Changing Trends in Segmented Markets for Four Major Categories of Industrial Robots
In terms of short-term development trends, 6-axis robots remain the mainstream products in the market. They are widely used in industries such as automotive and new energy vehicles (NEVs). Given the steady improvement in the technical capabilities of domestic manufacturers, the market share of domestic brands will gradually increase.
The rapid iteration of NEVs is forcing the flexible upgrading of production lines. Collaborative robots, which can quickly switch between tasks such as screw locking, inspection, and palletizing, have become the standard configuration for leading automakers and component manufacturers.
Industrial Robots - 6-Axis Robots Market Overview
Market Size
In 2025, the 6-axis robot market was primarily affected by the declining demand in NEV-related industries such as photovoltaics and lithium batteries, resulting in a modest increase in sales volume for the year. Meanwhile, large 6-axis robots maintained stability driven by the NEV sector.
Looking at future development trends, high-payload 6-axis robots have relatively high technical barriers, and currently, there are relatively few products available. They are widely used in automotive assembly, welding, and other processes, as well as in metal processing and other industries, indicating significant potential for future growth.
Market Share
In 2025, the industry landscape of 6-axis robots remains dominated by foreign capital, with domestic brands represented by Estun and Inovance.
From an overall perspective, the "Big Four" still maintain a high market share and exert significant brand influence in fields with extremely high requirements for performance and stability, such as automotive and 3C electronics.
Domestic brands such as Estun, Inovance, and Efort are rapidly capturing the general rigid-demand market with their high cost-performance ratio.
Application Industries
The primary application is in the automotive manufacturing industry, where large-payload 6-axis products are mainly used for complete vehicle manufacturing.
6-axis robots account for the highest proportion in the automotive manufacturing industry. Among them, large-payload 6-axis robots are mainly applied in complete vehicles, battery boxes, and integrated body structures.
In 2025, due to the high competitive barriers, the localization rate of large 6-axis robots is currently lower than that of small 6-axis robots. Domestic manufacturers are mainly represented by Estun, Efort, and Inovance.
Note: Relevant data and complete insights can be found in the full version of the 2026 Industrial Robot Industry Market White Paper.
Industrial Robots - SCARA Robots Market Overview
Market Size
In 2025, driven by the recovery of the electronics industry, SCARA robots will accelerate their penetration into industries such as medical, food, and beverage in the future.
Influenced by the cyclical recovery of the electronics industry, the sales volume of SCARA robots achieved rapid growth in 2025.
Looking at future development trends, it is expected that as the economy gradually recovers, SCARA robots will further accelerate their penetration into the pharmaceutical, food, and medical industries, leveraging their advantages of high precision and high speed, thereby bringing new growth opportunities.
Market Share
SCARA robots are primarily applied in the 3C electronics industry.
In terms of brand share, Japanese brands still dominate high-end application scenarios with extremely high requirements for precision and reliability, thanks to their brand influence and stable product performance.
Domestic brands such as Inovance, Step Electric, and Estun are experiencing rapid growth in market share in the mid-to-low-end market.
Application Industries
In 2025, the industry landscape of SCARA robots shows that Japanese brands continue to lead the market technologically.
Due to their characteristics of high precision, high speed, and high flexibility, SCARA robots can meet the flexible production needs of3C manufacturing. They can accurately and efficiently perform operations such as assembly and handling of small-sized components, making them widely used in the 3C electronics industry.
In some rapidly growing industries, domestic brands have achieved comprehensive domestic substitution of foreign brands relying on their high cost-performance ratio and rapid service response. However, in certain specific high-end scenarios with extreme performance requirements, foreign brands still maintain a certain advantage due to their long-term technological accumulation.
Note: Relevant data and complete insights can be found in the full version of the 2026 Industrial Robot Industry Market White Paper.
Industrial Robots - Collaborative Robots Market Overview
Market Size
In 2025, the growth of collaborative robots was primarily driven by technology iteration, scenario expansion, and supportive policies.
In the semiconductor field, the demand for collaborative robots used in scenarios such as wafer handling and chip inspection continues to grow. In the commercial logistics and elderly care fields, new application scenarios have been opened up for collaborative robots.
Market Share
In the collaborative robot industry, domestic brands dominate the market due to their profound understanding of the market and rapid iteration capabilities, with JAKA, AUBO, and Dobot as the representatives.
Due to the relatively low technical threshold, competition among domestic brands is fierce, which severely erodes corporate profits. Their sustainable development capabilities remain to be verified by the market.
Application Industries
Collaborative robots are primarily applied in automotive components and automotive electronics, and are currently dominated by domestic brands.
Collaborative robots are mainly used in the automotive components and automotive electronics industries. They are gradually achieving breakthroughs in industries such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and daily chemicals, further expanding their application scope. In the field of automotive component welding, their yield rate can reach 99.2%.
Note: Relevant data and complete insights can be found in the full version of the 2026 Industrial Robot Industry Market White Paper.
Industrial Robots - DELTA Robots Market Overview
Market Size
Relying on their high-speed sorting and handling capabilities, DELTA robots are widely used in production lines for leisure food, beverages, and other products. Driven by the demand for high-speed sorting of micro-components in industries such as electronics and pharmaceuticals, lightweight and high-precision Mini Delta models are experiencing growth.
Market Share
In 2025, the supplier landscape of China's DELTA robot industry shows an industry trend dominated by domestic brands.
Foreign brands such as ABB, Fanuc, and Omron have a large number of loyal customers in certain industries, maintaining a stable market share.
Domestic brands such as Atom and Borunte maintain a high market share in certain segmented fields.
Application Industries
DELTA robots are primarily applied in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and daily chemical industries.
DELTA robots possess high speed and high precision, offering irreplaceable advantages in high-speed sorting and packaging scenarios for light and small objects. Currently, they are mainly used in the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and daily chemical industries. Their application in the electronics industry is also gradually increasing, primarily for electronic component inspection.
Note: Relevant data and complete insights can be found in the full version of the 2026 Industrial Robot Industry Market White Paper.
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