Industrial Robots Hit New Peaks

“Global demand for industrial robots in 2014 reached more than 200,000 units for the first time,” said Arturo Baroncelli, the president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR; Frankfurt, Germany), speaking in Chicago, IL. “The strongest drivers of the growth were the automotive industry followed by the electronics industry. Based on the preliminary results of the global statistics on industrial robots, we estimate that about 225,000 units were sold in 2014, which is 27 percent more than in 2013.”

The main impulse by region came from Asia, particularly from China and South Korea. In total, about 140,000 units were sold in Asia, by far the highest volume ever recorded. Robot sales to the Americas and to Europe also reached new peak levels.

China was again by far the largest market destination for industrial robots in 2014. About 56,000 units were sold, 54 percent more than in 2013. Chinese robot suppliers delivered 16,000 units and the international robot suppliers delivered about 40,000 units.

Due to considerable investments of the automotive industry, South Korea was the second largest destination with about 39,000 units. It was followed by Japan, the United States and Germany. The five largest robot markets represent 75 percent of the total global sales in 2014.

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