Industrial robot sales in China hit record high

Both the sales and demand growth for industrial robots in China hit a record high in 2017, according to latest figures.

The China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA) revealed on July 3 that a total of 141,000 industrial robots (including unmanned vehicles) were sold in China last year — an increase of 58 percent compared to 2016, Sohu reports.

Foreign brands continue to dominate the world’s largest industrial robot market, with sales totaling 103,000 units. However, the domestic manufacturers’ market share shrank by six points to less than 27 percent.

It is the first time for six years that Chinese companies have experienced a decline in market share.

“Foreign robot makers have the edge in terms of brand and technology, along with a more solid and wellestablished customer base,” said Qu Daokui, president of the CRIA and CEO of Shenyang-based Siasun Robot and Automation Co., Ltd.

Foreign brands also made up nearly 90 percent of all industrial robot sales in the car manufacturing sector, Qu concluded.

Further, KUKA, a German manufacturer of industrial robots, announced in March that it would raise its production capacity to 100,000 annually.

According to the World Robotics Report 2018, released by the International Federation of Robotics in June, China saw the largest growth in demand for industrial robots last year — thanks to a rise of 58 percent — while sales in the US and Germany grew by six and eight percent, respectively.

In 2017, the automotive industry continued to lead global demand for industrial robots, with the metal, electronics and food industries seeing the strongest growth, the report noted.