行業組織機器人工業協會周二發布的一份報告顯示，2016年北美企業訂購了35000臺機器人，較2015年增長了10%。與此同時，去年北美地區訂單銷售額也創下歷史最高，達19億美元，超過了2015年18億美元的紀錄。

“我們還真沒見過這種景象。” 機器人工業協會首席執行官杰夫·伯恩斯坦表示。

2015年汽車行業采購了超過20000臺機器人和零部件，是行業繁榮最主要的推手。食品和消費品工業、電力、塑料行業以及生命科學企業也是主要客戶。

總體來看，去年北美地區機器人出貨量近31000臺。美國企業訂購了27000臺，加拿大2700臺，墨西哥4700臺。

伯恩斯坦解釋說，負責在工廠生產線上放置和拾取物品的機器人最受歡迎。緊隨其后的是包裝機器人，再之后是切割鍛造材料的機器人。

伯恩斯坦表示，雖然近年來機器人價格有所下降（或刺激銷量增長），但企業購置機器人的主要原因還是同行競爭，加快生產速度提高生產率。隨著技術進步，機器人可以更準確地判斷在倉庫中所處位置，避免傷害到一同工作的人類，也是行業繁榮的重要原因。

不過，北美地區在應用機器人方面并非走在最前列。機器人工業協會并不跟蹤北美以外的機器人訂單數量，但伯恩斯坦表示，“中國是應用機器人方面速度最快的”，歐洲企業也動作迅速。

伯恩斯坦同時擔任另一個機器人行業組織——國際機器人協會的理事，會整理全世界范圍內的訂單和交貨情況。不過該組織尚未公布2016年的數據。

但根據之前的報告，2015年中國獨占鰲頭，面向該國的機器人出貨量達69000臺，其后是日本的35000臺和韓國的38000臺。

機器人工業協會市場分析總監亞歷克斯·施坎尼表示，協會不預測未來出貨量。但他表示過去四年中，北美地區機器人市場年均增長率近13%，預計未來變化不大。

不過伯恩斯坦也提醒道，美國機器人市場與汽車制造商關系密切。每當汽車行業推出新車型，就會購入更多機器人和相關設備。

“汽車行業增速放緩時，投資也會隨之下滑。”伯恩斯坦表示。 （財富中文網）

作者：Jonathan Vanian

譯者：夏林

North American businesses ordered 35,000 robots in 2016, a 10% increase from 2015, according to a report on Tuesday by trade organization Robotic Industries Association. Meanwhile, sales on those orders in the region reached an all-time high of $1.9 billion last year, beating the previous record set in 2015 of $1.8 billion.

“We really haven’t quite seen anything quite like this,” Robotic Industries Association CEO Jeff Burnstein said.

The automobile industry, which took shipment of over 20,000 robots and their components in 2016, is partly driving the boom. The food and consumer goods industries, electronics, plastics, and life sciences were also big customers.

Overall, manufacturers shipped nearly 31,000 robots in North America last year. U.S. companies ordered 27,000 robots followed by Canada with 2,700, and Mexico with 4,700.

Robots that place and pick up objects on factory assembly lines were the most popular models. Those that help with packing came next followed by ones that cut or forge materials, explained Burnstein.

Although robot prices have declined over the years, the main reason companies want robots is to better compete with each other on speed and productivity, Burnstein said. Technological advances that allow robots to better track their location in warehouses and avoid injuring humans who work alongside them are also playing large roles in the boom.

Still, North American countries are behind others in adopting robots. The Robotic Industries Association does not track robotic orders or shipments outside of North America, but Burnstein said “China is the world’s fastest growing robot user” and that European companies are also on the rise.

Burnstein is a board member of another robotic trade group, the International Federation of Robotics, that compiles worldwide statistics on robot orders and shipments. That organization has not yet released it’s 2016 data.

But according to previous IFR reports, China dominated in 2015 with roughly 69,000 robots shipped in that country, followed by Japan with 35,000 robots and South Korea with 38,000 robots.

Alex Shikany, director of market analysis for the Robotic Industries Association, said the trade group does not project future shipments. However, he said that for the past four years, the overall North American robotic market has grown nearly 13% annually, and the group does not expect any changes to that outlook.

Burnstein cautioned, however, that the U.S. robot market is tied closely to automobile manufacturers. When they introduce new car models, they invariably buy more robots and related equipment.

“When they slow down, their investments go down,” Burnstein said.