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North American automakers pulled again in robotic orders final yr. Supply: A3
After two years of file gross sales, North American robotic orders declined by 30% in 2023, stated the newest report from the Affiliation for Advancing Automation, or A3. The group stated it expects the slowdown, significantly in automotive manufacturing, to proceed till the second half of 2024.
“Whereas robotic gross sales naturally ebb and circulate, the return to extra typical robotic gross sales after the final two file years can seemingly be attributed to some apparent points: a sluggish U.S. financial system, increased rates of interest, and even the over-purchasing of robots in 2022 from provide chain issues,” stated Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, in a launch.
“We’ve seen a slowdown within the manufacturing of digital autos this yr, together with fewer new distribution facilities, each seemingly decreasing the demand for robots,” he added. “From what we’re listening to in our member surveys and at current occasions, nevertheless, optimism is robust for progress, probably choosing up within the second half of the yr. In actual fact, we anticipate file numbers at our Automate Present in Could as extra firms put together for brand new automation initiatives.”
Each automotive, non-automotive robotic orders dip
In accordance with A3, North American firms bought 31,159 robots in 2023, in contrast with 44,196 ordered in 2022 and 39,708 in 2021. These 2023 robotic orders had been divided virtually equally amongst automotive (15,723 robots offered) and non-automotive firms (15,436 robots offered). This represented a 34% drop in gross sales to automotive OEMs and automotive suppliers over 2022 and a 25% whole lower in all different industries.
The strongest demand for robots from non-automotive firms got here from the metallic business, adopted by semiconductor and electronics/photonics; meals and client items; life sciences, pharmaceutical, and biomedical; plastics and rubber, and others, stated A3.
Whereas every of those industries confirmed an total decline in contrast with 2022, the final three months of the yr noticed a rise of 20% in automotive –each OEM and parts — and metals, electronics, plastics, and the “all different industries” class over Q3 2023. The “all different industries” class consists of firms in areas comparable to development, hospitality, and agriculture, that are newer to robotics, stated A3.
Study from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and plenty of extra.
A3 is optimistic for late 2024
“Whereas robotic gross sales had been down over the yr, 2023 ended with each a rise over the earlier quarter and a virtually equal variety of gross sales from automotive and non-automotive firms,” famous Burnstein. “Each are promising indicators that extra industries have gotten more and more comfy with automation total.”
“Whereas we count on to see automotive orders rise once more, there’s little doubt that orders will improve from all non-automotive industries as they acknowledge how robots may also help them overcome their distinctive challenges,” he stated.
Automate expects extra attendees
The Affiliation for Advancing Automation’s members embody greater than 1,280 producers, part suppliers, programs integrators, finish customers, educational establishments, analysis teams, and consulting corporations worldwide. The Ann Arbor, Mich.-based group stated its mission is to be a world advocate for the advantages of automating.
A3 will present the newest applied sciences at Automate in Chicago from Could 6 to 9, 2024. It’ll characteristic greater than 750 exhibitors of all the pieces from robotics and movement management to machine imaginative and prescient and synthetic intelligence for quite a lot of industries and purposes.
Along with Automate, A3 will host occasions together with the Worldwide Robotic Security Convention from Oct. 1 to three in Cincinnati; the Autonomous Cell Robotic & Logistics Convention from Oct. 8 to 10 in Memphis, Tenn.; and the A3 Enterprise Discussion board on Jan. 20 to 22, 2025 in Orlando, Fla.
