Siemens is the world`s largest supplier of motion control equipment - but only just, according a new market survey.

The analyst Datamonitor estimates that Siemens holds 13% of the $3.6bn global market, putting it slightly ahead of Rockwell Automation (on 12.5%) and Mitsubishi (12%). Three other suppliers - GE Fanuc, Yaskawa and Omron - each account for 6-6.5% of the market.

Until recently Mitsubishi held pole position, but it has been hit by a flat home market. Siemens dominates Europe, is strong in North America, and has a wide coverage of smaller markets, Datamonitor reports*.

Although Rockwell dominates in North America, it trails in Germany and Japan. Unlike other sectors of the automation market, the motion control business has a large number of smaller suppliers with a significant presence in regional or specialised markets.

But Datamonitor reports that many of these suppliers are being swept up by larger pan-national groups, such as Danaher or Invensys. OEMs are still the main customer for motion control products, but end-users are increasingly likely to implement applications themselves, Datamonitor suggests.

The range of end-users is also widening with the travel, service and entertainment industries all adopting motion control technology. Servo systems account for almost 70% of the global motion control market. PC- and bus-based technologies are the fastest growing segment and are eating into the PLC`s traditional territory.Between 1995 and 1995, their share of the market grew from 10% to 15%.

The report analyses the 11 largest motion control markets which, together, account for 90% of sales. The UK market, it says, is characterised by high load requirements in sales to specialist motion systems integrators are unusually high here.

* Motion control in the leading industrial markets. Price £1,995. Details from Datamonitor on 0171 316 0001.