Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
The AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement polls its 450 members every quarter on the economic development. After a successful result for the previous year with ten percent growth in revenue, the sensor industry falters somewhat in the first quarter of 2019, showing a decrease of one percent, as compared to the previous quarter. Orders incoming, however, are stable, showing a rise of one percent, compared to the last quarter.
Thus, the sensor and measuring industry, it seems, is smarting due to the somewhat weak start of the German industry. As the world export champion, the German engineering and automotive industries have been adversely impacted by the recent trade conflicts. The German Ministry of Economics predicts a continued decrease in orders incoming for the next months.
“In rocky times, the economy is susceptible to fluctuations,” says Thomas Simmons, general manager of the AMA Association, commenting on the current quarterly figures. “The economy slackens, the engineering and automotive industry suffer from a decrease in orders. That, in turn, affects our sensor industry. Whenever, orders incoming in construction and mechanical engineering slump, sensors and measurement are impacted, albeit with a certain delay. A large majority of the AMA member enterprises supply the engineering industry as well as thirty percent for automotive, according to their own figures.”
Overall, AMA members remain cautiously optimistic and expect four percent sales growth for the second quarter, as sensors enable innovations for almost all user industries. An overview of new trends and developments will be presented to interested parties at the SENSOR+TEST trade fair in Nuremberg from 25 to 27 June 2019. Around 560 national and international exhibitors will present technical solutions for measurement, testing and control technology.
