U.S. Electronic Pressure Sensing Device Markets are Fragmented or Concentrated, Depending on Your Viewpoint

Although the overall market is diverse, there are some large segments. Among the application markets, automotive vehicle, medical, and military/aerospace accounted for the largest shipments in 2002. The combined shipment shares for these applications were almost 70% of the total. Many of the major vendors tend to concentrate on one or more of these application markets.

Natick, MA (PRWEB) August 1, 2003 - A recent market study by Venture Development Corporation found the overall U.S. market for pressure transducers, transmitter, and component level sensors totaled almost $1.3 billion in 2003. The markets for these products are very diverse, with many applications, and it is being served by many suppliers. Yet, within the broad market, the study found there to be major segments where certain suppliers are very strong.

The study results are contained in three reports covering:

- Process Pressure Transmitters
- Non-Process Pressure Transducers & Transmitters
- Component Level Pressure Sensors (solid state devices sold either as silicon chips, or with a limited degree of packaging that allow these to be incorporated into transducers & transmitters)

Process Pressure Transmitter Market
Position of Emerson Process Management, Rosemount Division in U.S. Process Pressure Transmitter Market
Overall Market Share in 2002: 56%
Market Position In:
Smart Devices: #1
Traditional Devices: #2
Variable Capacitance Technology Devices: #1
Piezoresisitve Semiconductor Technology Devices: #1

The Rosemount Division of Emerson Process Management is by far the dominant supplier of process pressure transmitters to the U.S. market overall. They are also near the top (if not the top) in several segmentation categories. The firm sells these products for use in a broad range of process industry applications, with the largest shares for the chemical/petrochemical, oil/gas, pulp/paper, and electric power industries. The firm has a large installed base, and many shipments are for maintenance and repair applications. Many sales also are with the firms distributed control systems.

Non-Process Transducer & Transmitter Market
The overall U.S. market for these products is large, but fragmented. The largest supplier in 2002 was Delphi Delco Electronic Systems with only a 13% market share, and only one other vendor, Kavlico, had as much as a 10% share.

Although the overall market is diverse, there are some large segments. Among the application markets, automotive vehicle, medical, and military/aerospace accounted for the largest shipments in 2002. The combined shipment shares for these applications were almost 70% of the total. Many of the major vendors tend to concentrate on one or more of these application markets.

Delphi Delco Electronic Systems concentrates almost exclusively on the automotive vehicle applications, and in 2002 they captured one-third of the U.S market. Motorola, through their Automotive & Industrial Electronics Group (AIEG), also has a significant share of this market segment. The largest portion of the overall market is in piezoresistive semiconductor type products, and Delphi Delco Electronic System is the largest supplier of these.

Position of Delphi Delco Electronic Systems in U.S. Non-Process
Pressure Transducer & Transmitter Markets
Overall Market Share in 2002: 13%
Market Position in Piezorestive Semiconductor Products: #1
Market Share in Automotive Vehicle Applications: 33%

Other vendors show strength in different market segments. Variable capacitance technology accounts for the second-largest share of shipments overall, and the leading supplier of these is Kavlico. The largest share of their shipments also are for automotive vehicle applications, however, Kavlico serves a broad range of application markets.

In medical applications Abbott Critical Care was the largest supplier in 2002. The firm sells invasive disposable blood pressure transducers to hospitals, and hospital purchasing organizations. The second and third leading suppliers, Edwards Lifesciences and Integral Neurosciences, respectively, also focus exclusively on medical applications.

In military/aerospace applications, Goodrich Sensor System (formerly BF Goodrich Rosemount Aerospace) had the largest 2002 market share. They were followed by Kulite Semiconductor Products, Ametek Gulton Statham, and Honeywell Aerospace, all of whom have a heave focus on military/aerospace applications.

Position of Other Leaders in 2002 U.S. Non-Process Pressure Transducer & Transmitter Markets
Leading Supplier of Variable Capacitance Products -Kavlico (37%)
Leading Supplier for Medical Applications -Abbott Critical Care (21%)
Leading Supplier for Military/Aerospace Applications -Goodrich Sensor Systems (18%)

Component Level Pressure Sensors
In the study, VDC only addressed the merchant market for component level pressure sensors. Not covered was the much larger market for captive shipments for use by the firm in its own pressure transducers and/or transmitters, or those of other divisions within their corporation.

In the small 2002 U.S. merchant market, NovaSensor had a significant share of almost 29%. MSI the second-largest supplier, had about a 12% share. In September 2002, GE Industrial Systems, a division of General Electric, acquired NovaSensor from TRW Inc. NovaSensor became GE NovaSensor, and is now part of the GE Measurement & Sensing Technologies business within GE Industrial Systems. The firm sells these products for a broad range of applications, with heavy concentration on medical and automotive applications. Other application markets served include business equipment, consumer products, process controls, and general industrial equipment. Piezoresistive ion implanted semiconductor products account for most of the merchant shipments, and GE NovaSensor is the leading supplier of these to U.S. markets.

Position of GE NovaSensor in the U.S. Market for Component Level Pressure Sensors
Overall Market Share in 2002: 29%
Market Position in Piezoresistive Ion Implanted Semiconductor Products: #1
Market Position in Automotive Vehicle Applications: #1
Market Position in Medical Applications: #1
Market Position in All Other Applications Combined: #2

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 system markets.
To view the entire press release go to:
http://www.vdc-corp.com/industrial/press/03/pr03-54.html

Report Availability:
http://www.vdc-corp.com/industrial/reports/02/br02-38.html

For further information about "The U.S. Pressure Transducer, Transmitter and Sensor
Industry, Eighth Edition" or any other VDC service contact:

Jim Taylor, Group Manager, jimt@vdc-corp.com

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

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