North American Robot Orders On the Rise

ANN ARBOR, MI-North American robotics companies enjoyed a 12 percent increase in new orders in the first quarter of 2007, according to a report by Robotic Industries Association (RIA).

In all, North American manufacturers sold 4,153 robots valued at $260.6 million through March. When sales to companies outside North America are included, the totals are 4,559 robots valued at $279.2 million, a gain of 14 percent in units and a decline of 2 percent in revenue.

According to RIA, sales to the automotive sector jumped 25 compared to the same time last year. Overall orders to nonautomotive companies fell 9 percent, but sales to the life sciences, pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors were up 48 percent.

From an applications standpoint, the first quarter saw growth in orders for robots that perform spot welding, coating and dispensing, and material handling applications.

RIA estimates that some 168,000 robots are now in use in U.S. factories, placing the United States second only to Japan in overall robot use. For additional information, visitwww.roboticsonline.com.

The ASSEMBLY Show South

ASSEMBLY is thrilled to return to the Music City Center in Nashville, TN for The ASSEMBLY Show SOUTH on May 1-2, 2024. This is a booming time for manufacturing and the U.S. South is right in the heart of the action. According to ASSEMBLY’s most recent annual capital spending survey, the South is projected to account for 31 percent of total spending this year, marking the fifth straight year this region has accounted for at least 30 percent of capital spending in the U.S.

In this session, manufacturers will learn how Quality function deployment (QFD) can transform consumers’ qualitative demands into quantitative parameters that will shape the design of their product and, ultimately, their manufacturing process.

Sponsored by: