Worldwide investment in industrial robots up 17 per cent in 2004 according to 2005 World Robotics survey

Citation

(2006), "Worldwide investment in industrial robots up 17 per cent in 2004 according to 2005 World Robotics survey", Industrial Robot, Vol. 33 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2006.04933aab.004

Worldwide investment in industrial robots up 17 per cent in 2004 according to 2005 World Robotics survey

Worldwide investment in industrial robots up 17 per cent in 2004 according to 2005 World Robotics survey

Keywords: Robotics, Forecasting

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in cooperation with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) publishes the study World Robotics 2005. The following executive summary of this 404 page in-depth analysis summarises the main results.

After 2 years of falling demand of industrial robots a strong recovery already started in 2003 with a growth of 19 per cent all over the world. In 2004, again 17 per cent more robots were sold than in 2003. This was the result of strong demand in all Asian markets and robust growth in Europe and America.

In 2004, more than 52,000 robots were supplied to Asian countries (including Australia and New Zealand), almost 29 per cent more than 2003, as a result of strong investments within the automotive industry and the electrical/electronics industry.

After 2 years of falling sales in Japan, a sharp recovery already started in 2003 when the market grew by 25 per cent. In 2004, the increase of installations continued: about 37,100 units, 17 per cent more than in 2003, were sold in Japan. Robot installations in the automotive industry as well as in the electrical/electronics industry surged by 42 and 64 per cent, respectively. An increase of about 16 per cent was recorded in the motor vehicle industry, whilst in the automotive parts industry, installations surged by 64 per cent.

Installations in the Republic of Korea also increased by 17 per cent, mainly due to investments by the combined branches of the automotive industry (motor vehicle producers and parts suppliers). The installations in the other Asian markets, including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan (Province of China), surged by an average of about 125 per cent. Most of these markets are still relatively small, but are gaining in importance as a result of expanding investments by the automotive industry.

In North America (United States, Canada, Mexico), the number of installations increased by 6 per cent in 2004, to more than 13,400 units, the highest sales of multipurpose industrial robots (strictly defined) ever recorded. After reaching a peak level of 13,000 units in 2000, sales dropped in 2001 and 2002 to just under 10,000 units. In 2003, however, there was a sharp recovery; the market expanded by 28 per cent to about 12,700 units. In 2004, North America was the second largest market for robot installations, behind Japan but just ahead of Germany. Automotive parts producers and other industries were responsible for the growth, whilst car producers did not increase their robot investments.

In Europe, sales of multipurpose industrial robots rose by 18 per cent in 2000 to 30,600 units. In 2001, sales continued to grow, but only by a modest 3 per cent, reaching 31,600 units. In 2002, the market fell by 15 per cent to 26,700 units. In 2003, there was a slight recovery of 4 per cent to 27,800 units. In 2004, again, modest growth of 5 per cent was achieved, to about 29,300 units. Installations in the automotive industry as a whole – the most important customer for industrial robots in Europe – increased by 5 per cent. However, whereas investments by automotive parts suppliers surged by 23 per cent, end manufacturers of motor vehicles decreased theirs by 6 per cent. Other industries recorded remarkable increases in robot investments. Sales to the chemical industry surged by 72 per cent, to the machinery industry by 22 per cent, and to the food industry by 24 per cent. In Europe, more robots were installed in the food industry than in both America and Asia. The share of total supply here was more than 3 per cent in Europe, and under 1 per cent in America and Asia.

Europe and North America are rapidly catching up with Japan. In the early 1990s, installations of multipurpose industrial robots in Europe and North America only totalled about 25 and 7 per cent, respectively, of Japan's installations of (all types of) industrial robots. Following more restrictive reporting by Japan, recent data shows that in 2001-2002, more multipurpose industrial robots were installed in Europe than in Japan. However, since 2003, the market in Japan has again been larger than that of Europe.

Looking at the operational stock of industrial robots, and again comparing Japan's stock (to which all types of robots were added up to and including 2000) of multipurpose robots to those in Europe and North America, the same pattern prevails: the European stock rose from 34 per cent of that of Japan in 1994 to 78 per cent in 2004. The corresponding figures for North America were 13 and 34 per cent, respectively.

