The North American industrial robotics market continued to expand during the second quarter of 2026, with companies ordering 8,940 robots valued at approximately $622 million. The latest figures show that automation demand is becoming increasingly diversified, with industries outside traditional automotive manufacturing accounting for a growing share of robot investment.

According to data released in August by the Association for Advancing Automation, second-quarter robot orders increased 4.3% in units and 21.3% in order value compared with the same period in 2025. During the first six months of 2026, North American companies ordered 17,995 robots valued at approximately $1.166 billion.

One of the most important developments is the changing distribution of automation demand. Non-automotive customers accounted for 56% of robot units ordered during the second quarter, demonstrating that industrial robotics is no longer concentrated primarily in automotive production.

Several industries are increasing their adoption of robots, including semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, automotive components, food and consumer goods, and metal processing. This diversification is creating new opportunities for industrial automation suppliers, system integrators, PLC manufacturers, motion-control specialists, and robotics companies.

Collaborative robots are also becoming an important part of the market. During the first half of 2026, companies ordered 2,774 collaborative robots worth approximately $114 million. These systems represented 15.4% of total robot units ordered during the period.

The growth of collaborative robotics is particularly relevant for manufacturers looking for flexible automation solutions. Unlike traditional industrial robots that are commonly installed inside dedicated production cells, collaborative robots can be used for applications such as machine tending, assembly, inspection, packaging, material handling, and laboratory automation.

For PLC and automation engineers, the market trend has broader implications. More robotic systems require reliable communication between robot controllers, PLCs, safety systems, servo drives, sensors, HMIs, and higher-level manufacturing software. Industrial Ethernet, real-time communication, safety I/O, machine vision, and edge computing are therefore becoming increasingly important components of modern automation architectures.

The data also indicates that manufacturers continue to view automation as a long-term investment despite broader economic uncertainty. Rather than simply increasing production capacity, companies are using automation to address labor shortages, improve production consistency, reduce downtime, and increase operational flexibility.

The continued expansion of robotics beyond automotive manufacturing is particularly significant for the global automation industry. As more factories adopt robots, demand is likely to increase for PLC control systems, motion controllers, servo drives, safety modules, industrial sensors, vision systems, and automation software.

For international suppliers serving the PLC, DCS, robotics, and industrial automation markets, the 2026 robot-order data highlights a clear trend: automation investment is becoming broader, more flexible, and increasingly integrated across different manufacturing industries.