Kuka, a German company, was purchased by China’s Midea Group in 2016.
In terms of the value of shipments, Fanuc, Yaskawa, ABB and Kuka have an estimated 70% or more of the global market.īut that gets us to the issue of what is and isn’t counted. ABB, Kuka and other European companies contribute close to 30%. The IRF does not provide statistics on industrial robot suppliers but based on industry sources and Lightstream Research findings Fanuc, Yaskawa, Kawasaki and other Japanese manufacturers account for at least 60% of the global installed base. By industry, robotics were used in automotive 30% electrical and electronics 25% metal and machinery 10% plastics and chemicals 5% food and beverages 3% and not specified 19%. They do not include components such as precision gears, sensors, control units or software.īy region, the breakdown of industrial robot installations in 2018 was Asia-Pacific 67% Europe 18% the Americas 13% and others 2%. The IFR’s industrial robot statistics include handling, welding, assembly, dispensing, cleanroom, processing and other machines readily recognized as industrial robots. The latest year for which complete and finalized IFR statistics are available is 2018. In 2018, China accounted for 36% of total worldwide installations, followed by Japan (13%), the US (10%), South Korea (9%) and Germany (6%). According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), the Chinese market for industrial robots has been the world’s largest since 2013 and has quadrupled in size since then.