Industrial robots, known as the "crown jewels of manufacturing", are operating machines with automatic positioning control, repeatable programming, multifunctionality, and multiple degrees of freedom. They are mainly used to replace manual labor in flexible production processes, such as handling materials, parts, or operating tools, to complete various tasks. In recent years, many industries have accelerated their pace of digital transformation, and industrial robots have become a key tool for enterprises to resume production. Especially in various industries such as automobile manufacturing, electronics, metal products, plastics, and chemical products, the application of industrial robots is becoming increasingly widespread.

Industrial robot industry segmentation field

Industrial robots can be divided into handling robots, processing robots, assembly robots, spraying robots, etc. according to their functions. In addition, there are some special types of industrial robots, such as laser processing robots, vacuum robots, etc., which are respectively applied in special fields such as laser processing and vacuum environment operations. With the continuous expansion of application scenarios, industrial robots have expanded from traditional fields such as automobile manufacturing and electronics to multiple fields such as food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, logistics and warehousing.

Industrial robot industry chain structure

The industrial robot industry can be divided into three major industrial chain links: upstream robot core components, midstream robot whole machine manufacturing, and downstream robot system integration applications.

Upstream: It mainly consists of the main core components of the robot, including servo system, reducer, controller and other core components, as well as the body structure, sensors, etc. These components directly determine the performance, reliability, and load capacity of industrial robots.

Midstream: It is the manufacturing of industrial robots, mainly reflected in the design of the overall structure and processing technology, the development of kinematic and dynamic control algorithms, and the development of programming environments and process packages for industries and application scenarios.

Downstream: mainly targeting end users and market applications, including system integration, sales agency, local cooperation, industrial robot leasing, industrial robot training and other third-party services.

Development Status of Industrial Robot Industry

Market situation

The market size of China's industrial robots has been ranked first in the world for several consecutive years. According to data from 2024, the market share of industrial robots has reached 47%, far higher than that of household robots, public service robots, and special robots. With the advancement of technology and the development of market demand, domestic robot system integrators are gradually overcoming their past shortcomings and expanding into a wider range of application areas.

Production

The latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that the production of industrial robots in July 2024 was 45528 sets, an increase of 19.7% compared to the same period last year; The cumulative production from January to July 2024 was 311391 sets, an increase of 7.9% compared to the same period last year.

Market Size

China has been the world's largest robot market for eleven consecutive years. In 2023, the number of industrial robots in operation in China reached 1.755 million, a year-on-year increase of 17%. It is predicted that the number will reach 2.143 million by 2024.

Prediction of Development Trends in the Industrial Robot Industry

Technological innovation and intelligent upgrading: With the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things, industrial robots will achieve more intelligent and autonomous operations.

The application fields are constantly expanding: Industrial robots will be applied in more fields, such as healthcare, education, entertainment, etc., especially in the field of service robots, and market demand will continue to grow.

Industry chain integration: Upstream and downstream enterprises will further integrate to form closer cooperative relationships and enhance the competitiveness of the entire industry chain.

With the aging population and rising labor costs, the demand for automation and intelligent production in enterprises is becoming increasingly urgent. The demand for industrial robots in production automation and intelligence will continue to increase, and the market prospects are broad.

In the future, with the continuous expansion of application scenarios and the continuous innovation of technology, the industrial robot industry will usher in a broader development prospect.