Robots are a huge part of manufacturing in today’s major industries. As more and more companies adopt them, we’re seeing the power that they wield. It’s one thing to simply talk about their benefits, but it’s another matter entirely to prove their worth.

5 Incredible Statistics From Robotics in Manufacturing

Whether it’s increased productivity, cost savings, or productivity, the growth of robotics in manufacturing must be seen to be believed. Let’s take a look:

1. Robot’s Increased Vehicle Production

The biggest industry that has adopted robots, is the automobile sector. Their factories have long incorporated robotics. While the fenced types have done great for then, the introduction of collaborative robots has pushed that envelope even further. Since 2010, they have seen a 16% increase in production every year!

New co-bots are being installed in factories to facilitate this growth. In Ford’s factory in Germany, Kuka-built robots are working with factory-floor workers to fit shock absorbers into the wheel arches of Ford Fiesta cars, for example.

2. Amazon’s Robots Save Big Money

Amazon, in an attempt to work smarter instead of harder, bought $775 million in Kiva robots back in 2012. Since then, they have upgraded their workforce to 30,000 of these robotics, which are used in their warehouses to move items and deliver them to human workers.

Having them around has reduced operating expenses by 20%, and according to analytics from Deutsche Bank, adding them to a new warehouse saves them $22 million in fulfillment costs. Adding them to the 100+ warehouses Amazon owns would save them upwards of $2.5 billion!

3. Robots Contribute Historical Productivity Rates

Research done by Graetz and Michaels has shown that robots are contributing to historic production growth since their entrance into the manufacturing industries. Overall, it shows that between 1993 and 2007, robots accounted for 16% of labor productivity.

While IT tech has been leading the world in labor productivity, robotics are a close second, and already ahead of the steam engine, which revolutionized manufacturing in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

4. An Exploding Industry

Manufacturers and robotics makers alike are enjoying a renaissance of technology. The robotics industry globally is an $8 billion industry! This includes robots for welding, painting, assembly lines, and so on.

That growth is continuing to rise year-over-year, and manufacturing companies are continuing to reap the rewards!

5. Foxconn Automates 60,000 Jobs

Foxconn, one of the largest electronics manufacturers in the world, has been implementing a 3-stage plan to automate its factories. As part of this first phase, the company was able to convert 60,000 roles into automated ones.

They are targeting jobs that humans don’t want, or they are too dangerous to perform. This is aimed at the goal of improving employee’s quality of life, which has been in dire need of improvement for some time.

Final Thoughts

Robotics are revolutionizing the manufacturing industry. Many companies are already saving money, increasing production, and making their workers happier as a result of collaborative robotics. This will continue long into the future and make manufacturing better for us all.

What statistics have you seen about robotics in manufacturing? Let us know in the comments!