The robotics installations in manufacturing in North America rose 12 percent to 41,624 units in 2022.
Number one adopter is the automotive industry: companies based in the US, Canada and Mexico installed 20,391 industrial robots – up 30 percent compared to 2021, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
In the United States, demand from car makers and manufacturers of components rose by 48 percent in 2022 to 14,594 units.
Installation counts in Canada largely depend on investments of the automotive industry that accounts for 40 percent of robot installations. Sales to automotive declined by 36 percent with 1,258 units installed in 2022.
The robot installations to manufacture parts and accessories for motor vehicles were down by 45 percent with 995 units sold. Motor vehicles, engines and bodies on the other hand grew by 99 percent with 263 units sold.
Robot installations in Mexico are also determined by the automotive industry that accounted for 66 percent of the robot installations in 2022: Sales grew by 16 percent and reached 4,222 units in 2022 – the second best result since the peak level of 4,805 units in record year 2017.
Installation counts in other industries exceeding the 4,000-unit mark in North America are: electrical / electronics (+28 percent), metal and machinery (-9 percent), and plastic and chemical products (-4 percent). They each represent a 9 percent market share of industrial robot installations in 2022.
