Global motion control shipments increase 5% in first nine months of 2016

Global shipments for motion control products increased by 5% to $2.4 billion in the first nine months of 2016, according to new statistics released by the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA), the industry’s trade group.

“After a contraction in 2015, it is encouraging to see a return to growth for the motion control market in 2016,” said Alex Shikany, MCMA director of market analysis. “The year-to-date growth has been driven primarily by strong increases in actuators/mechanical systems (14% to $423m), electronic drives (12% to $451m), and motion controllers (6% to $119m). Individually, the third quarter of 2016 saw shipments increase by 10% to $828 million over the same period last year.”

MCMA sees the market’s strong performance reflected in the growth of its membership and networking events. In October, MCMA reached a new membership milestone with 222 member companies from across the globe. The trade group also concluded its annual Technical Conference (TechCon) in New Orleans, which drew record attendance and featured the debut of MCMA’s Certified Motion Control Professional (CMCP) program. The three day event drew users, OEMs, distributors, and manufacturers of all sizes who were interested in learning about the latest in motion control, motors, and network systems technologies.

MCMA summarizes market results from suppliers and distributors in quarterly tracking reports and trend analysis reports. These reports examine orders and shipments by major product category quarterly and annually with tables and graphics. Growth rates and book to bill ratios are provided for each product category. MCMA also provides an economic indicator report, which enables report users to interpret quarterly statistics from the standpoint of macro-economic indicators by individual manufacturing industry, as identified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Reports are available free of charge to all MCMA members. Members providing data for the reports receive “full” versions of the reports, which are highly detailed examinations of order and shipment results. Non-participating members receive “abridged” reports, which contain shipment results. Members find the reports valuable as gauges of overall market performance and as benchmarks for assessing relative company performance. To learn more about MCMA, visit Motion Control Online.