Global Robotic Welding Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032

Global Robotic Welding Market Outlook

The global robotic welding market size reached nearly USD 4,501.10 million in 2023. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.0% between 2024 and 2032 around USD 9192.65 million by 2032.

Key Takeaways

• The shortage of skilled welders, in countries, such as the UK, Germany, the USA, etc. is compelling automotive and electronics manufacturers to invest in robotic welding.

• Fanuc Corporation, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, and Kuka AG are a few of the major companies in the market.

• The global robotic welding market is driven by the increasing adoption of Industry 4.0.

The rising industrialisation and surging manufacturing activities are supporting the demand for robotic welding from several end-use sectors, such as automotive, fabrication, electronics, and aerospace. About 3% of the global GDP is contributed by the automobile sector, with rising nations like China and India having the highest percentage at 7%. In the automotive sector, large robots conduct spot welding on heavy car body panels owing to their long arms and high payload capabilities.

Some of the factors driving the robotic welding market growth are the integration of advanced technologies and the ongoing shortage of welders, which is straining the manufacturing processes. The integration of advanced technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of things (IoT) boosts the productivity and accuracy of these robots. Robotic welding cells with IoT connectivity inform operators when maintenance is required, allowing timely repairs, and reducing expensive downtime.

Figure: Automotive Production in Leading Economies, 2022

Key Trends and Developments

Rapid industrialisation; rising demand for personal mobility solutions; integration of advanced technologies; and the robustly growing military and logistics sectors are aiding the robotic welding market growth

August 2023

Inrotech, Romania’s prominent shipbuilder, Santierul Naval Orsova Shipyard, strategically invested in welding automation through a partnership.

July 2023

FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co. Ltd. appointed 100 six-axis robots for the welding, bonding, and packaging of EV batteries in its assembly plant in Foshan, China.

June 2023

Estun Automation partnered with Haitian Smart Solutions to provide intelligent manufacturing and integrated information solutions, driving innovation and efficiency within the manufacturing sector.

May 2023

Inrotech unveiled the Inrotech-Vertigo, an automated welding solution tailored to tackle the welding challenges prevalent in the offshore, wind, and heavy industries.

Rising industrialisation and increasing manufacturing activities

Rapid industrialisation and the robustly growing manufacturing sector support the demand for robotic welding from several end-use sectors, such as the automotive, fabrication, electronics, and aerospace.

Integration of advanced technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of things (IoT) boost the productivity and accuracy of robots while improving weld quality and enabling real-time analysis.

Rising need for mobility solutions

The rising demand for vehicles is prompting manufacturers to increase their production. Since welding robots can perform welding continuously while providing reliable and durable welds, their demand is rising in the automotive sector.

Robotic welding as a preferred choice over manual welding

Robotic welding provides safety against flashes, fumes, sparks, and heat produced from welding, which is hazardous to human health.

Increasing investments from logistics and military sectors

Shipbuilders are increasing investments in robotic welding technology to cater to rising demand from the commercial, logistics, and military sectors.

Global Robotic Welding Market Trends

The market is being driven by the increasing adoption of Industry 4.0. The initiative calls for the digitisation of the manufacturing sector by the adoption of trends such as data and connectivity, analytics, human-machine interaction, and improvements in robotics. Welding plays a pivotal role in automotive production to join metal car parts, such as the body, chassis, and car panels, among others. This drives the deployment of robotic welding that helps in precise and mass production. Approximately 60 million vehicles are manufactured worldwide annually.

Furthermore, by enhancing the energy efficiency of welding robots, manufacturers can help end users perform green manufacturing. Electrical and electronics manufacturing often involves intricate components and connections. Robotic welding ensures precise and consistent welds, critical for maintaining product quality and reliability. These robots can achieve accuracy levels difficult to match with manual welding. The electronics manufacturing sector plays a vital role in the U.S. economy, accounting for 1.6% of GDP.

