Traditionally, the automotive business has been the largest adopter of robotics. | Supply: Adobe Inventory
The Japanese automotive business put in a complete of about 13,000 industrial robots in 2024, in line with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics, or IFR. This was an 11% improve as compared with the earlier yr and the best degree recorded since 2020.
“Japan is the world’s predominant robotic manufacturing nation, representing 38% of worldwide robotic manufacturing,” acknowledged Takayuki Ito, the president of the Frankfurt, Germany-based IFR.
“By way of manufacturing facility automation, Japan’s automotive business ranked fourth worldwide, with a robotic density of 1,531 robots per 10,000 staff in 2023,” he stated. “That is forward of america and Germany, solely behind Slovenia, Korea, and Switzerland.”
Japan’s automotive business restructures
The Japanese automotive business is presently present process a restructuring course of with the intention to adapt to various powertrains, famous the IFR. Most automobile producers intend to develop their vary of battery and gasoline cell electrical automobiles, it stated.
As well as, automakers in Japan are growing hydrogen-fueled combustion engines.
This diversified portfolio would require the suitable manufacturing expertise. Automobile producers characterize roughly 25% of all robotic installations on an annual foundation in Japan.
{The electrical} and electronics business is the one sector that installs extra robots. Its installations reached about 14,000 industrial robots in 2024, which displays a 5% lower, stated the IFR.
“The usage of robotics not solely characterizes trendy industrial workplaces in Japan, but in addition contributes to the event in on a regular basis areas of software,” Takayuki Ito stated.
These newest numbers are a part of the IFR’s preliminary outcomes from 2024. | Supply: IFR
World automakers nonetheless investing in automation
The IFR’s preliminary stories have discovered rising robotics gross sales from the automotive business across the globe. In Europe, investments in automation stay excessive. The full variety of industrial robots put in reached 23,000 in 2024, which is the second-best end in 5 years, stated the group.
At a world degree, Europe’s automobile manufacturing is very automated, the IFR stated. Six international locations on the continent had been among the many prime 10 on the planet’s robotic density rating for the automotive business in 2023. Switzerland was in first place, with a ratio of three,876 robots to 10,000 manufacturing facility employees.
Earlier this yr, the IFR reported that U.S. automakers have additionally been investing extra in automation. It stated complete installations of industrial robots within the automotive business elevated by 10.7%, reaching 13,700 items in 2024.
Nevertheless, whereas the U.S. is putting in extra robots, it isn’t producing most of them. Nearly all of these robots come from abroad. Globally, 70% of installations are produced by 4 international locations: Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea, the IFR stated.
In Asia, China’s nationwide robotics technique has led its manufacturing business to put in a complete of about 280,000 items per yr between 2021 and 2023. In 10 years, the nation‘s international share of business robotic installations has risen from round one-fifth to greater than half of the world’s complete demand, the IFR stated.
As well as, robotics and automation are penetrating all ranges of Chinese language manufacturing. For instance, the nation has a excessive robotic density of 470 robots per 10,000 staff in manufacturing, the third highest on the planet, surpassing Germany and Japan in 2023.
