30 Industrial Robot Manufacturers To Watch in 2018

11/01/2018 30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch in 2018
Market trends and business perspectives
30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch in

2018
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2018 looks all set to be a bumper year for sales of industrial robot arms across all
categories – from the large, heavyweight class right down to the small desktop
variety.
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With established robot makers expanding their range, and with new startups
launching innovative new models, the market is more dynamic than ever.
Oversupply may be a problem going forward, especially as Chinese robot

manufacturers step up their production, but even including the new companies
entering the market, the number of industry-standard robot makers worldwide is
relatively small.
For the time being, the market looks like it’s simply transitioning from being one that
was largely closed, with significant barriers to entry, to one that is opening up to
include new suppliers and new technologies.
Hopefully, the market will not see a straightforward race to the bottom, with price
being the only differentiating factor.
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This is unlikely, given the fact that technologies such as the industrial internet of things
will probably require robot builders to make their machines more responsive and
sophisticated.
What’s more likely – and what’s already happening – is that whereas before there was a
limited number of robots to choose from, most of which were very expensive, now
there are more robots and the price range goes from very high to relatively low.
Both software and hardware innovations are likely this year, with some companies
having already launched ground-breaking initiatives last year.
Software innovations include smartphone apps which enable – albeit limited –

monitoring and managing of robots, and more sophisticated IIoT applications, such as
those in robotic painting, which could probably be extended to welding and other
activities – the staple diet of industrial robots.
In terms of hardware, there is the possibility of integrating more computing

capabilities inside the robotic arm itself, and using more efficient actuators and other
components.
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Robotics and Automation News will try and keep you up to date with all the
developments, and below is a list of some of the industrial robot arm manufacturers
we will be watching.
We have tried to limit the list to “industrial” robots, although some of the smaller
robotic arms are not necessarily suitable for heavy industry, just perhaps light industry
and various enterprise applications.
Fanuc
Parent company: Fanuc Corporation
Number of robots installed worldwide: 400,000
Fanuc is a specialist factory automation company and is

believed to be the largest industrial robot manufacturer in the
world, in terms of the number of robot arms installed in
factories worldwide.
Having benefited hugely from its historic relationship with

General Motors in the US, the company is now making inroads
into China, currently the world’s largest buyer of industrial
robots.
In fact, so successful has the company been in China that it is finding it difficult to keep
up with orders, and is expanding its manufacturing facilities in the country.
The company recently marked the production of its 500,000th industrial robot, and has
been expanding its product range to include new types of robots.
Yaskawa Motoman
Parent company: Yaskawa Electric Corporation
Yaskawa Motoman is also a specialist factory automation

company, specialising in industrial robots.
It has a huge business in motion control systems such as servo

motors, the technology which industrial robots are said to have
grown out of.
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Like most large robot companies, Yaskawa also now offers information technology
services, which collectively represent the key competitive differentiator for big
industrial companies going forward.
Interestingly, Yaskawa is the company which coined the phrase “mechatronics”.
ABB
Parent company: ABB Group
ABB is the only European company among the top 10 robot

makers, and has wide-ranging interests across many
industries.
Most importantly, in terms of the company’s bottom line, ABB

is a supplier of power generation equipment.
However, in terms of factory automation, perhaps the most

important thing about ABB is its IIoT solution, Ability.
Ability is ABB’s network for connecting its robots and other equipment to enable
precise monitoring and control, and is probably one of the most complete solutions of
its type.
The company has also launched new types of robots, including the eye-catching two-
armed YuMi robot.
Kawasaki
Parent company: Kawasaki Heavy Industries
Kawasaki is probably best known for being a builder of motor

bikes, but it is also one of the biggest manufacturers of robotics
equipment in the world.
The company has seen tremendous success with its new

collaborative robot, the duAro, of which it has sold 2,000 units
in China.
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Kawasaki says it is planning to expand its robot production to include more

collaborative models.
Nachi-Fujikoshi
Parent company: Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation
Like many of these large industrial robot makers, Nachi-

