Global motion control shipments up in first quarter

Global shipments of motion control products grew three per cent in the first quarter of 2014, according to new statistics released by the Motion Control Association (MCA), the industry’s trade group.

“We’re happy to see the continued growth and stability of the motion control market. This trend should continue as more companies invest in automation to stay competitive,” said Dana Whalls, MCA vice-president. “Global government initiatives, like the recently announced 2.8 billion Euro SPARC investment by the European Commission and euRobotics, should also contribute to industry growth.”

“The motion controllers category continued to be one of the hottest areas in terms of growth in the first quarter, with orders increasing 29 per cent over last year,” said Alex Shikany, MCA director of market analysis. “Additionally, our most recent survey of industry experts has uncovered optimism that shipments of motion controllers, AC drives, AC motors, and actuators and mechanical systems will increase in the next six months.”

MCA summarizes market results in quarterly tracking reports and trend analysis reports.