According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), more than a million robots already work in the automotive industry worldwide, which is a new record for the sector. These figures are equivalent to one third of the total number of robots installed in all industries.
For OnRobot, the new figures revealed by the IFR confirm the modernization of a sector to which the company has provided tools and solutions in recent years that allow them to adapt their production lines to the challenges they face in full transition from traditional combustion engines to electric models. In fact, according to IFR reports, most automakers that have already invested in traditional robots are now turning to cobots for final assembly and finishing tasks.
Electric cars, drivers of automation
If we use the density of robots as an indicator, the Republic of Korea leads the ranking with 2,867 robots for every 10,000 employees. Germany is in second position with 1,500 units, in third place, the United States with 1,457, according to IFR data.
In both Europe and the United States, the authorities are changing their policies to promote more sustainable, clean and ecological mobility, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 agenda. For example, the European Union has announced plans to end the sale of polluting vehicles by 2035. On the other hand, the US Government intends to achieve a voluntary target of 50% market share of electric vehicle sales by 2030.
Cobots, an indispensable ally in the automotive industry
Industrial robots, together with collaborative ones, make it possible to manage the great changes in methods, processes and technologies that the industry is experiencing. In the automotive sector, cobots have become a key tool, providing versatility, safety and interaction between people and machines. In addition, it has different applications both for car assembly and surface finishing and polishing, as well as for machine tending.
“In factories 4.0. The presence of cobots is becoming a basic, since they allow operators to carry out valuable tasks, while they take care of the most repetitive, uncomfortable or dangerous ones. In this way, together, they can collaborate and increase the flexibility of production.” says Enrico Krog, CEO of OnRobot. Thanks to all these benefits, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be 27.2% over the next two decades according to IDTechEx figures.
