North America purchased 17,591 robots worth 1.4 billion dollars in 1999. The automakers purchased the most robots in 1999 by increasing robot growth by 24 percent and the manufacturing sector increased by 14 percent. Last year robot companies delivered over 15,000 robots to North America bringing the total number of robots in North America to 100,000. The cost of robots and maintenance costs decreased making robots affordable. The United States Postal Service ordered 60 million dollars of robotics and automation equipment.
Many companies use simulation before purchasing robots to predict the cost of mistakes and capital.
Robot companies design new robots to complete difficult tasks like metal cutting, plastic injection modeling, and die casting extraction operations. These new robots combine several key elements of different types of robots into just one robot. The new robots like the M-710i uses mobile ability and can service multiple machines or stations. Companies such as ABB of Sweden use state of the art robots to make their plant into a transformer plant. Robot systems allow the plant operators to program the robots to do various tasks through computer software and can do dangerous work like welding that humans cannot do.