Manufacturing companies in the U.S. invested heavily in automation over the past year, pushing total installations of industrial robots to rise by 12% and reach 44,303 units, according to preliminary figures from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The number one adopter was the car industry, followed by the electrical and electronics sector. Installation counts in other industries exceeding the 3,000-unit mark in the U.S. are: metal and machinery (4,123 units, +6%) and plastic and chemical products (3,213 units, +5%). They represent a market share of 9% and 7% of industrial robot installations in 2023, respectively.
By the numbers, sales in the massive automotive segment rose by 1% with a record number of 14,678 robots installed in 2023. This comes after installations in 2022 skyrocketed by 47% reaching 14,472 units. The market share of car and component makers hit 33% of all industrial robot installations in the U.S. in 2023.
And installations in the much smaller electrical and electronics industry rose by 37% to 5,120 units in 2023. This number almost reached the record pre-pandemic level of 5,284 units, seen in 2018. The latest result represents a market share of 12% of all industrial robots installed in the U.S. manufacturing industry.
By comparison, robot installation in Canada reached 4,616 units (up 43%) and in Mexico´s manufacturing industry remained almost unchanged with 5,868 units in 2023.
