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The Affiliation for Advancing Automation (A3) tracks the variety of robots bought to North American corporations every quarter. | Supply: A3

North American robotic orders have slowed within the first quarter of 2023 after a record-setting 2022. In Q1 2023, North American corporations ordered simply 9,168 items, in line with the Affiliation for Advancing Automation (A3), down 21% from the identical quarter in 2022. 

Complete industrial robotic gross sales in North America reached $597 million throughout Q1 2023, down 10% from Q1 final 12 months. 

Whereas gross sales have slowed down in 2023, each 2021 and 2022 have been file years for North American robotic gross sales. North American corporations ordered 44,196 robots in 2022, an 11% enhance from 2021, and far of these gross sales occurred within the first 9 months of the 12 months. 

On the finish of 2021, and into 2022, the trade noticed three record-high quarters in a row. Gross sales started to gradual in Q3, although they have been nonetheless larger than in the identical quarter in 2021. 

Automotive clients accounted for 68% of all robotic orders in Q1, with 5,659 robots bought. Non-automotive clients, in industries like shopper items, semiconductors and electronics, plastic and rubber, life sciences/pharmaceutical/biomedical, metals and extra, bought 3,519 robots, down 42% over Q1 2022.

Traditionally, the automotive trade has been the spine of robotics gross sales, however 2020 and 2021 noticed big progress in non-automotive gross sales. Within the first 9 months of 2020 and 2021, non-automotive robotics gross sales topped automotive gross sales for the primary time. 

“Whereas inflation and a slowing US financial system might have taken a slight toll on robotic orders general, automotive corporations proceed to speed up their purchases as they make the transition to manufacturing electrical automobiles,” Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, stated. “Non-automotive corporations are sometimes newer to automation and could also be ready to take a position extra till they’ve examined latest deployments or see the financial system start to recuperate.”

“Along with labor shortages, we’re seeing many U.S. producers convey extra duties again to North America as worldwide labor prices proceed to climb,” stated Alex Shikany, vice chairman of membership and enterprise intelligence. “Many discover that one of the simplest ways to convey manufacturing again shortly is to automate.”