New Records set for First Half of 2015 for Industrial Robots
According to new statistics released by the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), a record 14,232 industrial robots, valued at $840 million were ordered from North American robotics companies in the first half of 2015. The record-setting number of orders was an increase of one percent in units and seven percent in revenue over the same period in 2014. Furthermore, that same period was at the time a record as well. With two consecutive years of recorded setting sales orders of Industrial Robotics, there is no doubt that the market will keep rising.
Jeff Burnstein, President of RIA, said, “We’re encouraged by the continued strength in the North American robotics market. The interest in robotics remains active not just in North America, but all over the world, as companies recognize that robots can help them improve productivity, product quality, and flexibility.”
With the uptick in the number of new industrial robotics to the marketplace, there would seem to be another unreported event that should begin to occur. When new industrial robots deploy to their production line, the robots being replaced have to go somewhere. Those robots typically end up on the secondary market and are usually scrapped whole or for parts. However, industrial solution providers like ICR utilize a specialized process to refurbish used robots and re-purpose them for other applications.
Robotic refurbishment allows smaller players to use automation within their industrial applications. These smaller players don’t have the immense coffers of their OEM counterparts. Turning to refurbished industrial robots offers both a wide range of benefits and a rather large value for their organizations and internal processes.
Founded in 1974, RIA is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to improving the regional, national and global competitiveness of the North American manufacturing and service sectors through promotion and enhancement of robotics and related automation. RIA represents 350 robot manufacturers, system integrators, component suppliers, end users, consulting firms, research groups, and educational institutions.
The RIA released a few more juicy tidbits. They noted that in the first of this year, sales of all types of robotics continued to grow within some key industrial segments.
- Semiconductors (30%)
- Automotive components (23%)
- Life sciences (8%)
There was one supposed downside to the spectacular news. Automotive OEM sales slowed down a bit in the first half of 2015. The numbers showed the sales orders to this industry segment dropped by 18%. However, while the orders may have cut from a large portion of the mark, there is a particular strength in numbers occurring within the market. This strength will also show as the market has turn to a widening effect, that should wash out any sense of pessimism.
Industrial automation and robotic integration go hand in hand. Industrial robots play an integral role in a factory housing automation equipment and processes. Integrating robots within an automated facility is both cost-effective and a prevailing trend within the industry as the article points out. ICR’s robotics division integrates hundreds of services on a yearly basis, offers programming, training and preventive maintenance geared towards robotics. Turn to ICR when in need of robotics assistance or integration.
