JUNE 21--The 565 exhibitors from 22 countries that displayed their wares in Munich, Germany, June 15--18, at Automatica, an international trade fair specifically for robotics and automation, found that the major market lies in various aspects of industrial manufacturing. Components for assembly line and factory automation, industrial image processing, and press automation were a few of the products on view at the fair.
"Automatica is really the first showplace we've had just for robotics. Robot makers got an idea of what is going on with the competition, and clients got advice and checked out alternative solutions," said Gerald Mies, the head of the German branch of Japanese market leader Fanuc Robotics.
Unlike the industrial machinery business at large, the robotics industry is expecting an increase in turnover this year--up to 6%. Last year the field grew, as well--mostly on investment by the automobile industry. Turnover in 2003 reached euro6.5 billion ($7.8 billion), up 7% from the previous year. This year, the industry expects sales to reach euro6.9 billion.
