufacturing segment .
Gasparini robotic press brake cell .
As a G7 country , the UK has a robot density below the world average of 126 units with 101 units , ranking 24th . Five years ago , the UK ´ s robot density was 71 units . The exodus of foreign labour after Brexit increased the demand for robots in 2020 . This situation is expected to prevail in the near future . The modernisation of the UK manufacturing industry will also be boosted by massive tax incentives , the ‘ super-deduction ’. From April 2021 until March 2023 , companies can claim 130 % of capital allowances as tax relief for plant and machinery investments .
China aims for global robotics leadership
The new Five-Year Plan for the robotics industry in China , released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ( MIIT ) in Beijing , focuses on promoting innovation - making China a global leader for robot technology and industrial advancement .
“ China is by far the biggest robot market in the world regarding annual sales and the operational stock ,” said Milton Guerry , President of the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ).
The automation race in China today is mainly catered by overseas robot manufacturers with a combined market share of 73 %. With some volatility in the past eight years , this share has been constant . In 2020 , installations of robots from overseas – mainly imported from Japan , Korea and Europe – grew strongly by 24 % to
1 : Robots adopted by new industries . Segments that are relatively new to automation are rapidly adopting robots . Consumer behaviour is driving companies to address demand for personalisation of both products and delivery . The e-commerce revolution was driven by the pandemic and will continue to accelerate in 2022 . There are thousands of robots installed worldwide today that did not exist in this segment just five years ago .
In an effort to address labour shortages , companies that have not previously considered automation will reconsider . Businesses that rely on service workers , such as retail and restaurants , are unable to fill job openings and , as a result , can be expected to invest in automation to meet patrons ’ needs . Relatively new robotics ’ customer industries , like delivery and logistics , construction , agriculture and more , benefit from technologies advancing by the day .
2 : Robots are easier to use . Implementing robots can be a complex task , but new generations of robots are easier to use . There is a clear trend towards user interfaces that allow simple icon-driven programming and the manual guidance of robots . Robot companies and some third-party suppliers are bundling hardware packages together with software to ease implementation . This trend may seem simple , but offerings that focus on complete ecosystems are adding tremendous value by reducing the effort and the time to operation .
The trend for low-cost robotics also comes with easy set-up and installation , with specific applications pre-configured in some instances . Suppliers offer standard programs combined with grippers , sensors and controllers . App stores provide program routines for various applications and support lower-cost robot deployment .
3 : Robots and humans are up-skilling . More and more governments , industry associations and companies are seeing the need for basic robot and automation education at an early stage for the next generation . The
20 | sheetmetalplus . com | ISMR May 2022