Report highlights expanding market for customised pneumatics

Paul Boughton
Extensive consultation with suppliers of pneumatic components to the European, Middle East and African (EMEA) markets showed that machine builders and end users increasingly require non-standard products.

A report from IMS Research on 'The EMEA Market for Pneumatic Components' shows that the market for pneumatic valves grew from just over EUR260 million in 2005 to nearly EUR290 million in 2008. This was partly the result of increased demand for non-standard valves. Revenues of non-standard valves increased by around 3 per cent per year, compared with 2 per cent for standard types. This follows from a need for components that offer versatility and flexibility for specific applications in specialist or niche industries, such as vehicle production or glass working.

Analyst Daniel Welch observed: "In 2008, many of the products from the majority of suppliers offered design or configuration to the customer's own specifications, at a price premium over the standard component. Demand for non-standardised components is forecast to grow over the next five years, eating into the market for standardised components."

For more information, visit www.imsresearch.com

Recent Issues