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World Electrochemical Machines Markets
Frost & Sullivan, April 2006
This Frost & Sullivan research service entitled World Electrochemical Machines Markets provides in-depth end-user, geographic, and competitive analyses for the markets. In this research service, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the applications of ECMs in automotive, aerospace and defense, machine building, as well as other industries.
Market Sectors
Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research service:
By End-user Industry:
- Automotive
- Aerospace and defense
- Machine building
- Others
By Application:
- Deburring, polishing and shaping
- Machining, sinking, drilling, grinding
By Geographic Region
:
- North America (the United States, Canada, and Mexico)
- Europe, Middle East, and Africa
- Asia Pacific (Asia and the Pacific countries)
- Rest-of-the-world (South America, Africa, and others)
Technologies
The following technologies are covered in this research service:
- Deburring
- Sinking
- Polishing
Market Overview
Automotive Industry Offers Substantial Opportunities for Electrochemical Machines
The world electrochemical machines (ECM) markets are set to experience increased growth due to the ability of ECMs to machine complex and brittle parts rapidly and their technical superiority over traditional techniques. This is contributing to significant revenue growth in the mass production-based automotive industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. This industry offers excellent growth prospects for ECMs as it extensively uses electrochemical deburring (ECD) machines to deburr the internal burrs of various components such as gear wheels, gear wheel shafts, clutch shafts, and crank shafts. Automotive companies favor ECD machines for their speed as well as the end-product quality ensured by them.
However, the costs of ECMs are relatively high when compared to conventional machining equipment and could range from $25,000 to $2.0 million, depending on the type and size of the machines. This is a considerable deterrent to the uptake of ECMs and poses a strong challenge for suppliers to identify innovative methods of reducing machine costs. One way of achieving this is by using reinforced concrete for the machine base, remarks the analyst. Thus, by reducing the initial costs, ECM suppliers can aim at attracting new customers.
Capability to Machine Complex Parts and Significant Technical Advantages Drive Growth
ECMs’ biggest advantage over conventional machining equipment is their unique ability to repeatedly and accurately machine products that have complex shapes. This capability is the single most important factor driving end users - particularly in the automotive industry - to choose ECMs over other machining types. This is because the removal of burrs in a component plays a critical part in the functioning of the vehicle.
Another distinct advantage of the ECM process is that there is no contact between the tool and the workpiece. This prevents the wear and tear of tools and helps control the costs of the materials involved. ECM is a much faster process than conventional machining and therefore, allows many parts to be machines at a time. Moreover, it does not generate any residual stress in the workpiece and is also ideal for machining fragile parts that cannot bear heavy loads and brittle parts that are prone to developing cracks during the machining process. Thus, ECMs’ technical advantages, combined with the growth of end users such as the automotive industry, ensure that the ECM markets are on a growth path and open up new avenues for machine vendors, says the analyst.
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