July 3, 2019
The global motion control and motor market saw a 0.2% decline in shipments in the first quarter of 2019 vs. the same period last year, down to $952.3 million. However, according to the Motion Control & Motor Association, part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), shipments were up 0.6% ($6 million) compared to the fourth quarter of 2018.
“While the year-over-year numbers show a slight decline, it’s promising to see the increase from Q4 2018 to Q1 2019 and hear positive projections for the months ahead from the member companies we polled,” said A3 Vice President Dana Whalls. “Motion control and motor technologies play a substantial role in growing automation worldwide, and if what we’re hearing is any indication, we expect both sales and shipments to continue to increase over the next six months as these tools get smarter, more capable, and more productive.”
During Q1 2019, the largest categories within the overall market were motors (39% shipments), actuators and mechanical systems (18% shipments), and electronic drives (17% shipments). From Q1 2018 to Q1 2019 motor shipments were down 1.8%, actuators & mechanical systems were down 8.9%, and electronic drive shipments were flat.
From Q4 2018 to Q1 2019, motor shipments were up 0.6% to $373.6 million, actuators and mechanical systems were down 0.4% to $174.6 million, and shipments of electronic drives were up 1% to $161.1 million.
According to the latest MCMA survey of industry experts, 69% of member companies surveyed expect higher shipments and 23% expect orders to remain flat.
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With Canadian manufacturing suffering from a growing labour shortage, the participation of industry in skills development is emerging as a vital component in hiring and retention.
The needs are stark: The Canadian Exporters and Manufacturers Association says almost 40% of its members have jobs they can’t fill. Five years from now, 60% expect to be short-staffed, especially when it comes to skilled trades. Statistics Canada forecasts the country’s labour force growth rate will remain below 0.2% for the rest of the decade, below replacement levels.
This growing shortage is affecting companies of all sizes. Already, some manufacturers acknowledge losing out on contracts because they can’t find the manpower to fulfill them.
In reality, the challenge is two-fold: to replenish and expand the workforce to help close the gap between the number of job seekers and vacancies through 2030 when the last baby boomers reach age 65, and ensure workers get opportunities throughout their careers to upgrade or add to their skillset as current technologies evolve and new ones emerge. Festo, through Festo Didactic, one of the world leading provider of equipment and solutions for technical education, intends to help Canada meet this challenge on both fronts. In essence, the approach Festo has always taken is that the learning never stops.
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New Product
Emerson recently introduced the ASCO™ Series 209 proportional flow control valves, which offer the highest standards of precision, pressure ratings, flow characteristics and energy efficiency available in a purpose-built, compact architecture. With this combination of size and performance, Series 209 valves allow users to precisely regulate the flow of fluid in a wide range of devices that require exacting performance, like those found in the medical equipment, food and beverage, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industries.
Accuracy, response time and repeatability are critical in high-precision flow control applications, such as controlling tool speed in dental chairs, the flow of steam in coffee makers, water flow in cooling systems and hydrogen flow in fuel cells. Series 209 valves have low hysteresis (less than or equal to 5%), excellent repeatability (less than or equal to 1%) and high sensitivity (less than or equal to 0.2%) that contribute to their precision.
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Featured Product
Teledyne FLIR Integrated Imaging Solutions is pleased to announce the all new Ladybug6— the latest addition to its field proven Ladybug series. Ladybug6 is the leading high-resolution camera designed to capture 360-degree spherical images from moving platforms in all-weather conditions. Its industrial grade design and out-of-the-box factory calibration produces 72 Megapixel (MP) images with pixel values that are spatially accurate within +/- 2 mm at 10-meter distance.
“The new Teledyne Ladybug6 is designed for mobile mapping and all-weather inspection projects requiring excellent image quality and high resolution,” said Mike Lee, Senior Product Manager at Teledyne FLIR. “With the addition of Ladybug6, we are now pleased to offer a wider variety of spherical cameras with higher resolutions ranging from 30 MP to 72 MP.”
To learn more, click here
