World Robotics Report 2016 Selects 'Collaborative Robots' as Growth Engine for Industrial Automation Market
Universal Robots Shows Strength in Industries with Growing Demand for Collaborative Robots Selected by the International Federation of Robotics.

Recently, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) announced in the World Robotics Report 2016 that user-friendly, compact collaborative robots will be the key driving force leading the industrial automation market.

In the World Robotics Report 2016, IFR projected that global annual sales of industrial robots would grow by at least 13% annually from 2017 to 2019. Along with this, it was predicted that collaboration between humans and robots would achieve rapid advancements, allowing them to work side-by-side without fences and thereby increase production efficiency and quality.

Daniel Friis, Chief Commercial Officer at Universal Robots, stated, “As a leader in the collaborative robot industry, Universal Robots aims to lower the barriers to entry for industrial automation—which were previously considered too complex or expensive—and to make it a reality,” adding, “I am pleased that this report seems to validate the validity of our goal.”

He emphasized, “The more than 10,000 collaborative robots supplied by Universal Robots worldwide demonstrate growth potential capable of changing the landscape of automation technology,” adding, “Universal Robots helps small and medium-sized enterprises achieve optimal competitiveness in the global market by providing the shortest payback period in the industry.”

Meanwhile, the IFR predicted that the application of collaborative robots would expand rapidly in the automotive, plastics, electronics assembly, and machine tool industries. These are also industries where Universal Robots is strong.

Daniel Frith said, “Universal Robots’ collaborative robots, which are being deployed in an increasing number of automotive assembly lines, work alongside employees and take over tasks that are difficult for humans to perform,” adding, “Looking at recent examples from Universal Robots, collaborative robots have quadrupled injection molding production, and the UR3 is in high demand as an automation tool in lightweight assembly sectors such as circuit board work.”

In a recently released report, the IFR predicted that robot supply will increase by 18% and robot installations by 15% this year, forecasting sustained and high growth rates, particularly in the Asian region, including Korea. In addition, it predicted that China will continue to play a significant role in robot growth, installing robots within its borders that will account for nearly 40% of the global supply by 2019.

Daniel Frith stated, “Asia and the Asia-Pacific region are key areas for Universal Robots, and the Korean market is one of the major markets we consider important.” He noted, “To meet the growing demand in Korea, Universal Robots established a Korean branch this July and is continuously strengthening its distributor network in the country.” He added, “Customers in this region are increasingly using our robots to improve product quality and automate simple tasks where many manufacturers are facing labor shortages.”

According to Daniel Frith, as consumer demand for products increases globally, manufacturers are placed in a situation where they must produce high-quality, innovative products more quickly, continuously, and consistently. He said, “To meet the growing demand for flexible collaborative robot solutions, Universal Robots has opened Universal Robots+, an online showroom showcasing end-effectors, software, peripherals, and accessories,” adding, “Distributors and consumers can now realize more convenient automation solutions through Universal Robots+.”

In addition, UR Academy, which includes recently released free online learning (e-learning) modules, will provide basic programming training for Universal Robots and complement Universal Robots Plus. At UR Academy, users can learn about adding end effectors, connecting I/O for communication with external devices, and installing safety zones. Universal Robots expects UR Academy to support Industry 4.0.

Daniel Frith, CCO of Universal Robots, stated, “Providing training modules for free without a license is unprecedented in the industry,” adding, “UR Academy provides tools to educate users on how our technology can solve key business challenges.”