An increase in global aircraft demand and manufacturing, increasing use of robots for efficient aircraft production processes, growing use of robotics to handle aircraft orders backlog, increasing manual labour cost are fueling the aerospace robotics market to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% from 2021 to 2026.
According to the latest research report by MarketsandMarkets, the Aerospace Robotics Market by robot type, components, payload, application and region - Global Forecast to 2026, the aerospace robotics market is estimated at $ 2.9 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $ 4.9 billion by 2026.
Some of the key manufacturers in this space include Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Fanuc, Kuka, ABB, Mtorres, Oliver Crispin Robotics, Gudel AG, Electroimpact Inc and Universal Robots.
The report said that based on robot type, the traditional robots will register the highest growth from 2021 to 2026. Aerospace manufacturing employs different kinds of robots for different applications, such as drilling, fastening, painting, and coating. These activities require different robots, and sometimes they need the combination of different robots to perform specific tasks, such as fuselage assembly, aircraft inspection, and health monitoring systems.
The functioning of the cartesian robots is based on the three linear joints, which are parallel to the standard X, Y, and Z axes formations whereas, articulated robots, which are equipped with two or more rotary joints, enable circular movements.At the same time, cylindrical robots are a combination of rotary and linear joints, which enable circular and linear movements and can be used in different assembly lines such as fastening, welding, painting & coating, among other applications.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the end effector segment will register the highest growth from 2021 to 2026 in terms of components. End effectors are tools, including mechanical and electrical devices installed on a robot wrist. End effectors are also called End of Arm Tooling (EOAT). The end effector of an aerospace robot includes tools such as grippers, force-torque sensors, material removal tools, welding torches, collision sensors, and tool changers, among others. The gripper is commonly used in picking objects and is the most used end effector in aerospace robotics as it has diverse gripping techniques and styles.
The Force-Torque Sensor (FT) calculates the force and torque applied by the robot through the tool. It is also called six-axis force-torque sensor due to the feature of measuring three force components, namely, (x-y-z) and a 3-torques force around these axes. The material removal tool has drilling, cutting, and deburring tools installed as robot tools.
In terms of application, the research firm said that the processing segment will register the highest growth from 2021 to 2026. When a product is made in a factory, it has to go through several different processes before being shipped out to reach the consumer. First, it has to be picked, then it has to be packed into a box, and then those boxes have to be palletised. All of these applications can be automated with robots. Many aerospace manufacturing companies invest in picking, packing, or palletising robots as they can perform these functions more accurately and efficiently than manual operations. However, this type of complex integration requires an integrator that is capable of integrating complex production lines that do not just involve robotics, but vision systems, PLCs, hard automation, grippers, end-of-arm tooling, conveyors, and more to create a fully automated work cell that would be capable of running at high speeds without many issues along the way.
MarketsandMarkets said the Asia Pacific region will register the highest growth from 2021 to 2026. In the Asia Pacific region, China, Japan, and India are expected to increase acquisitions of robotic systems and invest in research & development in aerospace manufacturing. In addition to this, these countries are investing in automated solutions to strengthen their manufacturing capacities and make advancements in the manufacturing process. Furthermore, companies from China and India are importing robotic technologies from western countries to enhance the productivities of their facilities. However, many aerospace robotics manufacturers are based in the Asia Pacific region.
Courtesy: MarketsandMarkets. NB: Photo is representational; courtesy: KUKA.