The North American robotics market was up 7.2% in the first half of 2019, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) said Tuesday.
North American companies ordered 16,488 robots valued at $869 million between January and June, the group also said, noting that automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) drove the growth, increasing their purchases by 83%. Other industries showing growth in the first six months include semiconductor and electronics (12%), life sciences (8%), and food and consumer goods (3%).
In the second quarter alone, robotics orders jumped 19.2%, with companies ordering 8, 572 robots valued at $446 million, according to RIA, which is part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
"Robot use continues to grow, which is helping make U.S. companies more competitive and leading to new job growth," A3 President Jeff Burnstein said in a statement. "We are currently experiencing the greatest period of robot expansion in history—over 180,000 robots have been shipped to American companies since 2010, and more than 1.2 million new manufacturing jobs have been created during this time."
