Robot spending spree: Automation systems are flying off the shelves

The number of robots ordered by automotive OEMs and component suppliers increased 16 percent and 4 percent, respectively, to begin the year. The robots indeed are coming -- and in record numbers. As organizations find new ways to adopt greater automation into their processes, the machines that support these efforts are flying off the shelves. The North American automation industry set new records to begin 2016, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the industry's trade group. The advent of more automation in manufacturing promises increased efficiencies in production and the ability to compete globally, the group said.