Worldwide general motion control market set for growth

After years of growth, the worldwide General Motion Control (GMC) market experienced double-digit decline in 2001 as manufacturers across all industries reduced their capital expenditure in the face of a recession-plagued economy, according to a report by the US-based ARC Advisory Group.

Although the market will continue to decline through 2002, it is expected to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.7 per cent over the next five years. The global market was US$3976 million in 2001, and is forecast to be over US$5236 million in 2006, according to the study.

The electronics and semiconductor industries, leading contributors to growth of the GMC market in recent years, were hampered by substantially reduced demands from telecommunications and PC industries.

Continued economic growth in other manufacturing industries, however, will fuel demand for electronic motion control that brings more flexibility, better accuracy, greater productivity and easier maintenance compared with mechanical or hydraulic solutions, according to ARC senior analyst Himanshu Shah, the principal author of the report.

The report went on to say that broader solution offerings, miniaturisation of products, one-stop shopping and increased co-ordination between machine and motion control design are other factors which are shaping the GMC market. Among these market dynamics included suppliers implementing various strategies that are based on the GMC platforms, diverse technology available for GMC solutions and varying demands from users.