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U.S. manufacturers have increasingly adopted automation, says the IFR.
Total installations of industrial robots rose by 12% and reached 44,303 units in 2023, as U.S. manufacturers invested heavily in more automation, reported the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR, today. The automotive industry is still the No. 1 adopter, followed by the electrical and electronics sector, according to the IFR’s preliminary results.
“The United States has one of the most advanced manufacturing industries worldwide,” stated Marina Bill, president of the IFR. “The first IFR outlook on preliminary results shows again strong robotics demand across all major segments of U.S. manufacturing in 2023.”
U.S. automakers still lead
Sales in the automotive segment rose by 1%, with a record 14,678 robots installed in 2023, said the IFR. This comes after installations in 2022 skyrocketed by 47%, reaching 14,472 units, noted the Frankfurt, Germany-based organization.
The market share of car and component makers reached 33% of all industrial robot installations in the U.S. in 2023. The U.S. has the second-largest production volume of cars and light vehicles worldwide after China.
“Automotive manufacturers currently invest in robotics mainly to drive the electric vehicle transition and respond to labor shortages,” Bill said.
Electrical and electronics industry adopts robots
Installations in the electrical and electronics industry rose by 37% to 5,120 units in 2023, said the IFR. This number almost reached the record pre-pandemic level of 5,284 units, seen in 2018.
The latest result represents a market share of 12% of all industrial robots installed in the U.S. manufacturing industry. Global installations reached record numbers in 2022, the IFR noted.
It attributed recent demand for industrial robots among U.S. electronics makers by efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains and projects toward clean-energy transitions.
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Demand strong among other U.S. manufacturers
Installation counts in other U.S. industries exceeding the 3,000-unit mark included metal and machinery (4,123 units, +6%) and plastic and chemical products (3,213 units, +5%).
They represent a market share of 9% and 7% of U.S. manufacturer robot installations in 2023, respectively, said the IFR.
Canada and Mexico also climb
Robot installation in Canada reached 4,616 units – up 43%. The automotive industry accounts for 55% of the country´s robot installations. Sales to the automotive sector rose by 99% with 2,549 units installed in 2023. This is an all-time high.
Robot installations in Mexico’s manufacturing industry remained almost unchanged, with 5,868 units in 2023. The country´s main adopter was the automotive industry, which accounted for 69% of the robot installations in 2023
The IFR said sales in Mexico reached 4,068 units (-0%) in 2023 – the third best result since the peak level of 4,805 units, in 2017.
IFR to release more results
The IFR plans to post the presentation on preliminary figures held by Bill during the IFR Executive Roundtable on May 8. The federation said it will release final results of the latest World Robotics data on Sept. 24.
The organization will also be present at Booth 2790 at Automate in Chicago next week.