China, Japan, and the United States cumulatively control about 58.71 per cent of the global industrial robot installations
As of September 2020, there were 381,000 units of industrial robots globally. China accounts for the largest share at 140,500 units, followed by Japan at 49,900 units. The U.S is third with 33,300 installed units.
A recent report by Buy Shares points out that India falls on the 11th spot when it comes to installed industrial robots capacity in a country. China, Japan, and the United States cumulatively control about 58.71 per cent of the global industrial robot installations.
“Between the ten years, the installation grew by 535%. Notably, in 2018, the installation stood at 422,000 before dropping by 9.7% to 381,000 in 2019. The drop was the first in seven years,” reads the report.
Factors leading to rise in industrial robots
The rise in industrial robots, as per the report, is mainly fuelled by manufacturers attempting to cut on production costs. Notably, the leading countries with high installation are some of the leading manufacturers in the automotive, electrical, and electronic, and pharmaceutical sectors. In general, the deployment of robots is key in cutting operational costs, reducing errors in the operational workflow, reducing material wastage.
The industrial robot market is also expected to grow following the unprecedented situation as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. It is a known fact that several factories had to shut down operations owing to fears of corona virus spearding from human to human.
Interestingly, various hospitals in China had ordered about 2,000 UVD robots. These were sourced to detect viruses and bacteria using ultraviolet light and kill them.
“Although industrial robots have been taunted as a game-changer, some manufacturers are facing some challenges in implementing the systems. There is a need for having employees with special skill sets to operate the robots which require a new level of expertise,” read the Buy Shares report.
The research also overviewed the annual installation of industrial robots worldwide between 2009 and 2019. Between the ten years, the installation grew by 535 per cent. In 2009, the figure stood at 60,000 while last year the number was 381,000. By 2010, the number had doubled to 121,000.
Notably, in 2018, the installation stood at 422,000 before dropping by 9.7 per cent to 381,000 in 2019. The drop was the first in seven years.
Sunil Banwari, COO, AT&S, during a panel discussion at September edition of the India Technology Week had said, “Industry 4.0 sounds to me like teenage **x. Everyone thinks everyone else is doing it, but in reality, no one is doing it! There are a lot of things bundled under Industry 4.0. I don’t think any of us can claim that we have achieved 100 per cent industry 4.0. There is a long way to go for every one of us and the road to industry 4.0 is long.”
