World Robotics Report: U.S. installations surge

The report indicates that in 2018, there were approximately 40,300 units in the U.S., representing a 22% surge compared to 2017. The increase is attributed largely to the growing automation trend in manufacturing, which is aimed at strengthening U.S. industries in both domestic and global markets. As a comparison, in China, the report indicates that 2018 robot installations were down 1% compared to 2017. “We saw a dynamic performance in 2018 with a new sales record, even as the main customers for robots – the automotive and electrical-electronics industry – had a difficult year,” says Junji Tsuda, president of the International Federation of Robotics. “The US-China trade conflict imposes uncertainty to the global economy – customers tend to postpone investments.” The report shows a new record was set for annual global sales ꟷ USD 16.5 billion 2018. Although IFR has predicted that 2019 numbers will recede from 2018 numbers, the organization expects an average growth of 12% per year from 2020 to 2022. China is at the top of the global industrial robot heap, with a share of 36% of total installations worldwide, and Chinese robot suppliers increased their share of total installations on the domestic market by 5%, from 22% in 2017 to 27% in 2018.