In a time of global recession it seems unusual to report that the global vacuum components market, worth just under $5bn, grew by around 5% during 2008 – less than half the growth rate of the previous year, reports the working group of the International Statistics on Vacuum Technology (ISVT). Closer examination shows that two market cycles were in play; the semiconductor sector began to fall in mid 2007, but most other sectors held up until the yearend.
Preliminary data for 2009 indicates that all sectors continued to contract with Semiconductors sectors falling back to levels of four years ago.
“2008 was the beginning of a rollercoaster period in the vacuum market: One example is demand for vacuum components in the manufacture of solar cells, which had all but vanished by the end on the year. Contrast this with the emergence of the LED sector in Asia, which looks very promising for 2009,” commented Dr. Stephen Ormrod, spokesman for the ISVT working group and chairman of the EVTA.
The statistics are based on a world-wide data collection program, run by the vacuum associations since 2002 and independently collated by external auditors. The working group believes that the data represents about 85% of the total vacuum components market.
The ISVT is developing links with other Asian trade associations so that full data for these regions can be included in the statistics. The vacuum components market includes pumps and pumping packages, instrumentation, hardware including valves and couplings, and aftersales including spare parts and service.
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