Robot Application Trends in 2022
In 2022 the robotics industry continued to see impressive growth. More industries and companies added the FANUC Lr Mate 200ic and other articulated robots to their operations as labor shortages and rising costs accelerated the adoption of robotic automation. The rise in the use of industrial robots in 2022 has brought about several new application trends. While industrial robot arms are still commonly used for popular applications such as welding, material handling, and painting, this year we have seen other application trends emerge.
Construction Applications
The labor crisis has forced industries that have been hesitant in the past to adopt manufacturing robot arms to finally being the transition to robotic automation. One of those industries is the construction industry which has been one of the least automated in the past, but that is now changing and is creating new trends in robotic applications. Robot manipulators are being used to automate construction applications such as masonry, demolition, and 3D printing. The ABB 4600-60 is ideal for automating 3D printing applications. With construction industrial robot arms on the rise, the applications they are automating have become quite popular in 2022.Shipping and Packaging
Shipping and packaging applications for robots are not new, however, in 2022 they have become more common. Factory robots have been automating shipping and packaging for years. With the recent spike in the growth of e-commerce, more companies are automating their warehouses with the FANUC M-410ib/185 and other four axis robots in order to keep up with the high demand for online orders. Industrial robotic arms are fast and can operate around the clock, allowing companies to keep up with high volumes of orders. Many are predicting shipping operations to become fully automated in the near future.Collaborative Applications
Another trend this year is the growth of collaborative applications. As more companies adopt robotic automation many are opting for user and budget friendly collaborative robots. The increase in the use of cobots has brought about new trends in collaborative applications. Cobots are now being used to automate arc welding, assembly, and quality control processes. Companies see the value in adding a collaborative robot to assist their workforce. Typically cobots have mainly been used as handling robots in the past, but their growth has brought about new uses.Machine Tending
Machine tending applications are also not new to robotic automation, but they have emerged as one of the biggest trends in 2022, particularly for CNC machines. Machine tending has always been an undesirable job due to its highly repetitive and dangerous nature. Current labor shortages have accelerated the automation of this process. Instead of using human operators, companies are using the Yaskawa MH12 to automate the tending of their CNC machines. Machine tending robots allow for greater productivity, streamlined operations, error mitigation, and lower overhead.Depalletizing
Depalletizing is another application that is not necessarily new to robotic automation, but has become more common over the past year. Once mainly a manual process. Automated depalletizing has become one of the top trending robotic applications for 2022. Using industrial robots to unload pallets creates more efficient and safer productions.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.