Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
The use of robots in the automotive industry is breaking world records. The number of robots operational in automotive factories currently reaches one million units, or one third of the total number of robots installed in all industries.
“The auto industry effectively invented automated manufacturing,” said Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) on its official website, quoted on Tuesday (28/3).
Marina explained that currently robots play an important role in the industry’s transition from gasoline-powered cars to electric-powered cars.
“Robot automation is helping automakers manage massive changes to traditional manufacturing methods and technologies,” he added.
Currently the car industry in South Korea is ranked first in terms of the use of robots. There are recorded 2,867 units of industrial robots per 10 thousand employees operating in 2021.
The second rank was followed by Germany with 1,500 industrial robots, the United States with 1,457 robots, and Japan with 1,422 robots per 10,000 workers.
Meanwhile, the world’s largest automaker, China has a robot population of 772 units, but its growth is accelerating.
Within a year, the installation of new robots in China’s automotive industry has almost doubled to 61,598 units in 2021, or accounts for 52 percent of the total 119,405 robot units installed in manufacturers worldwide.
Ambitious political targets for electric vehicles are forcing the car industry to invest more. The European Union has announced plans to end sales of conventional cars by 2035, while the United States is targeting 50 percent of sales of electric cars by 2030.
Meanwhile, in China in 2035 all new vehicles sold must be powered by ‘new energy’, half of which must be electric either battery-based, fuel-cell or plug-in hybrid and the remaining 50 percent must be hybrid vehicles.
Most automakers that have invested in robots for basic assembly are now also investing in collaborative applications for assembly and finishing tasks.
(dmr)
(Gambas:Video CNN)