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Market Segmentation

Global Robotic Welding Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032 offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Market Breakup By Type:

• Spot Welding Robots

• Arc Welding Robots

• Others

Market Breakup By Payload:

• Less than 50 Kg

• 50-150 Kg

• More than 150 kg

Market Breakup By End User:

• Automotive and Transportation

• Electrical and Electronics

• Metals and Machinery 

• Aerospace and Defence 

• Others

Market Breakup By Region:

• North America

• Europe

• Asia Pacific 

• Latin America 

• Middle East and Africa

Spot welding robots are expected to hold significant market share as they are widely adopted by the automotive industry

Spot welding robots dominate the robotic welding market share as they are used to manufacture car parts cost-efficiently, reliably, and quickly. Robots efficiently perform spot welding and add automation to the welding process.

Their dexterity helps them reach the workpiece from any orientation, which is crucial to orient the tool to the exact location where the welding needs to be performed. Spot welding using articulated robots finds use in automobile manufacturing to weld components, such as car chassis.

Arc welding robots featuring a slimmer profile and internalised cabling result in more efficient and optimised welding. Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is a common application of robotic arc welding. Robotic GTAW is a precision welding method to weld thin metals and produce detailed and clean welds.

Competitive Landscape

Major market players are increasing their collaboration, partnership, and research and development activities to gain a competitive edge

Fanuc Corporation

Fanuc Corporation is headquartered in Japan and founded in 1956. The company provides a diverse portfolio of welding and cutting solutions, available under the well-established brands of FANUC Robot ARC Mate, FANUC Robot M, and FANUC Robot R.

ABB Ltd.

ABB Ltd., headquartered in Switzerland and founded in 1988, offers diverse robot models, such as the robust IRB 7600 with a hefty 630 Kg handling capacity, ideal for heavy-duty tasks.

Yaskawa Electric Corporation

Yaskawa Electric Corporation, headquartered in Japan and founded in 1915, offers AR-Series welding robot models, HC10 series welding cobot, and HC20 series welding cobot.

Kuka AG

KUKA AG, headquartered in Germany and founded in 1898, offers specialised ARC welding solutions through its KUKA arc welding robots. These robots come with payload capacities ranging from 6 to 22 kg and offer impressive reaches of up to 3,100 mm.

Other key players in the robotic welding market include EVS TECH CO., LTD, Estun Automation Co., Ltd., NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP., and Panasonic Corporation.

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Global Robotic Welding Market Analysis by Region

The Asia Pacific is anticipated to hold a dominant position in the robotic welding market in the forecast period. According to industry reports, Asia continues to maintain its position as the globe's most extensive industrial robot market, with 73% of all new robots being installed in the region in 2021. Countries like Japan, China and India are significant automotive producers globally. Under the Chinese government’s 14th Five-Year Plan, the government identifies industrial robots as crucial to the country’s economy and announced that China will play a key role in global robotics innovation by 2025.

The Europe robotic welding market is being driven by the expansion of the automotive sector. The automotive sector is crucial for the European economy and contributes around 7% to its GDP. In the automotive sector, high-tech robotic welding systems are used to develop new parts, such as chassis as well as for automotive component repair. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) report ‘World Robotics 2022’, the German industries with the highest volumes of industrial robots include automotive with 49% and metal with 13%. Further, welding is included among the most popular applications of new industrial robots in these industries.

North America also holds a significant share of the robotic welding market and is driven by the rapid adoption of industrial automation. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), the North American automotive sector produces around 17 million vehicles annually. As a result, the sector supports the use of robotic welding for spot and arc welding. According to the American Welding Society, the welding sector in the USA is expected to face a shortage of about 360,000 welders by 2027. This creates an opportunity for the integration of robotic welding systems.

Key Highlights of the Report

Robotic Welding Market Report Snapshots

Robotic Welding Market Size

Robotic Welding Market Trends

Robotic Welding Market Regional Analysis

Robotic Welding Companies