Linear Motion Products Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product (Bearings, Linear Guides & Tables, Actuator, Ball Screws, Linear Motors and Drives, and Others), By Application (Medical and Pharmaceuticals, Semiconductor & Electronics, Aerospace, Food & Beverages, Machining Tools, Automotive, and Others (Paper & Pulp)), and Regional Forecast, 2023– 2030

The global linear motion products market size was valued at USD 11.56 billion in 2022. The market is projected to grow from USD 12.21 billion in 2023 to USD 19.62 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period.

Linear motion technology is a single-dimensional motion along a straight line. The products include linear bearings, ball screws, linear guides and tables, linear actuators, linear drives, and motors. These products are extensively utilized in several industries such as machine tools and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

The linear bushing machinery uses steel balls from the cage roll with the cylindrical shaft to generate contact points with the shaft, allowing for extremely precise linear movements with light friction resistance. Ball screws are machines that can alter the spin of the shaft into a linear measure. In addition, the linear guide is a type of bearing that offers a simple movement in the path to the rails and has reduced friction due to the movement of steel balls.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Manufacturer’s Focus on Providing Streamlined Supply Accelerated Growth During Pandemic

Post the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, the prominent players registered a substantial decrease in their revenue and subsequently witnessed a drop in their earnings. Unexpected shutting of the manufacturing facility impacting the rate of day-to-day output from the manufacturing facilities played an essential role in dropping sales of these key players.

The manufacturers are focused on providing a streamlined and timely supply of critical components to the machinery and solutions, which are involved with medical and pharmaceutical manufacturing and food and beverage industry. The companies are managing a heavy stockpile of critical motion system components and maintaining a strong inventory of these products during the pandemic.

LATEST TRENDS

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Flexible Manufacturing Practices and Integrated Material Handling through Engineered Systems Drive the Market 

The growth of linear motion products is mainly due to the critical and effective role of linear actuators and leadscrew assemblies in the motion control requirements and extensive advantages it put forth in terms of material handling, food processing, and packaging equipment.

The linear motion control systems are often sought after by a wide range of customers operating in a variety of applications as it provides accurate, quiet, and clean solutions in a cost-effective manner, which increases the production quality and also has a positive impact on time consumption.

Over the recent past, industries such as automotive manufacturing, machining tool development facilities, healthcare and pharmaceutical product manufacturing, semiconductor, and electronic product development are more inclined toward the adoption of complex and integrated engineered systems. This paradigm shift aided these industries to handle a broad range of products and provided far-reaching flexibility in the manufacturing operations and high level of automation also created cost-effective production, thereby driving the linear motion products market growth globally.

DRIVING FACTORS

Growing Demand for Automation to Bolster Market Growth

The need for global automation in industrial applications is growing, which is likely beneficial for the linear motion products industry. Due to strict quality control standards and need for improved accuracy, adaptability, reliability, and greater efficiency, linear motion products are often used. Furthermore, as consumers became more aware of the environmental benefits of linear motion products, their use increased in various industrial sectors such as manufacturing, packaging, and automotive. Consequently, carbon emissions have been reduced and the expansion of the market for linear motion products has been promoted.

Another factor driving the expansion of the market is the extensive integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and ML, enabling users to collect machine data, track & evaluate system performance, and ensure timely maintenance & early detection of problems. In addition, the expansion of the linear motion system market is positively influenced by the growing demand for products in the medical sector for laboratory testing applications such as Computer Tomography (CT) scanners, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and X-ray devices.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Cost of Designing and Installation along with Increased Lead Time to Hinder Market Growth

Installation costs are a significant impediment to market growth. The huge costs are primarily due to other components considered when designing linear motion systems, including guides, structural supports, drives, seals, lubrication, and point-to-point accessories. Guides are attached to the base for easy movement. Ball guides also carry weighty payloads and have maximum stiffness. Dual rail or single integration works with little wear. Also, when procuring linear systems, common catalog products may not meet the application requirements. For this reason, vendors may even design components from scratch or modify standard products with additional costs.

To make motion easier, guides are also fastened to the base. The stiffest and most heavy-duty guides are ball guides. They move smoothly due to the single or dual-rail configurations they use. Costing more money and noise are two drawbacks. Standard catalog products don't always fit the needs of the application when purchasing linear motion products. In that situation, the vendor either redesigns a component or modifies a standard product; this carries an extra cost. Such factors hinder market growth.

SEGMENTATION

By Product Analysis

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Bearings to Hold Major Share due to Rising Demand in Various Industries

Based on product, the market is classified into linear motors and drives, linear guides & tables, bearings, ball screws, actuator, and others.

The bearings segment is expected to hold the largest share during the forecast period due to its growing demand in the manufacturing industries. For example, machines used in robotic surgery, defense, positioning, CT scanners, and others need accurate operation. Linear bearings play an important role in different applications, depending on the type of operation. This led to increased bearing production to meet a range of requirements in industrial sectors.

Furthermore, actuator segment is also considered to have major growth in the coming years. This increase is due to increased product demand for various applications such as industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and other places where linear motion is essential. Likewise, linear actuators are the most challenging products in terms of production as they are a crucial component of robotics and are expected to significantly advance automation technology in the coming years.

Additionally, the ball screws segment is projected to demonstrate major growth in coming years. It is extensively utilized in numerous industries such as processing for fixing into the internal parts of machines for smooth functioning along with automobile & engineering, thereby augmenting the market growth.

By Application Analysis

Machining Tools Segment to Grow Considerably Due to Rising Demand in Automation Processes

Based on application, the market is divided into semiconductor & electronics, medical and pharmaceuticals, automotive, food & beverages, aerospace, machining tools, and others (paper & pulp).

