The automotive industry accounts for the largest number of robots working in factories around the world: operating inventory has set a new record of about 1 million units, accounting for about one-third of the total installed in all industries.
Robot density is a key indicator of the current level of automation in top automotive production economies: in South Korea, 2867 industrial robots were operated per 10000 employees in 2021. Germany ranks second with 1500 units; Next is the United States, which has 1457 units for every 10000 workers; There are 1422 units in Japan.
The density of robots in China, the world's largest automaker, is 772, but it is rapidly catching up: the installation of new robots in the Chinese automotive industry almost doubled in 2021, reaching 61598, accounting for 52 percent of the global total number of robots; A total of 119405 units have been installed in factories worldwide.
The ambitious goals of electric vehicles are forcing the automotive industry to invest: the European Union has announced plans to end the sale of polluting cars by 2035. By 2030, the US government aims to achieve a voluntary target of 50 percent market share in electric vehicle sales, and by 2035, all new cars sold in China must use "new energy". Half of them must be electric, fuel cell, or plug-in hybrid vehicles, while the remaining 50 percent are hybrid vehicles.
Most car manufacturers that have already invested in traditional "cage" industrial robots for basic assembly are now investing in collaborative applications for final assembly and precision machining tasks. Secondary automotive component suppliers, many of whom are small and medium-sized enterprises, have made slow progress in fully automated areas. However, as robots become smaller, more adaptable, easier to program, and less capital intensive, this situation is expected to change.
Intelligentization is the future development trend of industrial robots. At the same time, the application of cloud computing and Cloud storage technology in robot services will be more and more extensive. By efficiently connecting robots to the cloud, you can flexibly use different functions of the data center. In the near future, industrial robot programming and teaching will become more intelligent, with increasingly complete functions. Not only can flexible arms and dual arm human-machine collaboration be achieved, but also safety and interactivity will be stronger. It is very beneficial for improving welding efficiency in automobile production and manufacturing processes, reducing the probability of errors, saving labor costs, and improving production efficiency. The intelligence of industrial robots will herald a new stage of industrial production where humans can achieve greater efficiency, greenery, and intelligence with the help of industrial robots.
