As reported by IFR (International Federation of Robotics), “the preliminary statistics of the World Robotics Report shows that a new record high of 384,000 units were shipped globally in 2018 – an increase of one percent compared to the previous year. This means that the annual sales volume of industrial robots increased for the sixth time in a row (2013-2018)”. Besides, IFR has shown some data about the USA. The robot sales in the United States hit a new peak of almost 38,000 units, setting a record for the eighth year in a row (2010-2018). Today, robot density in the US manufacturing industry is more than double that of China and ranks seventh worldwide. The electrical/electronics industry was the second most important customer in 2018 with a market share of 18% of the total supply. From 2013 to 2018, robot installations increased by 15% on average per year. The number of installations rose by some 2% to almost 6,700 units in 2018. In terms of new developments, several production sites for lithium ion batteries as well as for chips and sensors have been created in recent years and more will be established in years to come.
