U.S. Pressure Switch Market Stands the Test of Time

According to VDC Senior Analyst Tim Shea, "despite hearing lots of 'talk' on the street about pressure switches being displaced by pressure transducers, we found that there are still plenty of applications in which the performance and functionality of a pressure switch does the trick. We see continued demand for pressure switches in industries such as utilities, HVAC, chemical and petrochemical, home appliances, food processing, and pumps and compressors. Yes, there will be some displacement of pressure switches by pressure transducers in industries such as military/aerospace, automotive, and heavy vehicles, among others."

Natick, Massachusetts - Despite growing competition from pressure transducers and transmitters, pressure switches will continue to find usage in a variety of applications. VDC's study, "The U.S. Market for Pressure Switches," found that the U.S. market for pressure switches was going to grow to almost $363 million in 2006 - a measly 0.2% CAGR over the forecast period.

Forecast of U.S. Pressure Switch Consumption (Dollars in Millions)

2003: 359.6
2004: 360.3
2005: 361.4
2006: 362.9

According to VDC Senior Analyst Tim Shea, "despite hearing lots of 'talk' on the street about pressure switches being displaced by pressure transducers, we found that there are still plenty of applications in which the performance and functionality of a pressure switch does the trick. We see continued demand for pressure switches in industries such as utilities, HVAC, chemical and petrochemical, home appliances, food processing, and pumps and compressors. Yes, there will be some displacement of pressure switches by pressure transducers in industries such as military/aerospace, automotive, and heavy vehicles, among others."

The breakdown in rankings of pressure switch dollar shipments by functional type will not change over the forecast period. Gauge pressure switches will continue to comprise the largest share of the market, followed by absolute, differential, and vacuum pressure switches, respectively.

About VDC

Founded in 1971, VDC is a technology market research and consulting firm that specializes in industrial and commercial electronics, computing, communications, software and power systems markets.

**************************************************

To view the entire press release including charts go to:
http://www.vdc-corp.com/industrial/press/03/pr03-37.html

Report Availability:
http://www.vdc-corp.com/components/reports/01/br01-21.html

**************************************************

For further details contact:

Tim Shea, Senior Industry Analyst - tims@vdc-corp.com

Marc Regberg, Senior Vice President - msr@vdc-corp.com

Join the VDC mailing list to receive future updates at: http://www.vdc-corp.com/subscriptions