Industry first: One million robots on the job in automotive

The automotive industry has cleared a major milestone with one million robots at work, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). That number represents one third of the total number of robots installed across all industries, the Federation adds.

“The automotive industry effectively invented automated manufacturing,” says Marina Bill, president of the IFR. “Today, robots are playing a vital role in enabling this industry’s transition from combustion engines to electric power. Robotic automation helps car manufacturers manage the wholesale changes to long-established manufacturing methods and technologies.”

Robot density

Robot density is a key indicator that illustrates the current level of automation in the top car producing economies. In the Republic of Korea, 2,867 industrial robots per 10,000 employees were in operation in 2021. Germany ranks in second place with 1,500 units followed by the United States with 1,457 units and Japan with 1,422 units per 10,000 workers.

The world´s biggest car manufacturer, China, has a robot density of 772 units, but is catching up qyuckly. Within a year, new robot installations in the Chinese automotive industry almost doubled to 61,598 units in 2021. That accounts for 52% of the total 119,405 units installed in factories around the world.

Electric vehicles drive automation

Ambitious political targets for electric vehicles are forcing the car industry to invest: The European Union has announced plans to end the sale of air-polluting vehicles by 2035. The U.S. government aims to reach a voluntary goal of 50% market share for electric vehicle sales by 2030. In addition, all new vehicles sold in China must be powered by “new energy” by 2035. Half of them must be electric, fuel cell, or plug-in hybrid – the remaining 50%, hybrid vehicles.

Most automotive manufacturers who have already invested in traditional caged industrial robots for basic assembling are now also investing in collaborative applications for final assembly and finishing tasks. Tier-two automotive parts suppliers, many of which are SMEs, are slower to automate fully. Yet, as robots become smaller, more adaptable, easier to program, and less capital-intensive this is expected to change.

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