The global motion control and motor market saw a 0.2% decline in shipments in the first quarter of 2019 versus 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.

Learn the latest updates on motion control and motor automation at the MCMA TechCon, Oct. 7-10, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana.