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Daimler Trucks confirms ‘significant increase’ in unit sales worldwide

Daimler Trucks claims it is seeing a “significant increase” in unit sales across many key regions around the world.

As part of its Capital Market & Technology Day, Daimler Trucks today confirmed its positive outlook for unit sales and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) and remains optimistic about its outlook for the current business year.

In the Trucks division, the world’s most successful manufacturer of commercial vehicles anticipates a significant increase in unit sales and EBIT compared with the previous year. [Read more…] about Daimler Trucks confirms ‘significant increase’ in unit sales worldwide

Huge reboot: What Trump’s aversion to trade blocs could mean for the US robotics, automation and manufacturing industries

The US automotive manufacturing industry is probably going through some angsty times right now, what with president-elect Donald Trump reiterating his campaign pledge to repeal or at least renegotiate the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the North American Free Trade Agreement, and any other free-trade deal previous administrations have signed up to.

For a highly globalised industry like the automotive sector, which sources parts from all over the world and may assemble its vehicles in any number of countries simultaneously based on a common platform, this is perhaps one election promise which it would rather not be kept.

However, Trump has already produced a presidential address style video in which he says: “I am going to issue a notification of intent to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a potential disaster for our country.

“Instead, we will negotiate fair, bilateral trade deals that bring jobs and industry back onto American shores.” [Read more…] about Huge reboot: What Trump’s aversion to trade blocs could mean for the US robotics, automation and manufacturing industries

US auto industry buys half of all industrial robots, says IFR

The US auto sector “buys every second industrial robot” sold, according to a report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR)

The US economy is one of the front-runners in the global automation race. By 2018, the number of industrial robots sold will, on average, rise by at least five per cent per annum, to a new record of 31,000 units (2014: 26,202).

About one-half of these will be installed by car makers and their suppliers. Viewed according to robotic density – meaning the number of industrial robots per 10,000 employees – the US automotive industry, with 1,141 units, already ranks third in the world’s national economies after Germany (1,149 units) and Japan (1,414 units). These are the calculations published in the report 2015 World Robot Statistics, issued by IFR.