Industries that are Growing their Use of Robots
Manufacturing has been trending toward robotic automation for quite some time now. However, in the past couple of years this trend has been accelerated by manufacturing disruptions, labor shortages, and rising costs. Industries that have always been users of industrial robots are continuing to automate while others that have not been open to robotic automation in the past are beginning to embrace it. Below is a look at the industries that have experienced the biggest growth in terms of robotic automation over the past year.
Construction
The construction industry is one of the least automated and has relied heavily on manual labor. Unfortunately, it has not been spared by labor shortages which is causing the industry to begin to automate. Industrial robots are being used to construct exterior walls, demolish buildings, inspect infrastructures, lay down roads, and operate 3D printers. Construction robots are helping solve the labor crisis in the industry while also proving to be a better solution for the dangerous nature of many construction processes. Robots are still very new to this industry, but soon it may be common to see the FANUC R-2000ib/165F or other articulated robots on construction sites.Food
The food industry is not new to robotic automation as robots have slowly been incorporated into food processing. Over the past year this industry grew their use of industrial robots nearly 60%. The Motoman MH50 can be used to automate food packaging. While cleanroom robots are able to automate food processing tasks such as cutting, dispensing, and sorting. Robots have also automated palletizing, labeling, and picking in the food industry.Pharmaceutical
Over the past year the pharmaceutical industry has increased their use of industrial robots by nearly 70%. The pharmaceutical industry is another sector that has been slowly adopting six axis robots. Recently the industry had to rapidly adapt its processes to meet higher demands, which has led to more automation. Robots in this industry have been used to assemble test kits, package medications, sort samples, and assemble medical devices.Plastics
Industrial robots in the plastics industry have grown over 50% in the last year. Plastic manufacturers are automating more to keep up with high demand while also as a means to reduce their environmental footprint. Industrial robots are ideal for injection molding, assembly, and packaging processes in plastic manufacturing.Electronics
Electronic manufacturers have been some of the biggest adopters of robotic automation over the past decade, so it is not surprising they were one of the industries with the biggest robotic growth last year. Industrial robots are ideal for handling the high productivity and product turnover of the industry. Robots are fast, operate around the clock, and highly adaptable to process changes. In addition, they can safely handle the small and delicate components of electronic devices.Automotive
With the automotive industry being the first and biggest user of robots you would think there would not be much room left for growth. However, there are still more robots being added to automotive factories as new robots grew by 40% last year. The ABB 6640 is ideal for automating spot welding in the industry. Robots are also being used for welding automation, painting, assembly, part transfer, and machining.Robots Done Right is the place to start when it comes to used robots. Contact us if you are interested in buying or selling a used robot.