According to the latest report released by MarketsandMarkets, the global collaborative robot market size is expected to grow from $1.9 billion in 2024 to $11.8 billion in 2030, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35.2% from 2024 to 2030. The major factors driving the growth of the cobot market are the higher return on investment of cobots compared to traditional industrial robot systems, increased demand in the e-commerce and logistics sectors, significant benefits for businesses of all sizes, and the ease of programming of cobots.

By payload, cobots with payloads greater than 25 kg are expected to grow at a high CAGR during the forecast period

HDD02.2-W040N-HD32-01-FW Cobots with a payload capacity of more than 25 kg have been developed to help solve applications that are physically demanding on humans, such as heavy lifting. These collaborative robots can help human workers with tasks that require a lot of strength or endurance, such as loading and unloading heavy materials, assembling large components, or transporting bulky items. With a payload of more than 25 kg, the collaborative robot integrates advanced safety features and technologies to ensure safe human-machine collaboration. These safety measures may include force sensing, collision detection, and dynamic risk assessment to prevent accidents and injuries to human workers near collaborative robots.

By payload, cobots with payload capacity of up to 5 kg are expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period

Collaborative robots with a payload capacity of up to 5 kg offer an attractive solution for a wide range of industries, offering advantages in terms of flexibility, ease of use, increased productivity, cost effectiveness and versatility. Its user-friendly programming interface allows for rapid deployment and adaptation to changing tasks, making them accessible even to those with limited technical expertise. The lightweight and compact design of these cobots allows for easy integration into existing workspaces without extensive modifications, increasing the adaptability of the production line. They contribute to increased productivity by performing repetitive tasks with high accuracy, reducing labor burdens, and improving worker safety by dealing with potentially hazardous activities. With lower upfront costs and a faster return on investment, these collaborative robots are ideal for small and medium-sized businesses and have a wide range of applications, from assembly and welding to quality inspection and material handling.

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By application, the processing segment will grow at the highest CAGR and occupy the largest market share during the forecast period

HDD02.2-W040N-HD32-01-FW Cobots play a pivotal role in shared workspaces, excelling in four key processing tasks. In pick-and-place operations, cobots are highly repeatable, programmable, and lightweight flexible, making them ideal for performing precise and repetitive tasks. For material handling, their commonality with different clamps and tools increases efficiency, improves ergonomics, and increases overall productivity by taking over manual tasks. When it comes to packaging and palletizing, cobots demonstrate flexibility, speed, and consistency, which reduces labor costs as they can automate repetitive packaging tasks. In machine maintenance, collaborative robots ensure uninterrupted mechanical operation with their reliability, accuracy and enhanced safety, handling tasks in the vicinity of potentially hazardous machines. Overall, cobots are proving invaluable across a wide range of industries, offering multiple benefits such as increased efficiency, safety, and productivity for processing applications.

Collaborative robots are proving to be advantageous in a variety of machining tasks such as grinding, milling, and cutting. In grinding applications, collaborative robots excel at firmly fixing workpieces, maintaining consistent pressure and dust removal. For milling, they help to automatically change tools, handle material loading, and ensure quality control through vision systems. In cutting tasks, collaborative robots provide precise movement, assist with material handling, and monitor safety. Overall, collaborative robots improve efficiency, safety, and consistency, allowing workers to focus on highly complex activities. Considerations include the payload capacity of the cobot, ease of programming, and safety training for human-computer interaction. Careful implementation of collaborative robots can optimize processing tasks and improve productivity and workplace safety.

By industry, the electronics industry will account for the highest CAGR of the collaborative robot market during the forecast period

Cobots are built and programmed to manage displays, connectors, sub-components, and printed circuit boards (PCBS). Parts like wafers are small and delicate and need careful management. Robots need to be very precise when positioning, placing, and assembling parts because the error tolerance is very small compared to other macro applications. Although many tasks require tight tolerances, advances in robotic hardware and vision systems are enabling manufacturers to realize the benefits of collaborative robots. Collaborative robots perform welding, bonding and dispensing operations during manufacturing. Cobots can be used for simple pick-and-place tasks, such as loading wafers into solar panels, or performing precise operations, such as screw cutting and finishing with deburring tools. Because cobots can be reprogrammed, they can keep up with rapidly changing consumer needs and shorter product lifecycles.