UK industrial robot installations slip back

The annual statistical report of investment in robot automation in UK manufacturing industry during 1998 shows some slippage since the record level of 1997, though the total of installations during the year was still higher than in earlier years. The decline was mainly attributable to a sharp fall in installations by the automotive industry, which is the largest purchaser of industrial robots. A healthy sign, though, is the increasing number of installations by other industries, notably rubber and plastics. International comparisons, though, serve to underline the tough remarks by Eric Drewery at the press launch of the report.