Drives & Controls September 2022

NEWS n 5 Motion control sales soared by 21.6% in 2021 – and prices rose too The global market for motion controls – including servomotors, drives and controls – expanded by 21.6% during 2021 and will grow by a further 9.1% in 2022, according new research by Interact Analysis. This growth will continue until 2026, but at a slower pace, with a CAGR of 5.5%, according to Interact. It also reports that motion control suppliers have put up their prices in response to global supply chain shortages, particularly in the semiconductor market, and to rising rawmaterials costs. Average prices rose from $570 in 2020 to $640 in 2021, and Interact expects the price rises to continue through 2022 before slowing down next year. “Covid-19 has had – and will have – both positive and negative effects on the motion controls market,”says senior Interact research director, Tim Dawson.“In 2020/2021, the pandemic created significant demand for automation which significantly boosted the outlook for the manufacturing industry. On the other hand, the pandemic hampered the short-term growth of the motion controls market due to workplace closures and restrictions, as well as supply chain issues.“To meet demand,”he continues,“suppliers were forced to focus on production rather than r&d. This will have a knock-on effect on future growth. “Labour shortages have, in particular, been a double-edged sword for motion control vendors,”Dawson adds.“On the one hand, labour shortages have created a need for automation products; on the other, they have left automation vendors themselves struggling to meet demand due to a shortage of skilled staff.” The largest market for motion controls in 2021 was metal- cutting machine tools, while the strongest growth in demand in the period to 2026 is expected to be for mobile robots, with a predicted CAGR of 52%. Interact predicts that by 2026, one million mobile robots could be sold every year (ten times more than 2021), creating a“huge”opportunity for motion controls vendors. Asia-Pacific was by far the fastest-growing regional market in 2021, expanding by 24.7% to reach a value of $5.17bn. China accounted for 36% of global motion control revenues last year and the Chinese market is predicted to be worth $5.33bn by 2026 – more than the entire APAC market in 2021. The Emea region accounted for 31% of global revenues in 2021, while the Americas achieved revenues of around $3bn. Motion controls suppliers based in the APAC region – such as Mitsubishi, Fanuc and Yaskawa – performed better in 2021 than those in Emea and the Americas. Together, the top 10 suppliers accounted for 65% of the global market in 2021. Two suppliers that have seen notable increases in market share since 2018 are Taiwan-based Delta Electronics (a 2.4% increase) and the China’s Inovance (2.5%). Siemens’market share has fallen by almost 3% since 2018 and might have dropped even further if not for its strong presence in China. The Interact report covers both general motion control (GMC) and computer numerical control (CNC) technologies. www.interactanalysis.com “On the one hand, labour shortages have created a need for automation products; on the other, they have left automation vendors themselves struggling to meet demand due to a shortage of skilled staff” www.drivesncontrols.com September 2022 Motion control revenues ($bn, left-hand axis) and growth (%, right-hand axis), showing regional breakdowns. Source: Interact Analysis THE UK INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES specialist Brammer Buck & Hickman is changing its name to Rubix – adopting the name of the group that has owned it since 2018. BB&H was formed in 2011 when the MRO distributor Brammer merged with Buck & Hickman, a supplier of tools and health and safety products. It currently has more than 1,100 employees working at more than 40 branches across the UK. The Rubix group was created in 2018 by renaming the former IPH Brammer, which had itself been born the previous year when the venture capital firm Advent International, which already owned Brammer, bought the European industrial supplies distributor, IPH, and combined the two businesses. The Rubix name and brand will appear across Brammer Buck & Hickman branches and customer Insite locations across the UK, as well as at its technical competency centres, and its national distribution centre in Wolverhampton. Rubix describes itself as Europe’s leading distributor of industrial supplies and services and the only one with a pan-European footprint, that carries all of the premium brands. “This is, of course, a nostalgic time for everyone who has been a part of Brammer Buck & Hickman’s journey,” says Vince McGurk, CEO of Rubix in the UK, Ireland & Iceland. “The business is growing and evolving alongside our customers and their needs. As the UK’s number one multi-specialist distributor of industrial supplies and services, they rely on us every single day.” Brammer Buck & Hickman becomes Rubix