even robots are having trouble finding work
TRANSCRIPT
F O R U M
Even robots are having trouble finding work
orth American-based robot-
ics com panies report that new
orders sold to North American
manufacturing com panies fell
by 21% in units and 16% in dollars
in 2008 com pared to 2007. The sharp
decline accelerated in the fourth quar-
ter when orders fell by 26% in units
and 33% in dollars compared with
last year.
A total of 12,557 robots valued at
$894.9 million were ordered by North
American companies in 2008, down
from 15.856 robots valued at
$
1.07 bil-
lion last year. When sales to compan ies
outside North America are included,
the totals are 14,109 robo ts valued at
$979.4 m illion, a drop of 18% in units
and 15% in dollars.
"2008 was extremely difficult for
our members and 2009 likely will
be a very rough year as manufactur-
ing companies throughout the world
deal with the global economic crisis."
said Jeffrey A. Burnstein, executive
vice president of Robotic Industries
Association (RIA), the industry's trade
group.
"Capital equipment expen ditures are
slowing dramatically in the automo-
tive industry, traditionally the largest
customer for rob otics. In 20 08. orders
from automotive OEMs and their sup-
pliers fell 37% in units and 32% in
dollars," Burnstein said.
Desp ite the current difficulties in the
automotive industry, there is reason
for optimism, said Tammy Mulch of
ABB Robotics, chair of Rica 's Statis-
tics Com mittee.
'in times of rising energy costs and
rising environmental awareness, the
demand for smaller, more economical,
environmentally friendly and lower
cost cars are becoming increasingly
important." Mulch noted. "In order
to meet these demands in the short
term, the car companies will have to
restructure and to speed up develop-
ment of these types of new models. I
am sure the automotive industry will
introduce new cars with less consum p-
tion, reduced emission and innovative
Robot sales to m anufacturing fell 18% in 2008, and industry experts don't expect
things to get much better in 2009.
technology. This will require new
automation technology throughout
the value chain. Robotics will surely
benefit from such investments," she
asserted.
Burnstein noted that there's also rea-
son for optimism based on the strong
non-automotive results in 2008.
"Non-automotive orders rose 9%
in units and 1% in dollars over 2007.
The s t rongest gains came in the
semiconductor /electronics/photon-
ics markets, where units rose 63%
and dol lars jumped 55%. Plast ics
and rubber orders increa.sed 39% in
units,
12% in dollars, while food and
consumer goods saw increases of 3%
in units and
51 %
in dollars," Burnstein
explained.
"Non-automotive orders actual ly
topped automotive orders, in terms
of dollars, for the first time since we
began collecting numbers 25 years
ago,"
Burnstein noted. "In terms of
units, the breakdown was 51 % auto-
motive, 49% non-automotive. This is
very important for our industry as we
continue to make progress in reaching
new custom ers."
RIA est imates that more than
186,000 robots are now being used
in the United S tates, placing the U .S.
second only to Japan in overall robot
use.
It's estimated that more than one
million robots are being used world-
wide, with co untries such as China and
India rapidly expanding their invest-
ments in robotics.
"Despite the financial crisis, there
are great opportunities to expand the
use of robotics in North America,"
Burnstein said. "In 2009, we're hold-
ing our International Robots. Vision
& Motion Control Show (June 9-11,
Rosem ont, IL) that highlights the lat-
est products and solutions. The show
is held just once every two years and
way to find answers to their manufac-
turing c hallenges.
"The need for improved productivity
and product quality, flexibility, speed
- these challenges don't disappear, if
anything they become greater, when
there 's a down turn. We 're hopeful that
the show w ill be a catalyst to stimulate
tbe ma rket in the seco nd half of R
the year." Burnstein said. U
8 • March 2009 PIAHT ENGINEEHING