Fasteners Gear Up for 2026 Humanoid Robot Boom

In 2025, the humanoid robot industry completed a critical leap from 0-1 to 1-10, and 2026 marks the golden period for scaling toward 10-100. Leading companies such as Zhiyuan and Yushu have successively released new products, with industry experts predicting this year as the key inflection point for commercial deployment and volume breakthrough. Driven by accelerated production, scenario expansion, and technological iteration, the fastener industry, as a core foundational component, is welcoming tailored growth opportunities.

Tiered Production Volume Growth

The most distinctive feature of the 2026 humanoid robot industry is stepped production volume growth. According to Gaogong Robot Industry Research Institute data, domestic humanoid robot shipments are expected to reach 62,500 units in 2026. More optimistic forecasts from industry experts, including Xiong Rong, Chief Scientist of Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, project output will exceed 100,000 to 200,000 units. Order signals are already clear: UBTECH targets 10,000 industrial robots for 2026 with nearly 1.4 billion yuan in orders for 2025; Zhiyuan plans to increase 2026 shipments to tens of thousands of units; Galaxy General and Baida Precision have finalized deployment plans exceeding 1,000 units.

The core enabler of volume production is cost reduction, closely tied to the fastener industry. Increased localization of core components drives overall cost reduction. Xiaxia Precision has reduced reverse planetary roller screw costs to the thousand-yuan level through a dual-use factory model. Standardization and scaled production of fasteners further assist robot cost reduction. Small-sized products have emerged as a new trend, with Yushu R1 starting at 29,900 yuan and Songyan Power Bumi below 10,000 yuan. Such products have sharply increased demand for micro-precision fasteners, forcing fastener companies to optimize production processes and balance lightweighting with low cost. Based on 200-300 specialized fasteners per robot, 100,000-unit production will create a multi-billion-yuan supporting market.

Scenario Expansion Drives Differentiated Performance Requirements

Manufacturing serves as the core deployment ground. You Wei, Chairman of EFORT, predicts that manufacturing scenario applications will significantly increase in 2026, primarily in wheeled-plus-dual-arm configurations. Such robots must adapt to complex conditions including workshop vibration and material loads. Joint and body connection fasteners require high strength, locking reliability, and fatigue resistance. Zhiyuan Expedition A2-W robots performing material handling tasks at Fulin Precision, with load capacity increased to 14 kg, utilize grade 12.9 titanium alloy bolts with lock nuts and spring washers, ensuring no loosening under high-frequency operation.

Service scenario penetration also drives fastener requirements upward. Wang Mingyao of Legend Star believes specialized service scenarios will rapidly mature, with commercial validation completing in about three years. Robots for guidance, companionship, and security applications must balance exterior integrity with adapting to changing environments. Housing shells use customized countersunk bolts with passivation treatment for corrosion resistance and concealment. Security inspection robots require temperature-resistant and moisture-resistant fasteners, with Dacromet coating being the preferred choice, providing over 800 hours of salt spray life.

Technological Breakthroughs Drive Fastener Iteration

AI and embodied intelligence large models serve as core engines. Xiong Youjun of Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center emphasizes the need to overcome three intelligent directions: motion, operation, and learning. Improved motion intelligence relies on whole-body coordinated control. Lower limbs navigating complex environments require joint fasteners adapted to dynamic loads, using cold heading and heat treatment processes to enhance fatigue resistance. Operation intelligence focuses on upper limb fine movements. VLA large model-driven brain-eye-hand coordination demands extremely high precision from end-effector fasteners, requiring micron-level positioning.

Localization of core components creates synergistic upgrade effects with the fastener industry. Shuanglin's upgraded reverse planetary roller screws enhance robot load capacity and lifespan, requiring corresponding fastener optimization with trapezoidal thread designs to enhance load capacity. Simultaneously, industry standards are being refined. Following the establishment of the MIIT Humanoid Robot Standardization Technical Committee, 2026 will clarify interface protocols and safety specifications, guiding fastener companies to benchmark R&D efforts, obtain IATF 16949 quality system certification, and integrate into core supply chains.

Industry Outlook

Multiple experts agree that 2026 will see gradual differentiation in the industry, with scenario understanding capability becoming key to competition. Wen Hongjie of Annuo Intelligence notes that factories are willing to pay for deterministic output. Fastener stability directly affects robot error control. When error costs fall below 50% of labor costs, the market will experience explosive growth. Gu Jie of Fourier also points out that technological breakthroughs must be tied to scenarios, requiring fastener companies to deeply cultivate specialized fields and provide customized solutions for industrial and service applications.

In 2026, the humanoid robot industry's multiple breakthroughs in production volume, scenarios, and technology are reshaping upstream supporting landscapes. For the fastener industry, this represents both a scaling opportunity and a technological upgrading challenge. Companies must keep pace with industry momentum, strengthen collaborative R&D with robot manufacturers, overcome core technologies in precision manufacturing and surface treatment, capture market opportunities with high-end customized products, and embark on a new journey of scaled commercial deployment alongside the humanoid robot industry.