THE HARD HIT U.S. MACHINE AUTOMATIC SAFEGUARDING EQUIPMENT MARKET IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER WITH RENEWED GROWTH
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Natick, Massachusetts-A new report from Venture Development Corporation (VDC) titled "The U.S. Market for Machine Automatic Safeguarding Equipment" has found that demand for this equipment was down significantly in 2001. The U.S. market for these products began softening in the 4th quarter of 2000, and experienced an overall decline estimated at between 20 and 25% in 2001. The study forecasts that significant market recovery will not occur for these products in 2002. However, pent-up demand is expected to lead to significant growth in 2003, with a slowing of the growth thereafter over the subsequent 3 years to a more sustainable level. The overall market estimated at $196 million in 2001 is forecast to reach $308 million in 2006, increasing at a 9.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR). Propelling on-going market growth for these products will be the continuing trend to automation of factory operations, increasing safety awareness, concerns over liability by manufacturers, and increasing tighter safety regulations.
FIGURE 1
CURRENT AND FORECAST SHIPMENTS OF MACHINE AUTOMATIC SAFEGUARDING EQUIPMENT TO U.S. MARKETS
(Dollars in Millions)
2001 - 196.0
2002 - 204.8
2003 - 243.4
2004 - 273.6
2005 - 293.9
2006 - 308.0
PRODUCTS STUDIED
This market is composed of the following types of equipment which provide safety protection for both personnel and machinery:
- Safety Barriers-armored doors, fabric curtains, etc., exclusive of light curtains
- Electronic Safety Sensors-edges, laser scanners, light curtains, mats, single & multi-beam optoelectronic devices
- Emergency Stop Palm Button Safety Controls
- Two Hand Safety Controls-ergonometric, electromechanical & pneumatic
- Safety Controllers/Modules/Relays
- Programmable Safety Systems
- Safety Interlock Switches-explosion proof, electromechanical (keyed & un-keyed), hinge pin, limit, magnetic, rope/cable pull, trapped key
Depending on the products these are used to provide one or more of the types of protection listed in Table 1.
TABLE 1
PROTECTION MEANS PROVIDED BY MACHINE AUTOMATIC SAFEGUARDING EQUIPMENT
PERIMETER GUARDS-Here the products are used to detect when an object or person has entered into a restricted area. The device will detect that the space has been violated and take the appropriate, predetermined action. It could cause an alarm to be sounded, flash warning lights, or shut a machine or process down.
AREA GUARDS-are similar in function to perimeter guards. Here the products are used to detect the presence of unauthorized personnel or objects in certain regions of a restricted area.
POINT OF CONTACT GUARDS-Here the products are positioned at the point of contact where personnel would be interfacing with an area of the machine or process where injury could occur. Again, if an unsafe condition is detected, the safety guard will cause appropriate events to occur, including shutting down the equipment.
MACHINE GUARDS-Here the products are primarily installed in the machine or process equipment to detect a failure that could cause harm to personnel and/or equipment. When a fault is detected, the safety product will initiate the appropriate action. Safety interlock switches are the most common machine guarding products.
HIGH GROWTH SEGMENTS
PROGRAMMABLE SAFETY SYSTEMS
Basically, a programmable safety system is a safety programmable logic controller (PLC) that can be interfaced to the various safety controls in a control system for machinery or equipment. These are programmable, and can provide different responses for each type of safety product. The most pivotal function is to provide redundant solid state relays to shut the equipment down in an emergency. Beyond this, other functions such as diagnostics, signal analysis, equipment status, indicator lights, etc. can be provided.
As stand-alone safety controllers and/or as an integral part of a safety bus system concept, programmable safety controllers are expected to gradually gain acceptance over the next three years and then for shipments to grow more substantially. Starting from a small base in 2001, shipments of these products to markets in the U.S. is expected to have over a 53% CAGR through 2006. This could be just the beginning of yearly double-digit growth in shipments of these products in subsequent years.
LASER SCANNERS
Laser safety scanners are perimeter and/or area guard devices that utilize a laser beam to scan an area to detect the presence of an object or person that is not authorized to be there. The combination transmitting/receiving device pivots a prescribed number of degrees, so it can scan an entire area. Transmissions are very short laser pulses, which allow distance measurements to objects, in addition to the angular measurements. Any foreign object or person detected in the area will cause an output signal to be generated that will actuate an alarm and/or shutdown any or all equipment in the area.
