World motion control market

3rd Quarter 2012 Electrical switching & drive systems & components

Driven by the strong demand for production machinery across all sectors, the worldwide market for General Motion Control (GMC) systems increased by a double digit percentage since 2009 according to a new ARC Advisory Group study. Suppliers who endured as much as a 50% decline in business during the downturn reported a tremendous rebound in shipments. This renewed growth, first felt in Asia, progressively extended to Europe and North America as well.

The market for GMC systems was driven by the retooling occurring across a broad swath of industries.

Automotive, robotics, semiconductors

Several dominant industries drove the market. Specifically, the semiconductor industry had a tremendous uptick in capital spending in both front end and back end operations. Motion control companies that specialised in this industry experienced nearly 100% growth in their business. The retooling of the automotive industry also enabled many in the general machinery market to increase their machinery output. The market was driven by the sheer demand for new capital equipment.

Another development is the increased use of GMC systems for general robotics applications. Many GMC suppliers are adding robotic arm solutions to their product offerings for manufacturers seeking a single supplier control product throughout the manufacturing environment.

Value proposition of networking increases

“The value proposition for motion control is now well recognised in the machine building market. It has become an imperative to offer networked drive technology and highly automated machinery in a GMC portfolio to offset labour costs and deliver quality products,” says research director Sal Spada, the principal author of ARC’s ‘General Motion Control Worldwide Outlook’. It is even apparent in the low value, sub-kilowatt drive market where the cost of adding networking is a hurdle. Today, GMC providers must offer a networking solution to remain competitive.

Strategic issues

Growth in the GMC market will be driven by an increasing demand for finished goods. In order to remain competitive globally, manufacturing companies will face challenges to raise productivity, lower product costs, reduce operating expenses and increase return on investment.

Automation is increasingly more vital as manufacturers continue to face challenges to compete in the global economy. This scenario creates immense opportunities for all GMC suppliers. However the automation market dynamics for suppliers also remain extremely competitive. The challenge in the market landscape is how GMC suppliers can differentiate themselves.

For more information contact Kim Coffman, ARC Advisory Group, +1 508 634 8551, [email protected], www.arcweb.com

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