PTDA Members Keen on Expansion
Mechatronics and Motion Control Targeted
Chicago, Ill.—May 18, 2010—Post recession
business plans for the many of the distributor members of the Power
Transmission Distributors Association (PTDA) includes expansion into the
Motion Control and Mechatronics area of factory automation.
Mechatronics is the confluence of electronics, control and mechanical
action and is a critical component of any automated process. For
many years, motion control was visualized as individual components
– some mechanical, some electronic. According to the results
of this new survey, the markets are rapidly merging.
PTDA Members Gear Up for Motion Control
Based on a recent survey sampling of PTDA distributor members, PTDA
distributors view the motion control industry as a natural extension of
their business. Nineteen percent of survey respondents indicate
they are ‘fully engaged’ in the motion control
business. Another 43 percent currently sell motion control
products and plan to further expand their efforts in the post-recession
months ahead.
Contrary to what one might imagine, much of the attention is focused
on things electronic. Members surveyed are currently building a
place for themselves in the related ancillary products – sensors
(54 percent), PLC controllers and electronic machine guarding products
(both at 50 percent) joined products like AC Drives, Servo Systems and
high performance gearboxes in garnering the group’s attention.
Specialists Lead the Charge
In previous years, distributors relied on their manufacturing
partners for things like training, marketing direction and customer
technical backup. Today, PTDA members are increasingly harnessing
the power of specialists. Sixty percent of the PTDA distributors
responding indicate they use a specialist in some part of their
business. Additionally, 82 percent of these specialists carry the
“heavy weight” credentials of either an engineering degree
or 3+ years of in-the-trenches technical experience.
PTDA Members Seek to Broaden their
Knowledge-Base
Knowledge-based distribution runs on information.
Overwhelmingly PTDA members have asked their association to continue to
pump out training for both their employees and customers.
Seventy-three percent would like to see additional educational tools and
42 percent would like for those tools to be designed to help customers
learn more about this fast paced technology.
This survey was conducted as a joint effort between PTDA and River
Heights Consulting.
Founded in 1960, the Power Transmission Distributors Association
(PTDA) is the leading association for the industrial power
transmission/motion control (PT/MC) distribution channel. A
U.S.-based trade association, PTDA represents 198 power
transmission/motion control distribution firms that generate more than
$10 billion in sales and span 3,500 locations in North America and 11
other countries. PTDA members also include 187 manufacturers that
supply the PT/MC industry.
PTDA is dedicated to providing exceptional networking, targeted
education, relevant information and leading-edge business tools to help
distributors and manufacturers meet marketplace demands competitively
and profitably. For more information, visit www.ptda.org.
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