North American Robot Orders Rose 25 Percent in 2007
Modern
Materials Handling (02/08) Kator, Corinne

The Robotic Industries
Association (RIA) reports that North American robotics companies experienced a
25 percent increase in sales orders last year to 17,261 units, with revenue
increasing by 20 percent to $1.15 billion. About 40 percent of new orders were
for materials-handing robots, with the automotive industry continuing to account
for most growth in the sector. "Orders to non-automotive markets grew less than
1% and accounted for just 36% of all orders," says Ake Lindqvist, chairman of
RIA's statistics committee. "The robotics industry’s future expansion depends
upon reaching more non-automotive customers and we still have a long way to
go."
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