The question of whether industrial robots are poised to become a new focal point for China’s industrial and national economic development has sparked widespread discussion among the scientific community, industry, and the public. In recent months, further attention has been directed toward the progression of China’s industrial robotics sector, leading to renewed examination, study, and reflection on various issues. This article presents perspectives on the history, current status, development trends, market dynamics, labor transformation, and related strategies concerning China’s industrial robots. The aim is to foster dialogue across sectors and provide reference for governmental decision-making authorities.
1. History and Current Status
The development of industrial robots in China commenced in the early 1970s, spanning over four decades through three distinct phases: the budding period in the 1970s, the development period in the 1980s, and the practical application period starting from the 1990s. China initiated its research and development of industrial robots in 1972. By 1985, industrial robots were included as key projects in the national Seventh Five-Year Plan for scientific and technological攻关, focusing on fundamental technologies, basic components, various types of complete robot systems, and application engineering. The performance indicators of some industrial robots reached levels comparable to foreign products from the early 1980s, enabling small-scale production capabilities.
To keep pace with advanced international technologies, the 1980s saw the inclusion of intelligent robot research and development in national high-tech programs, yielding a series of achievements. In the early 1990s, supported by the National 863 Program, China’s industrial robot sector advanced significantly in practice. Independently developed industrial robot products for spot welding, arc welding, assembly, painting, cutting, handling, packaging, and palletizing emerged, alongside the implementation of over 100 robot application projects and the establishment of more than 20 industrial robot production bases.
By the mid-1990s, the national strategy prioritized the engineering application of welding robots for development. The latter half of the 1990s witnessed the commercialization of domestically produced robots, laying the groundwork for industrialization. The progress in China’s industrial robots has evolved from nonexistence to gradual growth, providing a solid foundation for the nation’s planned intelligent manufacturing and rapid robot development. Currently, China has mastered the essential technologies for designing and manufacturing various industrial robots, meeting general production requirements. Specifically, the existing status and level of China’s industrial robots are as follows:
- Research in robot technological fundamentals: This includes studies on robot kinematics, dynamics, and configuration synthesis, robot motion control algorithms and programming languages, development of internal and external sensors, multi-sensor control systems, offline programming technology, self-diagnosis, and safety protection technologies. China has essentially grasped various key technologies for industrial robots.
- Development of robot control devices: These include dual-processor, multi-processor, and hierarchical control devices. Many devices have been put into practical application, with the grade of the main control computer gradually upgrading.
- Development of complete robot systems: Designed and produced a series of products such as planar articulated assembly robots, Cartesian coordinate robots, arc welding robots, spot welding robots, handling and palletizing robots, and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles). Some varieties have achieved small-batch production, with AGVs not only occupying the domestic market but also being exported in batches.
- Broadening application scope: Established multiple demonstration application projects and key workstation robot systems. Industrial robots have gained extensive application in industries including automotive and engineering machinery, rubber and plastics, electrical and electronics, metal and general machinery, food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
However, the overall technical level of China’s industrial robots requires improvement, as stability and machining accuracy indicators still show a clear gap compared to international advanced levels. Moreover, tens of thousands of new industrial robots are added to the market annually, with the majority imported from abroad. Therefore, it cannot be said that China is a major industrial robot nation, let alone a strong one in this field.
2. Development Trends
What are the current international and domestic development trends for industrial robots? What advantages and disadvantages do Chinese robot manufacturing and application enterprises face?
2.1 International Development Trends
According to statistics from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), from 1960 to the end of 2011, over 2.3 million industrial robots had been installed globally, indicating a promising outlook for the world industrial robot market. Although the number of industrial robots worldwide increases annually, the market has developed in a wave-like pattern, with three saddle-shaped curves observed from 1980 to the end of the 20th century. Entering the 21st century, the industrial robot industry accelerated its growth, with an annual growth rate reaching approximately 30%. Notably, the growth rate of industrial robots in Asia stood out at 43%.
2.2 Domestic Development Trends
Currently, the China robot market is experiencing rapid growth. By the end of 2011, the cumulative installation of industrial robots in China reached 74,000 units. Supported by the 863 Program, China’s intelligent robots and special robots have also achieved numerous results, with substantial work done on the development and application of foundational technologies, establishing a certain developmental base. However, significant gaps remain compared to international advanced levels in areas such as multi-sensor information fusion control technology, teleoperation plus local autonomous system tele-robots, intelligent assembly robots, and robotized machinery. Systematic and focused攻关 is needed to form practical and成套的技术和产品.
