Users of industrial automation are more likely to specify linear motor systems rather than separate linear components.
However, most systems are being sold in Asia, with Europe still preferring to specify components.
A report from IMS Research says that the global market for linear motor systems last year, at around $354m (£187m), was twice that of the separate components.
According to the company, there is a growing trend for end users to specify systems rather than buying separate components and assembling them in-house.
The trend is set to continue. While systems are expected to grow at around 11% in systems, component growth is unlikely to exceed 9%.
The EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) region accounts for half of all worldwide components sales, but only one-fifth of systems sales. This is because Europe is dominated by the machine tool industry, which prefers to develop its own systems. Asia is more focused on semiconductor machinery, in which the linear motion element is a sub-assembly – so is bought pre-assembled.
* The Linear Motion Masterclass, the first in a series of Design Days from Eureka, takes place at the Kaetsu Centre in Cambridge on 5 October. To book a place at the event, email designdays@eurekamagazine.co.uk
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