North America Robot Orders See Big Drop in Q3, ‘Return to Normal’ After Record 2022, A3 Says

Association for Advancing Automation’s latest report shows 46% fewer robots were purchased in July through September of 2023 than during the same period in a record 2022, with more sales to non-automotive companies than automotive OEMs and component suppliers

ANN ARBOR, Michigan – Robot sales in North America declined again in the third quarter of 2023 after record orders in 2022, according to the latest report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). From July through September, companies ordered 6,421 robots valued at $436 million, a 46% decline in robot orders and 30% drop in value over the same period in 2022. Combined with first-half results, the robotics market in North America is down 34% compared to the first three quarters of last year, with 23,476 robots ordered overall in 2023.

“While companies still struggle to fill jobs, the slow U.S. economy, high interest rates and even overpurchasing of robots in 2022 have resulted in a return to normal after a record couple of years,” said Alex Shikany, Vice President of Membership & Market Intelligence, A3. “Orders are definitely still happening, and regardless of the state of the economy, we expect to see these typical ebbs and flows in the market in the months and years ahead.”  

Non-Automotive Orders Surpass Automotive Orders Again

Despite the continued decline in overall orders, the report indicates that non-automotive companies ordered significantly more robots during the three-month period than did automotive companies, with 58% of units going to non-automotive customers and 42% to automotive OEMs and component suppliers. The strongest demand came from metals; life sciences, pharmaceutical and biomedical; semiconductor & electronics/photonics; and food & consumer goods.

“A third of the sales in Q3 came from ‘other industries’ outside of those we typically track, demonstrating the increasing interest in automation across all markets,” Shikany added. “Despite the decrease in overall sales, it’s promising to see even more industries looking for the benefits of deploying robotics within their facilities.”

WEBINAR: MAY 6

The Age of Cognitive Robots: How Do We Get There?

We knew it was coming, the next generation – smart robots. What is the difference between artificial cognition and artificial intelligence? Is it just a natural progression of our collaboration with the machines? We have already jumped into the world of humanoid bi-pedals and our robots are recognizing our patterns of behavior, learning, and imitating our behaviors. What does it mean and where are we headed?

Register Free

Automate Show for All Industries

Companies seeking new automated solutions can learn about the latest offerings at the Automate Show, the largest robotics and automation trade show in North America. The Automate Show, May 6-9, 2024, delivers the latest automation technology from more than 750 leading exhibitors—from cutting-edge robotics and motion control to vision and artificial intelligence innovations—for a wide variety of industries and applications. Registration is open at https://www.automateshow.com

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. Members of A3 represent over 1200 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consulting firms that drive automation forward worldwide.

A3 hosts a number of industry-leading events, including the A3 Business Forum (January 15-17, 2024, Orlando, Florida); Automate 2024 (May 6-9, 2024, in Chicago), and the Autonomous Mobile Robot & Logistics Conference (October 8-10, 2024, Memphis, Tennessee)

For More Information

Jackie Rose
Association for Advancing Automation
(734) 929-3264

Kelly Wanlass
HCI Marketing and Communications, Inc.
(801) 602-4723