Fujikoshi has historic roots going back around a century.
Nachi specialises in industrial robots and machining tools and

machine components.
It recently launched a new type of robot for the electronics

manufacturing industry, which is probably growing faster than
the automotive trade as a buyer of industrial robots.
Denso Robotics
Parent company: Denso Corporation
Denso is probably slightly better known as a supplier of car

parts. The company was spin-off from Toyota Motor Company.
At the time, Toyota was looking for ways to make its

production process more efficient to compete with the US auto
giants.
Denso is now not only a huge car parts company, it is also a

leading supplier of industrial robots.
Its combination of skills probably places Denso in a strong position going forward as
electric vehicles become more popular.
Kuka
Parent company: Midea Group
Views
While it may have been controversial from some people’s point of view, Midea’s Left
acquisition of Kuka places the robot maker in the ideal position to make the most of the
growing market for robots in China and Asia.
Even if it sells a relatively limited number to outside

companies, the demand from Midea will probably see Kuka
grow significantly this year.
Midea is said to be the world’s largest manufacturer of

household appliances such as washing machines and
dishwashers.
Kuka is probably one of the most innovative companies in the industrial robotics
market, and it’s launching new designs for robots for a variety of applications.
Mitsubishi Robotics
Parent company: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
Mitsubishi is a huge, sprawling conglomerate and is separated

into two distinct companies. The one which owns the robotics
division is Mitsubishi Electric.
This division technically has little or nothing to do with the

motors division – Mitsubishi is, of course, a well-known
automotive brand.
Although factory automation is a relatively small part of Mitsubishi Electric, the

robotics division is one of the largest manufacturers of industrial robots in the world.
The company is the latest to announce that it will be launching a collaborative robot
model.
Epson Robots
Parent company: Seiko Epson Corporation
Seiko is, of course, the historic and famous watchmaker. It started building robots to
enable it to make its watches more accurately and more efficiently.
Viewsand
Seiko Epson only subsequently decided to market its robots to outside companies, Left
is now one of the largest suppliers in the world.
Seiko lists robots in its “precision products” category, and is

looking to grow the division going forward, with plans to
launch collaborative robots in the future.
Stäubli
Parent company: Stäubli Holding
Stäubli has been around since the 1890s in some form or

another, starting out in the textiles business.
The company has acquired two historic brands – Jacquard

looms and Unimation, the first industrial robot company –
over the course of its lifetime, and is now one of the largest
suppliers of automation equipment in the world.
Stäubli has launched a new collaborative robot and is investing more into its software
business.
Foxconn
Parent company: Hon Hai Precision
The figure of 40,000 is probably overly conservative and will

probably be wildly inaccurate by the end of this year because
Foxconn has made it clear that it is determined to automate
the entire world – or at least its own production plants.
Some of its factories have very few humans in them, and as

robots become more suited to electronics manufacturing,
Foxconn is likely to establish even more fully automated
facilities.
Foxconn, as many readers will know, is a contract manufacturer whose biggest client is
Apple, the largest company in the known universe.
Foxconn is probably unlikely to sell its robots to outside companies any time soon as it’s
struggling to keep up with Apple iPhone orders.
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Comau
Parent company: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Comau is part of one of the world’s largest automotive groups,

but it does not rely on its parent company for everything.
The company has launched a range of innovative products,

perhaps most notably the largest collaborative robot on the
market.
Collaborative robots are generally thought of as small, but

Comau believes there is a gap in the market for a cobot with a significantly larger
payload.
The company has also been making progress in the software side of the business and in
the development of IIoT technologies.
Omron Adept
Parent company: Omron Corporation
Omron acquired Adept some time ago and has developed

many different types of automation technologies in recent
years.
Its table-tennis-playing robot is probably not typical of its

output since most of the machines it supplies are for the
automotive and medical industries.
The company also has a large business in sensors and other components.
Universal Robots
Parent company: Teradyne
Universal Robots is widely believed to be the world’s first manufacturer of what are
now called “collaborative robots”.
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The company’s innovative machines offered many new things,

mainly the opportunity to use smaller, less expensive robots,
and use them in a variety of settings without the need for cages
to separate them from human workers.
Some of the technical features which allow a robot to be

classed as “collaborative” are stipulated by organisations such
as the ISO, and it would be interesting to find out if any robots
are being marketed as being “collaborative” when they do not have the necessary
certificate.
Universal’s fantastic success is probably partly due to the fact that its robot was the first
cobot. But perhaps more crucially, the machine is an excellent design which is being
emulated by other robot makers.
Rethink Robotics
Parent company: Rethink Robotics
Number of robots installed worldwide: ~
One of the early collaborative robot makers, Rethink Robotics

has been generating a lot of interest lately.
With many new technologies, like collaborative robots, one of

the main challenges is explaining how it can be used.
This is something the main cobot makers are putting more

