Page 482 - Sensors and Control Systems in Manufacturing

Sensors in Flexible Manufacturing Systems
8.17.1 Robot Densities—One Robot per Ten Workers in the 435
Motor Vehicle Industry
Japan and Italy are in the lead with 1,820 robots and 1,630, respec-
tively, per 10,000 workers. Thereafter follows Germany with a den-
sity of 1,220, France 1,160, Spain 970, United States 830, United King-
dom 600, and Sweden 590. The technological level with respect to
robotics is thus rather homogeneous in the motor vehicle industry in
most of the aforementioned countries.

8.17.2 Installations of Advanced Multipurpose Industrial
Robots by Type
In 2008, 60 percent of the robots installed were articulated robots, up
from 59 percent in 2007; 22 percent were linear/Cartesian/gantry
robots, up from 20 percent in 2007; 4 percent were cylindrical robots,
down from 12 percent in 2007; and 13 percent were SCARA robots, up
from 8 percent in 2007. In terms of absolute numbers, the following
figures for installations by types of robots were recorded: 67,478 artic-
ulated robots installed in 2008, 9 percent fewer than 2007; 24,148
linear/Cartesian/gantry robots, 4 percent fewer than 2007; 15,509
cylindrical robots, down 71 percent from 2007; and 1,867 SCARA
robots, up 48 percent from 2007.

8.17.3 Distribution of Service Robots for Professional Use
Up to the end of 2008, service robots installed for professional use
41,000 units. With 9,895 units, service robots in defense, rescue,
and security applications accounted for 23 percent of the total
number of service robots for professional use installed up to the
end of 2008. Thereafter, followed data of field robots (mainly milk-
ing robots) with 16 percent, and cleaning robots and underwater
systems with 14 percent, each. Construction and demolition robots
(10 percent), medical robots (9 percent), and mobile robot plat-
forms for general use (8.4 percent) take up a secondary position.
Minor installation numbers were counted for logistic systems
(1,550 units), inspection systems (nearly 600 units), and public
relation robots (about 100 units).

8.17.4 Distribution of Service Robots for Personal and
Private Use
Approximately 2.47 million units for domestic use and about 1.15
million units for entertainment and leisure have been sold up to the
end of 2008. Service robots for personal and domestic use are
recorded separately since their unit value is only a fraction of that of
many types of service robots for professional use. They are also
produced for a mass market with completely different marketing