Healthy investments in manufacturing industries pushed general motion control (GMC) market growth worldwide in 2007, according to a new study, “General Motion Control Worldwide Outlook,” from ARC Advisory Group, Dedham, Mass. While economic expansion is expected to continue, future growth will be at a slower pace, analysts predict. The GMC market reached nearly $6 billion in 2007 and is forecast to grow to more than $8.2 billion in 2012.
Manufacturers will continue to face challenges to raise productivity, lower product costs, reduce plant operating expenses, and increase return on investment to compete in the global market, according to the report. Consequently, capital investments for GMC systems are expected to remain strong across many industries during the next five years. Globalization is causing manufacturing companies to invest in new capacities for various industries, such as packaging, automotive, food and beverage, and electronics and semiconductor.
In addition to emerging automation trends, the new GMC report also addresses trends related to mechatronics and machine safeguarding. Mechatronics continues to play an increasingly important role in GMC technology, because machine builders face the challenges of integrating hardware, software, and electrical components. For more information, visit www.arcweb.com/res/gmc.
