Industrial robots steal the show at Intl industry expo

Visitors flock into the Wuxi Taihu International Expo Center in Wuxi, Jiangsu province to take part in the 31st Wuxi Taihu International Industry Expo on Sept 25. [Photo / wxrb.com]

Dozens of robotics companies exhibited their latest cutting-edge solutions at the 31st Wuxi Taihu International Industry Expo in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Sept 25.

Most of the industrial robots on display were targeted at small- and medium-sized enterprises, suggesting that more companies in East China are embracing the rise of smart manufacturing.

The industrial robots, capable of performing a variety of tasks including cutting, handling, welding and stamping, can help improve the standardization rate of products during the production process.

"Industrial robots can handle many complex procedures that humans cannot, and our goal is to make robots affordable for SMEs," said one exhibitor.

Robots costing around 100,000 yuan ($15,000) were the most popular among SMEs, according to the exhibitor.

According to another exhibitor, many big corporations have preferred to use industrial robots from Chinese companies in recent years, since domestically produced robots are cheaper and have a shorter delivery cycle.

The exhibitor claimed to have already received 500 orders in August, more than he received during the entire year of 2015.

More than 60 percent of the world's robots are currently manufactured in China .

The country is also encouraging enterprises to upgrade their businesses by provided funding and subsidies for purchases of new equipment, which is fuelling the rise of the industrial robotics industry.

The Wuxi Taihu International Industry Expo covered an exhibition area of 30,000 square meters and attracted 500 enterprises to exhibit this year.

As the only industrial equipment expo in Wuxi to have been held for more than 30 consecutive years, it has been upgraded to a "comprehensive industry expo" this year.