ROBOTS & AUTOMATION | MACHINERY
Use of robots doubles in seven years
The use of robots across the world has doubled in the last seven years, says the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). In its World Robotics 2024 report, IFR says that global average robot density reached a record 162 units per 10,000 employees in 2023 – more than twice the number measured seven years earlier (74 units). “Robot density acts as a barometer
to track the degree of automation adoption in the manufacturing industry around the world,” said Takayuki Ito, president of the IFR. “This year’s runner-up is China – which ranks third worldwide behind South Korea and Singapore, but right up with Germany and Japan.”
The European Union has a robot density of 219 units per 10,000 employees (up 5.2%) – with Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Slovenia in the global top ten. North America´s robot density is 197 units per 10,000 employees, up 4,2%. The US ranks tenth in the world among the most automated countries in the manufac- turing industry. Asia has a robot density of 182 units per 10,000 persons manufacturing employees, an increase of 7.6%. The economies of South Korea, Singapore, mainland China and Japan are among the top 10 most automated countries. South Korea is the number one adopter of industrial robots with 1,012 robots per 10,000 employees.
shelves, assembling components, or placing delicate objects. The company has added AMRs to its portfolio of
products as a certified system integrator for Omron products. AMRs minimise health and safety risks in warehouses and factories, helping to raise efficien- cy and reduce cost, says the company.
New operator Germany-based Wandelbots says it has devel- oped “the world’s first agnostic operating system specifically developed for industrial robotic automation” – called Nova. “Just as Android revolutionised smartphones and Windows transformed the PC world, Nova will make industrial robotics accessible to everyone and create new ways for software developers to commercial- ise,” said Christian Piechnick, CEO of Wandelbots. Nova is designed to make robotics accessible to everyone, he said. By supporting modern develop- ment tools such as Python and JavaScript, it empowers developers to create and scale robotic applications with ease, reducing the complexity of automation. Following a ‘plan, build, and operate’ approach, Nova claims to simplify the whole automation lifecycle – from planning and simulation to deploy- ment and scaling — with AI technologies at its core. As a vendor-independent operating system, Nova claims to simplify and optimise industrial robotics by integrating hardware components from
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This is an annual 5% increase since 2018. Singapore follows, with 770 robots per 10,000 employees. China took third place in 2023 – taking it above Germany and Japan – with a robot density of 470 robots per 10,000 employees. China has dou- bled its robot density in four years. Germany ranks fourth with 429
robots per 10,000 employees – a figure that has shown a 5% CAGR since 2018. Japan is in fifth place with 419
robots per 10,000 employees. Robot density here has grown by around 7% per year (2018-2023). Robot density in the US reached 295 robots per 10,000 employees in 2023. The US ranks tenth in the world.
various manufacturers and making them accessible to everyone using through a modern interface. Complex programming and inflexible automation landscapes are not needed. Nova’s open API concept, user experience, and seamless integration of externally developed apps make it a versatile platform for both robot users and software devel- opers, it says. Its seamless integration with existing hardware allows businesses to leverage past investments while scaling across multiple robots and brands, without costly retooling. Wandelbots says its close collaboration with Microsoft and OpenAI ensures scalability – and that the latest AI capabilities enhance Nova’s feature set. In the second half of 2024, around 50 customers
experienced Nova in a closed beta phase. Now, the company has made its operating system available to more users in an open beta phase – as well as showcasing the system at last year’s SPS show.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.broanmainplastics.co.uk �
www.engelglobal.com �
www.wittmann-group.com �
www.reinert-group.com �
www.maier-maschinenbau.de �
www.cobotsinc.com �
www.muller-technology.com �
www.wandelbots.com �
https://ifr.org
March/April 2025 | INJECTION WORLD 39
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