World motion control market

1 May 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

Further reading:

Beckhoff’s XPlanar boosts productivity in medical device assembly
Beckhoff Automation Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The intelligent transport system, XPlanar from Beckhoff provided the basis for an innovative system concept allowing the specialists at Automation NTH to reduce the space requirement of an assembly machine for medical diagnostic devices by a factor of 10.

Read more...

---

Smart features increase crane safety
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The newly launched Konecranes S series hoist offers a large bouquet of smart features which not only increase lifting device safety but also deliver a higher level of operator protection.

Read more...

---

Redefining industrial lifting
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The Konecranes S-series hoist redefines industrial lifting through its integration of a ground-breaking synthetic rope with smart features, a lifting capacity of 20 tons, and the ability to adapt to diverse girder configurations.

Read more...

---

Seven years of uninterrupted service
Electrical switching & drive systems & components
A set of hydraulically operated Corflex pinch valves, installed in 2018 at a major North African gold mine, has delivered in one of the continent’s most demanding slurry-handling applications.

Read more...

---

New generation soft starter ranges
Schneider Electric South Africa Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Schneider Electric has launched its new generation Altivar ATS430 and ATS490 soft starter ranges in Anglophone Africa, the latest innovations in motor control technology.

Read more...

---

Reinventing the wheel
Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
Once a curiosity in the early automotive age, in-wheel motors are now re-emerging with real promise. From electric cars to commercial vehicles and even aircraft, they are on the verge of transforming transportation engineering.

Read more...

---

NORD modular drives for frequently changing motor speeds
Bearing Man Group T/A BMG Electrical switching & drive systems & components
BMG has made a substantial investment over the years to ensure assembly, stockholdings and technical support for the Nord range are in line with stringent international quality, safety and environmental standards.

Read more...

---

PC-based control for sustainable fertiliser production on an industrial scale
Beckhoff Automation Electrical switching & drive systems & components
On a farm in the USA, valuable ammonia is extracted from slurry and processed into ammonium sulphate. NSI Byosis has transformed this complex process into a flexible modular system. This modular approach requires an automation solution with flexible scalability in both hardware and software, which this Dutch company has found in PC-based control from Beckhoff.

Read more...

---

Redefining motion control with Festo’s vision for seamless and intelligent automation
Festo Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
The quest for precision, flexibility and efficiency continues to shape the future of industrial automation, and Festo, as a long-standing leader in automation technology, stands firmly at the forefront of this movement, driving innovation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Read more...

---

The opportunity and impact of MEPS electric motor regulations
WEG Africa Editor's Choice Electrical switching & drive systems & components
South African companies are gearing up for the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards, part of a global trend towards energy-efficient electric motors.

Read more...

---