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Article Excerpt
Although the market for gears in factory automation and motion control is well-established and mature, the gear industry will continue to be significant and to offer legitimate growth opportunities, driven by the fundamental need for gears in motion control solutions. The gear reducer arena poses some key challenges to market participants, such as intensifying price pressures, competition from overseas suppliers, growth constraints in the recent past for various industries served by gear suppliers, and consolidation among electric motor and motion system suppliers. However, savvy participants can forge key opportunities in the gear market (which covers a wide range of applications) by focusing on such issues or initiatives as; providing lower-priced, yet high-accuracy, robust products; embracing gear technologies allowing for minimizing backlash; providing gears designed to accommodate customers' specific needs; and offering integrated motor-gearbox solutions or comprehensive motion control solutions.
The North American market for gear reducers in factory automation totaled $462.4 million in 2003 and is projected to reach $566.1 million in 2008, representing a compound annual growth rate of about 4.1%, according to Motion Tech Trends' (Inglewood, CA, 310-674-3445) report on Gears Used In Factory Automation/Industrial Motion Systems in North America, 2003 & 2008. The report notes that it is natural that the growth trend for the gear reducer market will follow growth patterns in the electric motor market, since gear reducer use is linked to electric motor use.
Every type of motor technology (including the AC induction motor and state-of-the-art brushless DC variations) is used in the manufacture of products. Demand for improved performance, the report notes, requires more AC motors to be supplied with variable frequency drives and gear reduction units for conveyor systems, mixers, and material handling systems. Moreover, advanced servos are required for precision processes, coordinated machinery applications, and high-speed manufacturing applications,
The gear reducer market is segmented into three gearbox technology categories: worm & spur; planetary spur & helical; and cycloidal & harmonic. In 2003,...
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