Fueled by strong demand from manufacturing companies in all sectors, the North American robotics industry is off to its fastest start ever in 2014. So say new statistics released by the Robotic Industries Assn. (RIA), which reports that “a record 14,135 robots, valued at $788 million, were ordered from North American robotics companies in the first half of 2014, an increase of 30% in units and 16% in revenue over the same period of 2013”
Among those industries investing in robotics, RIA notes that food and beverage and consumer goods companies, along with the life sciences and semiconductor sectors, represent 22% of that growth. It’s no wonder then, that this year’s crop of case history contributions for Packaging World’s Robotics & Automation Special Report have hit a new high, warranting a two-part article. See Part I in the August 2014 issue.
