Industrial Robotics is a system that uses robots in the manufacturing or automation industries. Robotic systems perform tasks that can be hazardous for humans, and also automate recurring tasks and enhance productivity. Multiple types of robots are used in industries, some of the commonly used robots are articulated robots, SCARA robots, and gantry robots. The overall Industrial Robotics market is expected to grow from USD 16.9 billion in 2018 to USD 31.7 billion by 2024 at a CAGR of 12% during the forecast period. The growth of the Industrial Robotics market is driven by various factors such as increasing demand for collaborative robots across all industry segments and shortage of skilled labor in manufacturing industries. Integration of vision systems with industrial robotics Competitive evaluation, penetration of AI in industrial manufacturing, and the integration of 5G with industrial robotics are a few of the key technology trends in the Industrial Robotics market.
In 2018, the Industrial Robotics market was dominated by ABB (Switzerland), YASKAWA (Japan), KUKA (Germany), and Universal Robots (Denmark). These leading players adopted a few major strategies in the Best Industrial Robotics market which had a significant impact. These strategies were product launches, strategic partnerships, and business agreements along with mergers & acquisitions.
ABB (Switzerland) is a leading supplier of industrial robots and modular manufacturing systems and services. Its operations are organized into three business divisions – Electrification Products, Industrial Automation, and Robotics and Motion. The Robotics and Motion division is the second-highest revenue-generating source of the company. General industry applications wherein ABB’s robotics solutions are used include welding, material handling, painting, picking, packing, and palletizing. The company’s product portfolio comprises traditional as well as collaborative industrial robots. The robots offered by the company are of either articulated, parallel, or SCARA design. In addition to standalone robotic arms, the company also provides a variety of special-purpose robots, such as painting robots, door-opening robots, and ceiling-mounted SCARA robots.
YASKAWA (Japan) operates in four primary business segments which include Motion Control, Robotics, System Engineering, and Other. The Robotics segment supplies industrial robots for various applications which include welding, painting, assembly, palletizing, machining, deburring, and painting. The company’s Robotics segment saw an 8.57% increase in its revenue from sales for the financial year ending 2018. The company offers both, traditional as well as collaborative industrial robots, which include articulated as well as parallel robots. YASKAWA aims to capture the largest share of the Industrial Robotics market by 2025. Though the automotive industry is one of the important markets for the Industrial Robotics quadrant, the company has expanded into the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and biomedical markets. Diversification into other markets is expected to decrease dependence on a single market and hence reduce unexpected losses due to geopolitical or market risks.
KUKA (Germany) is one of the leading German players manufacturing industrial robots and provides automation and system engineering solutions. The company operates through three business segments: Robotics, Systems, and Swisslog. It offers a complete automation solution to its clients; from robots to control software, as well as integration services to establish a fully functioning robotic cell, which is used in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, metalworking, plastics, medical, foundry, and food industries. The company expects significant growth in industrial robots for the electronics industry in the future. The company has a strong position in the European market. However, it is expected to expand in the North American and Asia Pacific regions, especially China. Midea Group (China), as a majority shareholder of KUKA, is expected to further facilitate the company’s entry into the Chinese market.
Universal Robots (Denmark) develops and manufactures collaborative industrial robots which help in automating and streamlining industrial processes. The company raised its initial phase of funding from Syddansk Innovation (Denmark). It has been acquired by a manufacturer of automated equipment- Teradyne Inc. (US). The company handles all its operations, developments, and production at the facility in Odense. Universal Robots has developed collaborative robots and has a product portfolio that includes the collaborative UR3, UR5, and UR10 robot arms, named after their payload capacities in kilograms. The company launched its first robot in December 2008, and is currently one of the well-known players in the collaborative robots’ sector.
