The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) announced 2019 North American robot orders reached 29,988 units in 2019, showing a growth of 1.6% compared to 2018 results. A 50.5% increase in orders to automotive OEMs was a major factor in the year's annual growth figure. Another bright spot was the Plastics & Rubber industry with a year-over-year 16.6% growth. The industries combined to overcome a single digit pullback in non-automotive industries including food & consumer goods, life sciences, metals, and semiconductor/electronics. “While 2019 was a challenging year, and the outlook for growth in 2020 is murky, we’re still seeing growing interest in automation technologies and solutions that will lead to continued future growth,” said Jeff Burnstein, A3 & RIA President. See the full press release from the RIA here.
