Process Instruments & Automation on Upswing

The 2006 total market value for 12 process instrumentation and automation product categories was $6.7 billion for the United States and $784 million for Canada, according to a study by the Measurement, Control & Automation Association (MCAA, www.measure.org). The annual growth rate through 2009 for the product categories examined in the study is forecast at 3.6 percent per year in the United States and 4.2 percent per year in Canada. Products that grew faster than average in both regions included electronic flow, pressure, remote I/O, and electronic level. The oil & gas, utility power, refining, and biopharmaceuticals segments are expected to show above average growth in both the United States and Canada over the forecast period.

The study, titled MCAA Annual Market Forecast for Process Instrumentation and Automation in the United States and Canada, examined gas analytical instruments, liquid analytical instruments, pressure instruments, electronic flowmeters, mechanical flowmeters/primary elements, electronic level, mechanical level/tank gauging, temperature instruments, control systems, remote I/O, data acquisition systems, final control devices. Also included are discussions of the trends in wireless transmitters and fieldbus.

Industry segments include oil & gas (production and transmission), petroleum refining, chemicals, bio-pharmaceutical, food & beverage, pulp & paper, electric utilities, municipal water & wastewater, primary metals, mining, stone, clay and glass, and others (semiconductor, textiles, etc.).

Global Foresight Group, Rasmusson & Willey LLC (www.gfgroup.net) prepared the study, which is available free of charge to MCAA members and Canadian Process Control Association (www.cpca-assoc.com) members. Non-members can purchase the study for $2,000 from MCAA.