Year-end sales data for power transmission/motion control (PT/MC) products shows that U.S. and Canadian manufacturers sales increased by double digits in 2010 compared to 2009. According to data released by the Power Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) in its Market Outlook Report, Canadian manufacturers’ sales increased 15.1 percent in 2010, following a 24.7 percent drop in 2009. The annualized sales-to-inventory ratio rose significantly to 10.8 at year-end 2010 compared to 7.1 at year-end 2009.

Following a significant drop of 26.9 percent in 2009, U.S. manufacturers saw a 14.6 percent increase in PT/MC product sales in 2010. The annualized sales-to-inventory ratio for 2010 dropped from 10.5 at year-end 2009 to 9.5 at year-end in 2010.

In considering sales growth on a product-by-product basis for 2010, Canadian manufacturers posted sales increases in every category with just one exception — shaft couplings. Sales of shaft couplings in Canada dropped 0.9 percent; unmounted bearings increased 11.6 percent; gear products are up 14.4 percent; mechanical drive systems and other PT products jumped 19.8 percent; positioning systems/linear motion products rose 23.5 percent; clutches and brakes increased 27.3 percent; mounted bearings rose 32 percent; and variable speed drives jumped 36.7 percent.

Despite these increases, both Canadian and U.S. manufacturers’ overall sales of PT/MC products fell in December 2010 from November 2010, dropping 9.9 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively. 

The Market Outlook Report is published by the Power Transmission Distributors Association. The full report includes U.S. and Canadian manufacturer data for sales and order trends for mounted bearings, unmounted bearings, standard industrial motors, variable speed drives, positioning systems/linear motion products, gear products, clutches and brakes, shaft couplings, and mechanical drive systems and other PT products. 

For more information, visit www.ptda.org.