The second highest market growth rate is forecast for laser scanners, at over a 12% CAGR. Above industry average growth rates are projected in shipment of these products for all the major applications and industries. This is a relatively new product that is expected to provide a more cost effective method of perimeter guarding, particular in "machine cell" factory floor applications.
ERGONOMETRIC TWO HAND SAFETY CONTROLS
Two hand safety controls are point of contact safety products that provide personnel safety protection. These are segmented into two categories:
- ergonometric
- electromechanical & pneumatic
In either case, the functions are the same.
The concept of two-hand control is to ensure that both of an operator's hands are engaged while operating a machine or equipment. The machine/equipment can not be started unless both hands are properly positioned on two separate controls (a safe distance from any danger) and will immediately stop operation if either, or both, is moved from its control. A "safety tie down card" is necessary in the electrical/electronic circuitry to ensure that both hands are in proper position before operation can commence and will immediately cause shut down if either, or both, is removed from the required control position. The required separation distance between the two controls has to meet or exceed OSHA requirements. In this manner, it can be assured that a stray hand or finger will not inadvertently come into contact with a moving machine part, such as a grinding wheel or rotating drill.
Ergonometric devices are the newer of the two product categories and utilize electronic sensor technology to ensure that each hand is properly inserted in two separated sensor based control devices. These offer ergonomic benefits by eliminating the repetitive pressing down with force to activate palm buttons, as with the electromechanical and pneumatic products.
The third highest market growth rate is forecast for ergonometric two hand safety controls at a 10.6% CAGR. High growth in the market for these is expected to adversely affect the shipment of electromechanical and pneumatic types, with a resultant below industry average growth rate forecast for these.
MAGNETIC SWITCHES
This is a two-part switch which uses two magnets (one on each face of a door or guard), to make contact and allow operation when the door or safety guard is closed. Some have coded magnets so that merely placing a third (foreign - uncoded) magnet against the stationary one will not defeat the switch.
The fourth highest market growth rate is forecast for non-contact magnetic safety interlock switches, also at over a 10% CAGR. Growth in this segment is expected to be fairly broad bases, with usage primarily for door guarding applications. Magnetic switches will cut into the market for electromechanical types, and contribute to a below average growth forecast for these.
June 2002
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To view the entire press release including charts go to:
www.vdc-corp.com/industrial/press/02/pr02-24.html
Report Availability:
www.vdc-corp.com/industrial/reports/01/br01-30.html
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ABOUT THE STUDY
VDC's study "The U.S. Market for Machine Automatic Safeguarding Equipment" provides market sizes, segmentations, and forecasts for these products. These include segmentations and forecasts by consuming industries and applications as appropriate:
INDUSTRIES - Appliance, Automotive, Electronic Components, Electronic Products, Food & Beverage, Paper Converting, Primary Metals, Semiconductor, Textile, and Other
APPLICATIONS - Assembly, Material Handling, Metalworking, Packaging, Robotics, and Other
Other segmentations include channels of distribution, and the projected shipment shares of machine automatic safeguarding products with safety network/bus connections.
User (end user, OEM, and system integrator) interviewing, and a web survey provided insight into current and planned implementations. These include product and vendor selection criteria, key departments and personnel in selections, trade periodical sources of information on machine automatic safety products and vendors, and sources of installation and servicing for the equipment. In addition, the activities of third party service providers in the market are analyzed.
Vendor market shares are developed for all the product categories, and detailed profiles are given for 20 major vendors.
The efforts to "harmonize" international safety standards are analyzed, along with the likely impact on product designs.
Finally, based on the findings, VDC makes recommendations on how vendors can enhance their positions in these markets. Recommendations cover product types, product characteristics and features, product modifications to meet changing safety requirements, organizational changes to meet a changing marketplace, pricing, industry and application markets to target, channels of distribution, and promotion.
The study is available for purchase at a price of $5,950.
STUDY SOURCE
Venture Development Corporation is a technology research and management consulting firm serving the worldwide electronics industry. Founded in 1971 by graduates of the Harvard Business School and MIT, VDC offers in-depth market research, as well as custom strategic planning and consulting services in the areas of industrial automation, instrumentation, electronic components, computers and peripherals, communications, office equipment, and consumer electronics.
For further information regarding the "The U.S. Market for Machine Automatic Safeguard Equipment" contact:
James Taylor, Group Manager
jimt@vdc-corp.com
Marc Regberg, Senior Vice President
msr@vdc-corp.com
Venture Development Corporation
One Apple Hill Drive, Box 8190, Natick, MA 01760
Tel: 508-653-9000 Fax: 508-653-9836 Web: http://www.vdc-corp.com
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