Global shipments of motion control products declined by 3.9% to $2.9 billion in 2015, according to statistics released by the Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA), the industry’s trade group.

“In 2015 the motion control market experienced a modest decline from 2014 due to a slowing manufacturing sector late in the year and contractions in a few main product categories,” says Alex Shikany, MCMA Director of Market Analysis. “Three of the five largest segments we track, Electronic Drives (-8.1%), AC Drives (-7.4%), and Motion Controllers (-1.4%) decreased on a year-over-year basis. Conversely, the largest segment we track, Motors (2.6%), saw modest growth in 2015.”

Shipments during the year’s fourth quarter also decreased on a year-over-year basis by 7.3% to $709 million. Despite the decline, categories such as AC Motors (98.6%) and Support Services (47.2%) experienced growth in the fourth quarter over the previous year.

MCMA summarizes market results from suppliers and distributors in quarterly tracking reports and trend analysis reports. These reports examine orders and shipments by major product category quarterly and annually with tables and graphics. Growth rates and book-to-bill ratios are provided for each product category. MCMA also provides an economic indicator report, which helps report users to interpret quarterly statistics from the standpoint of macro-economic indicators by individual manufacturing industry, as identified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).