Image caption above: Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director, VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association).

Robot orders in the second quarter of 2021 in North America were up by 67% over the same period in 2020, showing a return to pre-COVID 19 pandemic demand for automation as manufacturers and other North American companies return to business.

Robot orders in the first quarter of 2021 were up 20% over the same period in 2020, with substantial increases in purchases coming from companies in metals (up 86%); life sciences/pharmaceutical/biomed (up 72%); food & consumer goods (up 32%) and other non-automotive industries (12%).