Columbus, Ohio, September 30th / PRNewswire / -- Global manufacturing procurement and supply chain partners for Fortune 500 original equipment manufacturers ( OEM ), MES Inc , indicate that structural aluminum components are becoming the next major bottleneck for robot manufacturers as they move from prototyping to mass production. The company encourages developers to determine the processes and suppliers for these parts before finalizing the design.
This judgment comes at a time when robot demand has reached new heights. According to the "2026 Robot Market Report" released by the International Federation of Robotics ( IFR ) on September 24, 2025, 603,000 industrial robots were installed in factories around the world, representing a year-on-year increase of 11%, and the number of robots in operation globally reached a record 5 million. IFR predicts that the installation volume will rise to 655,000 in 2026 and reach 806,000 by 2029.
The global annual installation volume of robots is expected to reach 806,000 units by 2029.
In the field of robotics, AI software is the most notable, but each system still relies on structural hardware. The relevant hardware includes joint and actuator housings, motor housings, gearbox and harmonic reducer housings, frames, as well as battery and electronic component enclosures. Most of these components are made of aluminum due to its high strength-to-weight ratio, good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and ease of precision machining.
MES Inc. The founder Hiten Shah states: "When a robotics project grows from a few hundred units to tens of thousands, almost every component must be redesigned for the new manufacturing processes. Teams that plan for such changes during the design phase are able to launch their products on time. Those teams that wait until the molds have been ordered before taking action often find themselves forced to redesign parts under the pressure of schedule constraints."
The most time-consuming stage in the scaling process
Machining of blanks is suitable for the prototype stage. Once production reaches mass scale, the same components will be manufactured using methods such as die casting, extrusion, or forging. MES believes that the following five decisions are most crucial in determining whether this transition can proceed as planned:
- Match the geometric shape and stress conditions of each component with the appropriate manufacturing process.
- Complete the design review for manufacturing before the design freeze is imposed.
- Complete the certification of casting and forging suppliers before issuing the commitment.
- Incorporate the mold delivery cycle into the development plan.
- Define machining references to ensure that casting and machining features can both maintain tolerances.
MES Project Manager Brad Layne stated: "The harmonic reducer housing and structural frame components seem suitable to be produced by the same supplier, but they require very different manufacturing processes. We will first examine the stress paths, wall thicknesses, and which surfaces need secondary machining, and then select the appropriate process and alloy based on that. Conducting this review in advance only takes a few weeks; if we wait until after the mold cutting is completed, it could result in a complete loss of a mold cycle."
MES provides aluminum die-casting, extrusion, forging, and precision CNC machining services for robot manufacturers through its globally distributed network of suppliers. The company also certifies suppliers in the early stages of development and reviews the manufacturability of the designs.
The complete analysis of MES titled " Robotics Is the New EV " can be found at https :// www.mesinc.net / robotics-is-the-new-ev.
Regarding MES Inc.
MES Inc is a global manufacturing procurement and supply chain company headquartered in Lewis Center, Ohio, founded by Hiten Shah. The company provides services to Fortune 500 companies in industries such as automotive, energy, robotics, electrical, lighting, as well as construction and agriculture. MES manages procurement, quality, and delivery end-to-end through its operations in the United States, Mexico, Poland, India, Vietnam, China, and other regions. Since 2009, MES has held ISO 9001:2015 certification and has also obtained NMSDC certification. For more information, please visit www.mesinc.net.