time and effort in – and it looks to be paying off.
Small manufacturers from a variety of sectors are seeing their productivity increase
and their final product reach a higher standard.
Siasun
Parent company: Shanghai Siasun Robot & Automation Company
Probably the largest robot maker to have emerged from China, and certainly the most
well known.
Views
Siasun became the first Chinese robot maker to join the US Robotic Industries Left
Association.
The company has big plans. Not only has it launched heavy-
duty industrial robots, it also wants a slice of the home-made
pie – and it thinks offering elderly people a home-help robot is
the way to go.
HRG
Parent company: Hit Robot Group
HRG – full name Hit Robot Group – is probably of a similar size

to Siasun, but we’ll have to confirm that going forward.
For now, what we do know about this company is that it has

produced some interesting robots with some fascinating
applications, such as the ones used in jade production lines.
HRG itself claims to be the leading robot company in China, so

the competition with Siasun is likely to be interesting to watch over the next few years.
Doosan Robotics
Parent company: Doosan Corporation
Doosan is a large, South Korean conglomerate with interests in

almost every industry on Earth, in particular, power plants
and construction.
Why the company has decided to launch a collaborative robot

is anyone’s guess – the company itself says it became interested
in the technology because collaborative robots are not
required to be caged off and can be used by humans almost
like any other power tool.
Doosan says it has identified markets for the cobot, and is firmly committed to the
venture.
Techman Robot
Parent company: Quanta Storage
Number of robots installed worldwide: ~ Views Left
An interesting design and confident marketing approach,

Techman is particularly interested in the Japanese market.
The company is actively looking for partners in Japan, but it’s

also made appearances at Hannover Messe, in Germany, so it’s
not limiting itself.
Techman is looking to ship more than 2,000 units this year.
Hanwha Techwin
Parent company: Hanwha Group
Hanwha is said to be one of the largest conglomerates in South

Korea – or one of the so-called “chaebol” companies.
Robot making is probably, therefore, a very tiny part of its

operation, and like Doosan, the company is probably just
giving free rein to its inquisitiveness about the technology.
Hanwha says its collaborative robot is the first of its kind in

South Korea and the company plans to use it in its own operations.
Hyundai Robotics
Parent company: Hyundai
Probably the best-known of the South Korean chaebols,

Hyundai is more famous for its cars than its shipbuilding.
But in the shipbuilding sector, Hyundai is huge. And the

robotics division seems to have a lot of potential in the
shipbuilding sector.
The company has now separated its robotics division and says
it wants Hyundai Robotics to challenge the Japanese robot makers for a top-five
position.
Bosch Views Left

Parent company: Bosch
Bosch could be described as the Midea of Germany and

Europe, since it is a massive supplier of household appliances.
The company has a presence in a vast array of markets, and

building robots is just a small and relatively new part of its
operation.
The industrial robotic arm it has demonstrated is probably

mostly going into the hundreds of Bosch factories worldwide.
But its collaborative quality will probably make it an attractive purchase for outside
companies if Bosch were to market it to others.
Kawada
Parent company: Kawada Group
Kawada is a Japanese company that usually concerns itself

with massive construction projects, such as bridges.
However, its two-armed, collaborative humanoid industrial

robot is probably one of the most innovative machines on the
market.
Already being put to use in a number of factories, the so-called

“NextAge” robot is being presented as the next generation of robot worker.
Capable of a variety of complex tasks, NextAge is helping Kawada find new partners in

a variety of sectors.
TAL Brabo
Parent company: Tata
TAL is the robotics division of the Indian industrial giant Tata. The unit has
demonstrated a machine it calls “Brabo”.
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The Brabo is said to be the first Indian-made industrial robot

and is aimed at the automotive trade.
Tata, the parent company, is one of the world’s largest

automotive companies.
Toshiba Robotics
Parent company: Toshiba Corporation
Number of robots installed worldwide:
Toshiba, a massively large Japanese conglomerate, used to be

one of the world’s best-known companies before MP3 music
players emerged.
The company is still one of the leading electrical and

electronics companies in the world.
ST Robotics
Parent company: ST Robotics
An interesting company with a large following, ST Robotics has

demonstrated what it says are “superfast collaborative robots”.
Collaborative robots are generally thought to be safer because

they move more slowly, so it would be interesting to see if
speed becomes a differentiating factor in this market.
Delta Electronics
Parent company: Delta Electronics
Probably the only Taiwanese company in this list, apart from

