Ingenieria

WORLD ROBOTICS 2006

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2005 World Robot Market
Total world-wide sales: • 126,700 units, up 30% on 2004 World total stock of operational industrial robots: • 923,000 units, 9% greater than 2004
World market surged by 30% in 2005...
The world market peaked in 2005, reaching about 126,700 newly installed industrial robots, 30% more than in 2004. This is the highest number everrecorded for one year. Nevertheless, developments were quite dissimilar in the three large industrial regions of Europe, America and Asia. While robotics investment boomed in Asia and America, order intakes in Europe were far more moderated. The automotive industry affected the results in all three regions. In Asia, in addition to the automotive sector, strong demand from the electronic componentsindustry, the communication equipment industry and the computer industry reinforced the gain in market share already seen in 2004.

Figure II.1 Estimated yearly installations of industrial robots
80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000 units 40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Asia/Australia

Europe

America

In 2005, more than 76,000 robots weresupplied to Asian countries (including Australia and New Zealand), about 45% more than in 2004, as a result of strong investment within the automotive industry and the electrical/electronics industry. The increase seen in the electrical/electronics industry was influenced by a more accurate coverage of industrial robots in general, and in particular of those employed in these industries.

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WORLDROBOTICS 2006

In Japan, installations skyrocketed to the highest number since 1991, 50,500 units, 36% more than in 2004. This was not only the result of replacement investments by the automotive industry and the electric machinery and components (incl. semiconductors and LCD) industry: supplies to the communication equipment industry and the metal and machinery industry also rose remarkably.In 2005, about 13,000 industrial robots were ordered for the Republic of Korea, about 138% more than in 2004. This was the result of strong demand from the electrical machinery and electronic components industry and more complete reporting on robots used in this particular sector. China became the third largest robot market in Asia, with 4,500 newly installed robots, about 28% more than in 2004.Growth was slower than in 2004. In China, the automotive industry is still the predominant user of industrial robots. Installations in the other Asian markets, including, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan (Province of China), Thailand and Vietnam, increased by about 58% on average. Most of these markets are still relatively small, but are gaining in importance as aresult of expanding investments by the automotive industry. In the Americas, robotics investments sky-rocketed by 40 percent, to 21,555 units. Asian car makers, in particular, have made significant investments to enlarge and improve their US and Canadian production sites. However, this was also emulated by their US and European competitors within the automotive industry, who sought to preserve theirrespective shares of the North American market. When deliveries to Mexico, Argentina and Brazil are included, the automotive industry in the Americas installed 47% more industrial robots in 2005 than in 2004. However, other industries also increased their orders of robots remarkably. Demand from the metal industry (including machinery, metal products and basic metals) increased by 52%, the chemicalindustry by 41%, the electrical/ electronics industry by 34%. 2005 saw installations of industrial robots in Europe decline by 2% when compared to 2004. This can be largely attributed to a lull in investments by the automotive industry and its suppliers in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Sweden. In contrast, sales augmented in Eastern European countries and Great Britain. The figures here,...