New orders for motion control products are up 19% through the third quarter of 2011, according to new statistics released by the Motion Control Association (MCA).

In the third quarter, however, year-over-year growth was just 4.2%, compared with 24% year-over-year growth in the second quarter and 29% in the first quarter.

"The results of the third quarter strongly suggest that the motion control market recovery is continuing but at a slower pace," said Paul Kellett, MCA Director - Market Analysis. Dana Whalls, MCA Vice President added that "despite concerns about the economy, industry experts have reported to us that they expect the motion control market to remain relatively flat for the final quarter of the year." Whalls added that MCA will provide further updates on the motion control market at the upcoming MCA Business Conference in Orlando, Florida - January 18-20, 2012. A panel of industry leaders including Arun Jain, Siemens; John Payne, Yaskawa Electric America, Inc.; Ken Sweet, Parker Hannifin Corporation; and Andy Vogl, Kollmorgen - a Danaher Motion Company will participate in a session focused on the outlook for the coming year.

Additionally, the Conference, which is open to MCA members only, will provide a look at the outlook for the global economy from Alan Beaulieu, Senior Analyst, Economist and Principal at the Institute for Trend Research.

MCA tracks results for motion controllers, PLCs, electronic drives, AC drives, motors, AC motors, actuators & mechanical systems, sensors & feedback devices, other ancillary components, and support services. The strongest growth sectors in 2011 include motion controllers, AC drives, AC motors, and other ancillary components.

MCA reports are based on confidential data provided by member companies. The data is aggregated and summarized in quarterly tracking reports and trend analysis reports. These reports examine orders and shipments by major product category quarterly and annually. Growth rates and book-to-bill ratios are provided for each product category. MCA also provides an economic indicator report, which enables report users to interpret quarterly statistics from the standpoint of macro-economic indicators by individual manufacturing industry, as identified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Additionally, each quarterly report includes a forward-looking report that identifies and summarizes industry predictions for growth in the next two quarters.

Most reports are available free of charge to all MCA members. Members providing data for the reports receive "full" versions of the summary and trend analysis reports, which are highly detailed examinations of order and shipment results and also the economic indicator and industry sentiment reports. Non-participating members receive "abridged" versions of the summary and trend analysis reports, which contain shipment results. Members find the reports valuable as gauges of overall market performance and as benchmarks for assessing relative company performance. To learn more about MCA, visit www.MotionControlOnline.org.

The Motion Control Association (MCA) is a global not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting the understanding and use of motion control technologies and developing business opportunities for mechanical and electronic (mechatronics) motion control companies. Founded in 2006, their membership continues to grow. They currently have 70 member companies from around the world. Members include global manufacturers of complete motion control systems, component manufacturers, system integrators, distributors, end users, consulting firms, academic institutions and research groups directly involved with mechanical and electronic (mechatronics) motion control.

MCA is part of the Automation Technologies Council, an umbrella group with over thirty years' experience serving over 625 global automation companies involved in robotics (Robotic Industries Association, www.robotics.org), machine vision and imaging (Automated Imaging Association, www.machinevisiononline.org), motion control and related technologies.