From Motion Control Magazine April 1994: Robotics Industries Association said recently Robot orders jumped 40% through June, 1993 as the industry posted its best opening half-year ever.... Net new orders received by U.S. based robotics companies totalled 3,640 robots valued at $306.2 million, the highest unit and dollar figures ever.
From the New York Times, Wednesday September 7th pC1
(paraphrased) In the late 1980's a steep decline in robot orders drove
most US companies out of the business. In the first half of 1994 4,335
robots with a total value of $383.5 million. Fanuc is the leader with
about $360M in sales this year. Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) is second with
sales estimated at $120M. The next several are Japanese: Motoman,
Panasonic, Sony and Nachi.
The only major US producer to have survived is Adept Technology with about $50M in sales in a $700M market. The following table is interpreted from a graph in the article.
Net new orders in US:
Year # of robots $US 1984 5800 $480M 1985 6200 $380M 1986 5400 $320M 1987 3800 $300M 1988 4000 $325M 1989 4500 $510M 1990 5000 $510M 1991 4000 $410M 1992 5250 $500M 1993 6800 $630M 1994 4335 (6 mos) $383M (6 mos)
DEMAND FOR U.S. INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS SURGING
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - U.S.-based robotics companies are
enjoying the best of times. The Robotics Industries
Association (RIA) says surging demand recently led American
robotic companies to their best nine-month totals ever.
Through September, new orders totaled 6,218 robots valued at $548 million, a 12 percent increase in units and 13 percent increase in revenue over the previous nine-month period last year. The greatest demand, says the trade group, is coming from U.S. manufacturers which are finally learning what the Japanese have known for years: robots can play a significant role in improving productivity, quality, flexibility and time-to-market. But, even though demand is surging and the U.S. is the world's second largest robotics user with some 53,000 systems, the Japanese have more than seven times as many robots in use, RIA says.