The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) recently released data about the North American robotic industry, revealing that sales are up and proving that robots are here to stay, aiding in the efficiency and speed of the food and beverage packaging industry. North American-based robotics companies are in the midst of another strong year, with new orders up 20%, according to the new statistics.
A total of 16,363 robots valued at $1.1 billion were ordered in the first nine months of this year by companies in North America, an increase of 20% in units and 29% in dollars over the same period in 2011. Including numbers from outside North America, the totals are 18,844 robots valued at $1.25 billion.
RIA estimates that some 225,000 robots are now at use in factories in the United States, placing the U.S. second only to Japan in robot use. “Many observers believe that only about 10% of the U.S. companies that could benefit from robots have installed any so far,” says Jeff Burnstein, president of Robotic Industries Association, “and among those that have the most to gain from robots are small and medium sized companies.”
According to Burnstein, “Food packaging has become a proven robotic solution with a great track record of success. That’s why we see more and more applications of robots for food packaging applications. I believe the future holds even more growth in this market segment, especially with the improvements in gripper technology that allow robots to grasp and package a wider range of products.”