North American robotics market records strongest opening quarter ever

The North American robotics market has set new records to begin 2016, according to Robotic Industries Association (RIA), Ann Arbor, Mich. North American companies ordered 7,406 robots, valued at about $402 million, during Q1 2016.

This is a new record among opening quarters—7 percent higher than the same period in 2015. Order revenue, however, decreased by 8 percent in the first quarter. Robot shipments also set a new opening quarter record, with 7,125 robots valued at $448 million being shipped to North American customers. This represents growth of 2 percent in units and 21 percent in dollars over the same quarter of last year.

While it is still the largest industry in terms of volume for robotics, orders to the automotive industry grew only 1 percent in Q1 2016. In terms of applications, the biggest increases were realized in spot welding (31 percent), assembly (15 percent), and material handling (6 percent).