This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at El precio manda en la compra

Sales of robots fall and the price much influences the choice

Sends the price in the purchase

Ibon Linacisoro17/12/2008

In addition to the views of the main suppliers of robots for the plastics (both Cartesian and anthropomorphic) industry, plastics universal has wanted to push the current state of the sales of this type of equipment in our country, know to what extent is automated machines Park and the main factors that the client has in It has to buy a robot or another. All companies involved with their views on this same issue, have agreed to answer the following questions: 1 - at the end of this year 2008, will have sold your company more or less the same robots that in 2007? 2 - In your opinion, what percentage of the injectors installed in Spain is automated with robots? 3 - In your opinion, what are the priority factors in the decision to purchase a robot?

There is a widespread feeling, not only in the industry of plastic, but in most others, that we are in a very difficult situation to sell equipment. The robots are no exception to this feeling, but it is interesting to note the different responses of others. Half of the suppliers of robots in Spain recorded a fall in its sales of robots that, in general terms by end of 2008, fluctuating between 10 and 15 per cent, while it is true that one of them has been a decline of between 40 and 50 per cent. It is significant that more than 30 percent of those who have responded to plastics universal maintained a pace of sales similar to 2007 until September, a month after which the situation had deteriorated enough that its final figure is less than that of the previous year.

Percentages of automated machines

The second question concerns the percentage of machines equipped with a robot in Spain. Here, as so many other times, there is no definitive data and the estimation is very varied. Almost all respondents has been estimated that more than half of the injection moulding machines installed in Spain is equipped with a robot. By a little closer the data, between 60 and 70 percent of the machines, according to the majority of the preguntados.

But you have to qualify, because there is a noticeable difference if refers to Cartesian robots or anthropomorphic robots. The latter, much less implanted from a purely numerical point of view in the plastics industry, are gaining in penetration and increasingly manufacturing cells equipped with this type of robot, which is seen in the positive sign of their sale throughout 2008, from 2007.

It also varies the situation depending on the size of the machine. It is very different, they feel some, the number of machines with robot in the range of up to 300 tons, where the percentage may be under that machines of clamping force higher where some are the percentage of new machines equipped with robot between 70 and 80 per cent.

Main factors in purchase decisions

What are the priority factors in the decision to purchase a robot? Universal plastics intended to put in order the following: price, speed, ease of installation, ease of use, reliability, customer service.

The factor which most times has been placed on the first or second position is the price, with a total of 80 percent adding both positions. Is worth noting that the price leads also, individually, both in the first as the second position. As a second most valuable factor that sellers of robots are among their clients is reliability, with 40 percent of the time referred to in the first or second place.

Then follows them speed, which although it is located in 36 percent of the time in the fifth, 18 per cent of the respondents her located in the top two positions. Something similar occurs with the customer, this service as second most important factor in 18 percent of the time and which concentrates most of the rest of the 'scores' in the third and fourth position.

Ease of use and ease of installation, in that order, are the two factors which, according to suppliers, are at the tail of the list of priorities when choosing a robot.

Other factors cited individually by some are confidence in the brand and probably the company that distributes the robots, as well as the importance of quality regarding after-sales service. "If there are quality after sales service is not priority".

A very important issue is the return on investment, as one of the participants, says "is what can be more justified Automation".