Domestic robot manufacturing and application enterprises in China possess advantages such as national policy support but lack core competitiveness, including the need for improvement in component technology levels and the urgent requirement to充实 and standardize the industrial chain. Effectively addressing these issues will undoubtedly promote the healthy development of China’s industrial robot industry.
3. Market
How should China’s industrial robot market and its future development be viewed? What challenges and opportunities exist in the China robot market?
In 2011, demand for industrial robots in China and the global market reached record highs. According to IFR statistics, 2011 was the most prosperous year for the industrial robot industry, with the global market growing by 37% year-on-year. Among these, the China market saw the largest increase, with sales reaching 22,577 units, a 50.7% growth compared to 2010. Forecast data also indicates that China is expected to become the world’s largest robot market by 2014. World-renowned robot manufacturing companies such as Germany’s KUKA Robotics and Japan’s Kawasaki Robotics have shifted their market focus to China in recent years, with ABB even relocating its global headquarters to China. Domestic rising stars like Siasun Robot & Automation saw sales grow by over 60% in 2011.
For China, replacing labor with robots similarly represents a trend in industrial upgrading. In China’s Twelfth Five-Year Plan, high-end manufacturing, namely robots + intelligent manufacturing, has been listed as a strategic emerging industry, expected to receive strong national policy support and usher in a decade of rapid development. Specific market conditions are as follows:
- Faced with a vast market and tremendous development opportunities, domestic industrial robot manufacturers urgently need to seize the opportunity to advance rapidly in international competition and share the “big cake” of the robot market.
- Small and medium-sized enterprises are emerging incessantly, requiring urgent reorganization and optimization. Robot research and development in Shenyang, Xi’an, and other regions is progressing rapidly, while the application market in the Pearl River Delta region is growing the fastest.
- Leading enterprises occasionally achieve breakthroughs. To break the constraints and monopoly of foreign products on China’s robot industry development, some domestic companies have begun collaborating with research institutions to develop industrial robots and key components, exploring a path for independent industrial robot industrialization and striving to create Chinese industrial robot brands.
- Manufacturing bases are continuously rising. During the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period, national 863 projects, major national support plan projects, and international cooperation major projects all involve robots. Many regions in China are also heavily investing in robot industry construction.
- The four giants of the world industrial robot industry—Switzerland’s ABB, Japan’s FANUC, Japan’s YASKAWA (Yaskawa Electric), and Germany’s KUKA—have all established subsidiaries in China. Together with other imported brands, they account for over 80% of the market share in China.
The following table summarizes key data related to the China robot market growth:
| Year/Period | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 1960-2011 | Global cumulative industrial robot installations | Over 2.3 million units |
| 2011 | Industrial robot sales in China | 22,577 units |
| 2011 vs 2010 | Sales growth in China | 50.7% |
| 2011 | Sales growth of Siasun Robot & Automation | Over 60% |
| Forecast for 2014 | China’s expected position in robot market | World’s largest |
4. Challenges and Opportunities
The current China industrial robot market presents both challenges and opportunities, coexisting with severe challenges and rare opportunities.
4.1 Multiple Challenges
- Gap in research and development capability: Domestically produced industrial robots still cannot be mass-produced on a large scale, with the vast majority relying on imports. Current robot technology is equivalent to the level of foreign developed countries in the early 1980s, particularly in manufacturing processes and equipment, unable to produce high-precision, high-speed, and high-efficiency key components.
- Multiple hurdles need to be overcome: China’s industrial robot sector exhibits phenomena such as more research on basic technologies and less on application technologies, more research on complete machines and less on key components. Truly applicable in production are mostly foreign products, with a current lack of breakthrough in overall core technologies and very few industrial robots with independent intellectual property rights. Additionally, the price advantage of domestic robots is not significant.
- Competition for the future market: The China robot market has enormous potential. International robot industry giants are纷纷 establishing factories in China, fully expanding the Chinese market. The domestic industrial robot market is monopolized by international giants, with core robot manufacturing technologies and key components controlled by others, and no independent brands formed. Consequently, Chinese robot production enterprises face competition with international giants for market share.
4.2 Rare Opportunities
- National policy support: In November 2012, the Equipment Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicated that China’s industrial robot market has transitioned from demonstrative promotion to comprehensive application, with industrial robots being a key supported area. Particularly for the development of three core key components in the robot field—drivers, motors, and reducers—the Ministry is coordinating with the Ministry of Finance to consider related support policies.
