GMC Growth Driven by Globalization, Mechatronics

According to an ARC Advisory Group report released thismonth, the general motion control (GMC) market reached nearly $6billion in 2007 and will grow to more than $8.2 billion in 2012. What'sdriving this growth? According to senior analyst Himanshu Shah, thebiggest thrust comes from globalization.

"While there has been a steady demand for machinery in the highlydeveloped regions," Shah wrote in the report, "many machinery buildersare experiencing unprecedented demand from developing countries,including China, India, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe."

But the increasing attention designers are paying mechatronics also contributes to this growth, Shah told Mechatronics Zone."Manufacturers face a lot of global challenges and mechatronics offersthe advantage of creating a new design that optimizes the performanceof the entire system," he says. "Rather than optimize componentsindividually, mechatronics helps you increase performance and reducethe cost of the overall system."

Rather than mechanical engineers and electrical engineers workingseparately, he says, they can gain insight into how devices can bedesigned more efficiently. "Maybe you mount the motor directly on themachine and eliminate the mechanical transmission component," he says,adding while it may not be possible to solve every design issue,mechatronics offers the opportunity to design devices differently.
 
Shah cites as an example the consumer packaged goods industry, wherecompanies are wrangling with varying packaging and products toaccommodate consumer demand. With the software capabilities withinmechatronics, he says, "it's already easy to make mechanicaladjustments so a machine can adapt to different sizes and shapes of thepackaging. But if you work from a mechatronics point of view, you candesign the electronics, the mechanics and the software in such a mannerso that instead of having a lever that pushes in or out, you can adjustthe stepper-motors automatically and with multiple axes." According toShah, that increases options for packaging but reduces the time ittakes to make the changes.

But Shah also believes mechatronics is driving growth because of itsability to help engineers see - and improve - holistic designs prior tomanufacture. "Mechatronics forces you to design with a morecomprehensive and integrated view. Because they're forced to worktogether, engineers are now able to simulate all the mechanical,electrical and software elements and come up with a design that is verywell synchronized." Being able to prototype devices earlier reduces therisk of investment as well.

Shah says the worldwide market for GMC is only expected to grow at acompounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7 percent over the next fiveyears. But two things are clear in this economic environment: Increasesare better than decreases and mechatronics will contribute to thatgrowth.

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