eDrive - Summer 2013 - (Page 6)

Feature Article Volatility and Oversupply: Why the Motion Control Market Under-Performed in 2012 Michelle Figgs, Analyst – Motors Controls & Switchgear Group IHS Revenue growth in the motion control market correlates with machinery production growth. Interestingly, market statistics in 2012 indicate a decline in the global motion control market despite growth in global machinery production and global GDP, a deviation from what has been observed in these markets over the past six years. IHS has uncovered two primary reasons for this unusual occurrence. First, the motion control market is affected by the consumption patterns and associated inventory levels maintained by machine builders. Further, overproduction of machinery in China had a severe, negative impact on the Chinese motion control market. Definitions For the purpose of this article, the motion control market includes servo motors, servo drives, and position control hardware. IHS uses the following definition to clarify which servo motor types are included in the market statistics. A servo motor must contain an integrated feedback device and be capable of performing position control at all possible speeds including zero speed (motor at standstill). On the basis of this definition, DC brushless motors are excluded from the statistics. The machinery production report measures the output of industrial machinery from the machinery manufacturer to the first point of sale. To produce the statistics, IHS uses numerous secondary sources including national statistics offices, industry associations, statistics organizations (e.g. UN, Eurostat), trade associations, financial reports, as well as IHS’s dedicated machinery reports on packaging, robotics and PV (solar). Background IHS has studied the markets for both machinery production and motion control for more than a decade, relying on data from suppliers and secondary sources to track the size of global and regional markets. The motion control market is heavily dependent on machinery production because sales of servo products to discrete industrial machinery sectors account for more than 90 percent of revenues. During the past six years, both motion control and machinery production have experienced a severe downturn and a strong recovery; the period from 2007 through 2012 will be used to compare the growth in the two markets. Figure 1 shows the annual market growth from 2008 through 2012 for real GDP and industrial production two widely used economic parameters as well as the motion control market and machinery production. Both the motion control market and the machinery production market follow the cyclic growth pattern of real GDP and industrial production over this time period, but the motion 6 Summer 2013 Figure 1. Annual growth at the global level for real GDP (red), industrial production (green), machinery production (purple), and motion controls (blue). control market shows the most volatility, with growth declining more during the recession in 2009 and peaking higher during the recovery in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, real GDP and industrial production grew moderately, by 2.3 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. Machinery production also grew slightly at the global level, but the motion control market declined by an estimated 1.8 percent in 2012. The volatility in the motion market can be explained by the dependence of this market on volatile industries. In particular, the machine tool, semiconductor machinery and robotics sectors are known for their cyclical growth patterns, with years of high growth followed by years of low growth or even decline. The top six industry sectors for motion include these three volatile industries, as well as more stable industries like packaging and materials handling. Figure 2 illustrates this trend from 2009 to 2011. In terms of machinery production growth, packaging machinery and materials handling had a similar growth profile over Figure 2. Annual machinery production growth from 2009 to 2011 for machine tools (blue), packaging machinery (red), semiconductor machinery (green), robotics (purple), and materials handling (orange). www.e-DriveOnline.com http://www.e-DriveOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of eDrive - Summer 2013

eDrive - Summer 2013
Installing an Energy-Efficient Motor Helps Reduce Losses While Increasing Profits
Volatility and Oversupply: Why the Motion Control Market Underperformed in 2012
Model-Based Development of Motor Drive Controller for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Motors & Drives
Motion Control
Components
Industry News
New Linear Motor Designs Improve Speed and Positioning
Marketplace

eDrive - Summer 2013