Industrial robots set off a second round of boom

One of the benchmarks for measuring the level of automation in a country is the density of robots in the manufacturing industry, that is, the number of multi-functional robots owned by every 10,000 industrial workers. With rising labor costs and rising labor costs, more and more companies have started to use robots. For example, BYD spent several hundred million yuan in 2009 to import 13 ABB spray robots; Foxconn plans to have 1 million robots to complete simple and repeat work in 2014; Huawei, ZTE, and Guangzhou Guangbao also use industrial robots.

According to data from the International Federation of Robotics, China’s robot density in 2011 was 21 and the international average was 55, of which the United States was 135, Germany was 251, Japan was 339, and Korea was 347. However, the demand for industrial robots in China has increased significantly in these two years. In terms of the total amount, China's installed capacity in 2010 was only 52,290 units, and in 2011 it rose to 74,317 units.

According to IFR, China will become the world’s largest market for industrial robots in 2014. From the perspective of the current development of domestic industrial robots, market share is very low. While there are more than 60 companies engaged in robot manufacturing in China, their production capacity and production level are severely limited by the lack of manufacturing of basic components and core components. The national market share of more than 60 companies is less than 30%. The remaining 70% of the market is occupied by four leading overseas enterprises. The domestic companies' living space is worrying. Under the circumstances of lack of strength and external pressure, how the government and the enterprise can work together side by side, strengthen themselves, and resist foreign capital requires careful and detailed planning.

From the current point of view, the bottleneck encountered by domestic industrial robots is mainly reflected in brand influence, market competitiveness, and user acceptance. What kind of means to expand the market share of industrial robots and seize the highest point of equipment and equipment manufacturing has become a question that every industrial robot company needs to consider.

China will transform from a manufacturing country to a manufacturing power China will become a big country, but not a strong one. With the improvement of automation and the development of the robot industry, China will transform from a large industrial country to an industrial powerhouse. At the same time, it will change the structure of the manufacturing industry, increase the added value, and enhance innovation capabilities. .

Among the 22 industrial categories in the world, China's manufacturing industry ranks first in the world in five categories and second in the nine major categories. Among the world's 500 major industrial products, China has the highest output of 220 products. Nearly half of the world's cement, flat glass and architectural ceramics, about half of the mobile phones, PCs, color TVs, monitors, program-controlled switches and digital cameras are all produced in China.

However, the competition in the global manufacturing industry does not lie in the "winning by quantity." It is an indisputable fact that China is making "big but not strong." Examples abound: In the iPhone's profits, Apple took away 58.5%, while China's mainland labor costs only 1.8%. The matching rate of computer components in China has reached 95%, but it is mainly the assembly and processing of peripheral equipment, and the profit rate is less than 5%. In 2012, the absolute amount of steel consumption in China fell, making only 1.68 yuan per ton of steel. The average export price of DVD is less than 45 US dollars, and the patent fee is as high as 20 US dollars. After the cost is removed, the unit profit is less than 1 US dollar. Among the Fortune 500 companies that were named by the Financial Times in 2011, 73 industrial companies in the United States were on the list, while there were only six in mainland China.

The foundry in China also has a simple OEM (OEM) and a design-oriented OEM (ODM). Among them, OEMs use their own mechanical equipment and equipment to produce according to the design drawings of international manufacturers, and their added value is low. The labor-intensive industries such as Humen Garments in Guangdong, Dongguan Shoes, Shunde, and Zhongshan Small Appliances are typical representatives. In contrast, manufacturing companies engaged in ODMs can provide multiple sets of design solutions for parts and components, with a slightly higher added value. For example, 93% of the global laptop OEMs are from five major Taiwan-based manufacturers: Quanta, Compal, Wistron, Inventec, and Heshuo. The key components are basically manufactured by Taiwanese companies.

For example, in the manufacturing of parts and components, key technologies and components of many domestic products (such as computer CPUs, automotive engines, smart phone chips, air-conditioning compressors, etc.) are basically dependent on imports. China's special equipment manufacturing industry is also weak, and most of the equipment relies on imports. For example, the import rate of optical fiber manufacturing equipment reaches 100%, IC chip manufacturing equipment reaches 85%, petrochemical equipment reaches 80%, and cars, CNC machine tools, textile machinery, Offset printing equipment reaches 70%.

In addition, “Made in China” also includes joint venture manufacturing that lacks key technologies and independent intellectual property rights, joint venture manufacturing with independent intellectual property rights, autonomous manufacturing based on imitation and innovation, and autonomous manufacturing based on original innovation. The competitiveness of our country in these areas is equally unsatisfactory.

China's robotics industry has broad prospects. Insiders agree that this is a sign that Gou’s previously declared “millions of robots” plan has begun to implement. There are many factories in the same situation as Foxconn. In recent years, many companies have begun to consider the use of industrial robots instead of labor because of the rising labor costs in China, the increasing employment shortage, and the increasingly difficult management of employees.

In China's robot market, the market share of domestic-funded enterprises is very low. Many research institutions believe that at present, China has already cultivated world-class robot automation vendors. The technology of the company's robots has reached the world's advanced level, and the market acceptance has increased under the condition of improved cost performance, and the prospect of import substitution is broad.

In the past 5 years, the compound growth rate of China's industrial robot industry was about 30%. However, as of now, the number of industrial robots in China is only 10% in Japan and 25% in Germany. The market space is very broad; Japan, which is similar to China today, was in the 1980s. The 10% compound growth rate of the robotics industry was driven by the increase in labor costs. It is estimated that the compound growth rate of the industry in the next three years could reach 30%, and the robots will start explosive growth in two to three years.

At present, robotics is the leading enterprise in the domestic robotics industry to master core technologies. It has formed a complete industrial chain integrating design, R&D, provision of unit products, complete sets of equipment, and after-sales services, breaking the monopoly of foreign large-scale industrial robot companies in this field. Pattern, the prospect of import substitution can be expected.

Many listed companies have begun to attempt to enter the robotics industry and share the big cakes of the industry with their original technology accumulation and background advantages. One of the leading automation companies in China, Boss shares announced its entry into the field of handling robots. Previously, the company has been deeply plowing in the petrochemical industry for many years. Weighing and packaging automation equipment has the largest market share in the petrochemical industry, so robotics can be described as an extension of existing products.

As the majority shareholder is the HIT Robot Research Institute, the company has inherent advantages in robot R&D. It is difficult for most domestic companies to compete. The company's entry into the industrial robot field will result in rapid flowering. It is expected that the net profit will be compounded in the next three years. The growth rate is 25%.

In addition, Xinshida, a leading company in the field of domestic elevator control and frequency conversion, has also extended its reach to robots. It is reported that Xinshida has maintained its number one position in the elevator control system market for many years. Since 2008, the company's performance has maintained rapid growth. The compound annual growth rate of operating income and net profit has reached 25.58% and 23.00%, respectively, and the gross profit margin has increased slightly. trend. With many years of technology accumulation, the company plans to introduce a six-axis robot with higher technical barriers.

As a representative of high-end intelligent manufacturing, the robot industry will become the core of the transformation of the manufacturing model and the engine for upgrading the manufacturing industry in the new round of industrial revolution. The data shows that the domestic market demand for industrial robots has become increasingly strong, with new installations increasing by an average of 40% annually. Experts expect that China will become the world's largest robot market in 2014.

Sun Hong, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed: Establishing a robotics industry development alliance; Cultivating domestic leading robot companies to form independent products and brands; Encouraging component companies to develop key components and parts for complete robot companies; Giving financial support to the robot industry; Establishing national intelligent manufacturing Test demonstration bases; vigorously develop related service industries.