North American robot orders rise in 2019

North American orders for robots rose 1.6 percent last year over 2018 levels, according to a report from the Robotic Industries Association. A 50.5 percent spike in orders from automotive OEMs and a 16.6 percent boost from the plastics and rubber industry were the largest contributors to the increase. Last year's demand reached 29,988 robotic units, but order revenue for the year ended down 1.3 percent, or about $1.7 billion.