- Enhanced awareness among industry users: The promotion of new technologies, new concepts, and even new fields undoubtedly impacts the conservative mindset of Chinese users to some extent. Precisely because of the advantages such as “safety,” “energy saving,” and “efficiency” brought by robot operations, Chinese users’ understanding of “intelligent production” is gradually improving.
- Diversification of industry applications: Since the development of industrial robots, the automotive sector has一直 been a key industry for industrial robot applications. With the continuous升温 of industrial robots, major mainstream manufacturers are focusing on highlighting their respective advantages from various aspects such as technology, products, and services. Currently, with rising domestic market demand, technical requirements for industrial robots across different industries are showing多元化 trends, moving towards the goal of achieving diversified applications.
5. Labor Conversion
In the discussion on developing industrial robots, some have proposed that China should extensively adopt industrial robots to replace普通 workers. Below, related technologies and involved factors or indicators are discussed.
5.1 Technical Feasibility of Replacing普通 Workers with Industrial Robots
Currently, there are two different viewpoints domestically regarding replacing普通 workers with industrial robots.
- Supportive viewpoint: The main advantages of robots replacing labor are twofold: first, robot prices and labor costs are “消长” (one decreasing while the other increases). Second, robots do not fatigue nor have emotional fluctuations like humans, resulting in higher consistency in product quality. Industrial robots can already replace increasingly expensive labor in many fields while enhancing work efficiency and product quality. As people begin to value factors such as workshop environmental hygiene and安全生产, replacing labor with machines has become urgent for users. From Foxconn factories to Canon factories, from Philips’ small household appliance production to Apple product manufacturing, robot participation is increasing, and electronics production is entering an “unmanned” era. Therefore, whether introducing foreign robots or developing domestic industrial robots, entrepreneurs with前瞻 vision have瞄准 the broad application prospects of industrial robots.
- Reserved attitude: Although the industrial robot application market前景广阔, expanding the industrial robot market requires several conditions: industrial robots must first reduce costs, second适应 the basic framework of manufacturing automation, and third develop corresponding production line logistics technologies. The biggest problem facing China’s industrial robot industry remains relatively weak technical foundation, with core technologies lagging significantly behind Europe and America, lacking global competitiveness.
Some overseas experts believe: A single robot难以发挥作用 and needs to form robot workstations to be used in industrial production. At this stage, using robots is still more expensive than humans in most fields. Comprehensively replacing ordinary industrial workers with industrial robots is不大现实 in the near term of three years, but indeed a trend in longer cycles such as ten years.
Applying industrial robots to replace ordinary workers in China can be said to be a development trend, but it also requires a process. It should undergo necessary pilot projects, create conditions, and gradually or comprehensively推广 after gaining experience;需要 comprehensively consider the economic input-output ratio and social benefits, including employment issues;需要 establish strong enterprise coordination mechanisms and market regulation mechanisms. Importantly, there should be no rash rush;全民搞工业机器人 should be avoided!
5.2 Conditions for Replacing普通 Workers with Industrial Robots
Replacing普通 workers with industrial robots involves many factors, among which expanding the industrial robot market and achieving industrial robot industrialization are primary factors.
- Conditions needed to expand the industrial robot market: As mentioned above, conditions include reducing the cost of industrial robots, adapting to the basic framework of manufacturing automation, and developing production line logistics technologies compatible with industrial robots.
- Conditions for industrial robot industrialization: Conditions include the following: first, important policy support from the state for accelerating high-tech industrialization; second, promoting the construction of industry-university-research alliances, forming powerful research, development, and application teams, and strengthening the construction of talent teams in the robot industry; third,尽快 changing the situation where key components mainly rely on imports; fourth, while striving to improve industrial robot performance, vigorously加强 the development of large-scale and professional application engineering software; fifth,加大 efforts to enter the automotive field and actively开拓 new application markets; sixth,加大宣传力度 for industrial robots and提高认识 of industrial robots.
The growth of the China robot sector hinges on these multifaceted factors, requiring coordinated efforts across政策, technology, and market dynamics. The integration of robotics into China’s manufacturing landscape will shape the future of industrial automation, with the China robot industry poised to play a pivotal role in global supply chains. Continuous advancements in the China robot field are essential for sustaining economic competitiveness and technological leadership. As the China robot market expands, stakeholders must navigate challenges while capitalizing on emerging opportunities to foster a robust ecosystem for industrial robotics innovation and deployment.