Speedy payback spurs AC drive acceptance
The low power AC drive market experienced robust growth in 2004, as the world economy enjoyed one of its strongest years of growth with heightened demand from various emerging markets.
The low power AC drive market experienced robust growth in 2004, as the world economy enjoyed one of its strongest years of growth with heightened demand from various emerging markets.
The low power AC drive market crossed the $5 billion mark in 2004 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.6% over the next five years, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study: "Low power AC drive worldwide outlook".
Investments were made in many industrial segments to cater to growing consumer demand and infrastructure development needs.
The driving factors for capital investments are expected to remain strong during the next five year period.
"With oil prices escalating and drive prices falling, the payback period for AC drives investment is becoming shorter, pushing their use on a broad basis", according to Senior Analyst Himanshu Shah, the study's principal author.
The availability of cost-effective, miniature, and reliable electronic components has resulted in low cost, compact size AC drives reaching the market.
Falling prices, coupled with availability of AC drives in a compact form factor, propelled its use in wide ranging applications in industrial and consumer segments.
Low power AC drives with user friendly features such as self diagnostics and enhanced communications, help users realise a greater return on assets.
Users today look beyond drives and seek "drives-motors-driven equipment" solutions laying emphasis on lifecycle cost, productivity, and return on assets (ROA).
Responding to user demands, suppliers offer total solutions that include higher levels of technical support and improved interface packages.
The positive economic developments in emerging regions, such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, significantly contribute to low power AC drive market growth.
EMEA continues to be the largest market for low power AC drives.
With Asia continuing to attract massive investments in basic industries, this region is expected to expand quickly.
Factors such as energy savings, compact design and lower cost, reliability, solutions based approach and new technologies spur the growth of the low power AC drives market.
The report also addresses various challenges suppliers face and how they respond.
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