Foxconn, Delta Electronics is particularly active in the
industrial automation market.
It produces a range of SCARA and articulated robots.
Kinova Robotics Views Left

Parent company: Kinova Robotics
An interesting startup company which has produced a robotic

arm light enough and slender enough to fit onto vehicles such
as wheelchairs and mobile logistics platforms.
Having recently raised funding of $25 million, the company is

in the process of further developing its applications and
finding new markets.
Franka
Parent company: Franka
Another interesting startup with a collaborative robot that is

said to be able to build copies of itself.
Interestingly enough, Franka is backed by Kuka and Foxconn

among others.
The possibility of automating parts of the production process

that larger robots were previously unable to do is probably
what motivates these investors.
Mecademic
Parent company: Mecademic
The robot produced by Mecademic is so small that it could be

described as a miniature version of an industrial robot.
If you’re planning to make tiny things, like watches, for

example, this is probably the machine for you.
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 January 3, 2018  Sam Francis  Features, Industrial robots, Industry, Magazine  abb, bosch,
comau, delta electronics, denso, doosan, epson robots, fanuc, foxconn, franka, hanwha techwin, hrg, hyundai,
kawada, kawasaki, kinova, kuka, mecademic, mitsubishi robotics, nachi-fujikoshi, omron adept, rethink
robotics, siasun, st robotics, staubli, tal, techman robot, toshiba, Universal Robots, yaskawa motoman
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11/01/2018 30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch in 2018

Market trends and business perspectives

30 industrial robot manufacturers to watch in

Share this story

Oversupply may be a problem going forward, especially as Chinese robot

pH Theory Get an electronic Guide on pH

Software innovations include smartphone apps which enable – albeit limited –

In terms of hardware, there is the possibility of integrating more computing

Fanuc is a specialist factory automation company and is

Having benefited hugely from its historic relationship with

Yaskawa Motoman is also a specialist factory automation

It has a huge business in motion control systems such as servo

Interestingly, Yaskawa is the company which coined the phrase “mechatronics”.

ABB is the only European company among the top 10 robot

Most importantly, in terms of the company’s bottom line, ABB

However, in terms of factory automation, perhaps the most

Kawasaki is probably best known for being a builder of motor

The company has seen tremendous success with its new

Kawasaki says it is planning to expand its robot production to include more

Like many of these large industrial robot makers, Nachi-

Nachi specialises in industrial robots and machining tools and

It recently launched a new type of robot for the electronics

Denso is probably slightly better known as a supplier of car

At the time, Toyota was looking for ways to make its

Denso is now not only a huge car parts company, it is also a

growing market for robots in China and Asia.

Even if it sells a relatively limited number to outside

Midea is said to be the world’s largest manufacturer of

Mitsubishi is a huge, sprawling conglomerate and is separated

This division technically has little or nothing to do with the

Although factory automation is a relatively small part of Mitsubishi Electric, the

Seiko lists robots in its “precision products” category, and is

Stäubli has been around since the 1890s in some form or

The company has acquired two historic brands – Jacquard

The figure of 40,000 is probably overly conservative and will

Some of its factories have very few humans in them, and as

Comau is part of one of the world’s largest automotive groups,

The company has launched a range of innovative products,

Collaborative robots are generally thought of as small, but

Omron acquired Adept some time ago and has developed

Its table-tennis-playing robot is probably not typical of its

The company’s innovative machines offered many new things,

Some of the technical features which allow a robot to be

One of the early collaborative robot makers, Rethink Robotics

With many new technologies, like collaborative robots, one of

This is something the main cobot makers are putting more

HRG – full name Hit Robot Group – is probably of a similar size

For now, what we do know about this company is that it has

HRG itself claims to be the leading robot company in China, so

Doosan is a large, South Korean conglomerate with interests in

Why the company has decided to launch a collaborative robot

An interesting design and confident marketing approach,

The company is actively looking for partners in Japan, but it’s

Techman is looking to ship more than 2,000 units this year.

Hanwha is said to be one of the largest conglomerates in South

Robot making is probably, therefore, a very tiny part of its

Hanwha says its collaborative robot is the first of its kind in

Probably the best-known of the South Korean chaebols,

But in the shipbuilding sector, Hyundai is huge. And the

Bosch Views Left

Number of robots installed worldwide: ~

Bosch could be described as the Midea of Germany and