Total accumulated yearly sales, measured since industrial robots started to be introduced in industry at the end of the 1960s, amounted at the end of 2004 to some 1,500,000 units, including, as mentioned before, the dedicated industrial robots installed in Japan up to and including 2000. Many of the early robots, however, have by now been taken out of service. The stock of industrial robots in actual operation is therefore lower.

The minimum figure above is based on the assumption that the average length of service life is 12 years. A UNECE/IFR pilot study has indicated that the average service life might in fact be as long as 15 years, which would result in a worldwide stock of 1,120,000 units.

Figure 1 Yearly installations of industrial robots, 2003-2004 and forecast for 2005-2008

When the minimum 2004 stock of almost 848,000 units is compared with the 800,000 units at the end of 2003, it represents an increase of 6 per cent. Japan accounts for just under half the world robot stock – largely because the Japanese figures include all types of robots. Its share is, however, rapidly diminishing (Figure 1).

Distribution of service robots

The following pages provide details about the results of the UNECE/IFR survey of sales of service robots, broken down by application areas. As many companies did not provide market data, the figures reported here probably underestimate significantly the true sales amounts as well as the installed base of robots.

With 5,320 units, underwater systems accounted for 21 per cent of the total number of service robots for professional use installed up to the end of 2004. Thereafter followed cleaning robots and laboratory robots with 14 per cent, each, and construction and demolition robots with 13 per cent. Medical robots and mobile robot platforms for general use accounted for 11 per cent, each. Field robots, e.g. milking robots and forestry robots, had a share of nearly 9 per cent and defence, rescue and security applications 5 per cent. Minor installation numbers were counted for logistic systems (270 units), inspection systems (235 units) and public relation robots (20). The value of the stock of professional service robots is estimated at $3.6 billion.

The unit prices for professional service robots differ significantly – from less than $10,000 to more than $300,000, depending on type of application. The most expensive robots are underwater systems (from $300,000 to more than $1,000,000), medical robots with a wide range from $100,000 to $1,000,000, and milking robots ($200,000).

Service robots for personal and domestic use are recorded separately, as their unit value is only a fraction of that of many types of service robots for professional use. They are also produced for a mass market with completely different marketing channels.

So far, service robots for personal and private use are mainly in the areas of domestic (household) robots, which include vacuum cleaning and lawn- mowing robots, and entertainment robots, including toy and hobby robots. Sales of lawn -mowing robots have started to take off very strongly, with sales in excess of 46,000 units, and should continue to boom. The market potential is very large. Vacuum cleaning robots were introduced on the market at the end of 2001. The market expanded rapidly in 2002-2004 and at least one million units have been sold.

Of the 1.2 million robots for domestic household robots that were in use at end 2004, about 550,000 were installed in 2004.

Turning to the projections for the period 2005-2008, the stock of service robots for professional use is forecast to increase by some 50,000 units. Application areas with strong growth are humanoid robots, underwater systems, defence, rescue and security applications, laboratory robots, professional cleaning robots, medical robots and mobile robot platforms for multiple use.

It is projected that sales of all types of domestic robots (vacuum cleaning, lawn-mowing, window cleaning and other types) in the period 2005-2008 could reach some 4,5 million units with an estimated value of $3 billion.

The market for entertainment and leisure robots, which includes toy robots, is forecast at about 2.5 million units, most of which, of course, are very low cost. The sales value is estimated at over $4.4 billion.

The publication World Robotics 2005 – Statistics, Market Analysis, Forecasts, Case Studies and Profitability of Robot Investment as book is available, quoting Sales No. GV.E.05.0.17 or ISBN No. 92-1-1011000-05, through the usual United Nations sales agents in various countries or from the United Nations Office at Geneva or IFR Statistical Department (see addresses below). The interactive CD-Rom is available from IFR Statistical Department only (see also www.ifrstat.org).

Sales and Marketing Section, United Nations, Palais des Nations, CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, Phone: +41(0)22 917 26 00/26 14; Fax: +41(0)22 917 00 27; E-mail: unpubli@unog.ch.

For the first time World Robotics is also available on an interactive CD-Rom. The interactive CD-Rom provides:

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  Data query of installations and operational stock 1993-2004; by countries; by applications; and by industries;

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  transfer of data in Excel;

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  text retrieval by search keys;

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  table retrieval by search keys and Excel-download; and

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  download of case studies on profitability of robot investment.