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Volume sales of welding equipment and consumables declined globally in 2009. The strong rebound of end-user industries post the recession, however, has increased investments in welding equipment and consumables as well as thermal spray equipment.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (industrialautomation.frost.com), Analysis of Global Welding Market for Repairs and Maintenance, finds that the market earned revenues of $2,405.9 million in 2010 and is estimated to reach $3,309.5 million in 2017. The following product segments are covered in the research: welding equipment, welding consumables and thermal spray equipment.
Increasing end-user recognition of the importance of maintenance and services will result in enhanced investments in remote diagnostics and preventive maintenance. Diverse performance, longevity and durability needs will support market growth.
"Efforts at reducing overall downtime through improved visualization and process simulation will constitute key areas in developing the welding and thermal spray market for repairs and maintenance," notes Frost & Sullivan Program Manager Archana Chauhan. "Welding repairs are directed primarily at enhancing the safety and reliability of parts, extending their service life and cutting down on operational costs."
Energy, construction and metal fabrication industries will remain the key end users for the welding equipment and consumables segments over the long term, especially in the Middle East and Asia, and particularly in China.
In the energy sector, gas and steam turbine parts are subject to nearly all types of wear, and they are regularly coated with plasma sprays. The susceptibility of components to high corrosion has created growth potential for the maintenance market.
"Research is ongoing to update welding techniques and materials suitable for the repair of parts involved in steam generation, transport and turbines," states Chauhan. "These present an opportunity for revenue growth for welding repairs in the energy and power sector, as welding constitutes a significant part of the maintenance costs in power plants."
In addition, the growth of renewable energy projects in parts of Europe and China and the robust increase in installed capacity will create opportunities for welding repairs and powder coatings.
Welding also constitutes a significant part (in terms of cost) in any repair project in oil and gas and conventional power generation. Power companies are keen to avoid new purchases and plant shutdowns that could negatively impact profitability. Regular weld repair procedures carried out in offshore structures and power plants will yield higher revenues for welding equipment.
Inherent end user conservatism remains a key challenge. Industries continue to favour existing technologies and processes over new and sophisticated equivalents. Another challenge relates to the absence of skilled and qualified welders. This affects the delivery of services in Western Europe and North America. It also prevents the spread of better ways of tackling repair and wear problems in unfavourable environments such as mining.
Fixed or long-term contracts are not required for repair and coating purposes. Instead, they are generally done on an ad-hoc basis depending on immediate needs. End-user industries do not have the option of subcontracting large-scale repair jobs due to the lack of availability of such services.
"In addition to a good repair product portfolio, service teams need to quickly respond to the repair requirements of machine parts or damaged components and perform in-situ welding," advises Chauhan. "A local presence, developing application-specific expertise and delivering complete solutions, which include selection of materials, products and services such as coating and weld repairs, will also be essential to success."
If you are interested in more information on this study, please send an email with your contact details to Anna Zanchi, Corporate Communications, at anna.zanchi[.]frost.com.
Analysis of Global Welding Market for Repairs and Maintenance is part of the Industrial Automation & Process Control Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: European Welding Consumables Market, Strategic Analysis of the Global Welding Market in Energy Generation, Global Welding Market for Automotive Applications and Strategic Analysis of the Global Equipment and Consumables Market for Pipeline Industry. All research included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents.
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