The latest data on collaborative robotics in the Italian manufacturing sector

The latest data on collaborative robotics in the Italian manufacturing sector

Robots are increasingly widespread among Italian companies, marking a constantly rising trend mainly dictated by the recent advances in collaborative robotics and the numerous possibilities it opens up to companies.

Robots are now more reliable and accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises and it seems that the application potential has not yet been exhausted and they are positively perceived.

A recent survey found that 46% of Italian manufacturing companies say that the use of robots allows them to increase business competitiveness, outlining a scenario in which 82% of respondents declare they use collaborative robotics and have confidence. in it.

This is also confirmed by the majority of Italian small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, which have between 50 and 249 employees, which claim to have already implemented robots (90%).

Among the main activities for which robots are used, the companies interviewed state:

55% production, 48% preparation of materials for production, 46% warehouse logistics or packaging operations.

Added to this is 57% of respondents who say they rely on collaborative robotics to relieve employees of physically demanding and challenging or repetitive tasks (49%).

In detail, robots are used to manage the following activities:

37% joining jobs (press joining, bonding, sealing, roll hemming)
36% cutting (milling, sawing, laser, etc.)
36% assembly or machine loading activities
36% palletizing, stacking, object removal.

Most of the Italian manufacturing companies interviewed (55%) agree in wanting to delegate only some activities to robots.

Only 3% intend to entrust all activities to robotics.

Flexibility and versatility are the main advantages given by collaborative robotics, also known by the term cobot, which leverages human-robot interaction.

Unlike industrial robots, which work behind fences or barriers for safety reasons, cobots are designed to work synergistically with humans.

In industry, the concept of collaboration has been successfully received: this is demonstrated by 32% of manufacturing companies, which claim to currently use cobots; while 28% of respondents plan to implement collaborative robotics within the next year.

A clear trend that pushes to invest in this sector.

Among the areas of greatest application of collaborative robotics are:

production (38%),
packaging operations (46%)
quality controls (40%).