The machining tools segment is expected to grow exponentially during the forecast period due to the growth in the manufacturing of CNC machines. The growing demand for automotive lathe systems is expected to drive income from motion products. Lathes have numerous applications in the automotive industry, including CV joints, camshafts, gear boxes, and crankshafts.

Moreover, semiconductor & electronics segment is expected to exhibit substantial growth over the forthcoming years. This is due to increase in investments in the semiconductor industry in Asia. This increased the demand for wafer production, assembly, transport, semiconductor test equipment, and other intricate manufacturing procedures.

Additionally, the automotive segment is also expected to account for a significant share due to increase in production of electric passenger cars. This has led to the need for linear bearings, actuators, and linear guides to produce better and cheaper products in a shorter period of time.

The aerospace, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors are expected to grow significantly over the forecast period due to increase in the number of industrial processes implementing self-control and positioning tactics.

REGIONAL INSIGHTS

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Based on region, the market is segmented into North America, the Middle East & Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South America.

Asia Pacific currently holds the largest market share and is expected to expand at the fastest rate over the forecast period. The sector is experiencing tremendous growth due to the increased use of cutting-edge technology, industrial activities, and investments in the automotive sector. There are also some significant linear motion system market players. China dominates the Asia Pacific region due to the acceptance rate of motion systems that are widely used in China's automotive and electronics industries. India and Japan have great development potential due to the rapid expansion of the market in these countries.

Specifically, in India, automation is used for industrial manufacturing in all sectors. Furthermore, robust growth in the manufacturing industry is likely to continue to evolve in the coming years, as it will see a shift from manual assistance to automation, thereby increasing demand. Furthermore, promising governmental policies in manufacturing and increasing focus on economic diversification in developing countries are the drivers of industrial automation.

Following Asia Pacific, the Europe market is projected to have fair growth with a noteworthy upsurge in the second half of the forecast period. It is one of the world's largest automakers. This region is the most important private investor in R&D to strengthen the competitiveness of the automotive industry and maintain its technological leadership, the European Commission supports global technology harmonization and provides research funding and development activities. One of the world's largest private investors in R&D activities is the European Union's automotive sector. To increase the competitiveness of the automotive industry and maintain its technological edge, the European Commission supports global technology harmonization and funds research and development initiatives. A world leader in innovation, the German automotive industry also integrates different technologies. In addition, the German linear motion system market held the largest market share and the U.K. linear motion system market was the fastest growing market in Europe, which is contributing toward the market share.

The North America market is expected to exhibit substantial growth in the coming years as the development of compact, trouble-free, and relubrication-free solutions is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers of linear motion products. Additionally, another market trend for linear motion products involves manufacturers producing Industry 4.0 components suitable for enterprise-level connectivity. Several North American companies are engaged in introducing new products, which is contributing toward expansion of the market share.

The Middle East & Africa market is predicted to witness steady growth during the forecast period.

The GCC holds the highest market share in the Middle East & Africa, owing to the application of modernized techniques and automation in warehouse management systems and manufacturing in developed Gulf countries.

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South America is likely to grow at a modest rate due to niche opportunities toward the development of manufacturing industries. However, limited presence of linear motion products players and underdeveloped distribution channels for the market are responsible for the sluggish market growth in South America.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Manufacturers are Focusing on Standard Operational Efficiency with Precision and Accuracy to Strengthen their Market Position

Key players are investing heavily in research and development to expand their product portfolios, which will drive further market growth for the linear motion system industry. With major changes in the industry, such as contractual agreements, new product announcements, increased investments, mergers and acquisitions, and collaborations with other organizations, market players are taking various strategic steps to expand their global footprint.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED:

• UMBRAGROUP (Italy)


• NSK Ltd. (Japan)


• Moog Inc. (U.S.)


• Korta (Spain)


• August Steinmeyer GmbH & Co. KG (Germany)


• Curtiss-Wright (U.S.)


• TSUBAKI NAKASHIMA CO., LTD (Japan)


• KURODA Precision Industries (Japan)


• THK CO., LTD. (Japan)


• SHUTON (Spain)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• November 2022 - Moog Inc. announced that its space products played a key role in the successful launch of Artemis 1, the first unmanned test flight on NASA's lunar return mission.


• October 2022 - NSK developed a new ball screw that contributes to improving the surface quality of high-precision machine tools such as mold machining.


• June 2022 - NTN developed a sensor-integrated bearing "Talking Bearing" that incorporates a power generation unit, a sensor, and a wireless device into the bearing and transmits vibration, temperature, and speed information wirelessly.


• June 2021 - Timken debuts updated SC actuators under the Roll-on brand. To enhance performance, streamline projects, and accommodate different applications, these products are functionally and aesthetically altered in accordance with the demands of designers. Introducing the SC series actuator's new vertical variant.


• May 2020 - Rockwell Automation unveiled the new iTRAK 5730 small frame smart track system (combining linear and rotary motion) to support intelligent, adaptable, and efficient machinery. Compared to conventional gear, chain, and belt conveyors, independent carriage technology has many benefits such as limitless machine flexibility, enhanced traceability, and higher uptime.

REPORT COVERAGE

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The report provides a detailed analysis of the market and focuses on key aspects such as leading companies, product/service types, and leading applications of the product. Besides, the report offers insights into the linear motion products market trends and highlights key industry developments. In addition to the factors above, the report encompasses several factors that contributed to the growth of the market in recent years.

Report Scope & Segmentation