This study presents the results of a worldwide survey of flowmeter users. Goals of the survey were to get an understanding of installed base, to find out user purchasing plans, and to determine what problems users are having with their flowmeters. Other goals include detecting regional differences in worldwide flowmeters, and providing confirming evidence for the supplier data that is presented in Volumes I to V of Worldflow™.
This study analyzes the perspective of flowmeter users worldwide. The objectives of the study are as follows:
· To determine the installed base of flowmeters
· To find out what applications flowmeters are used for
· To determine what features end-users are looking for in flowmeters
· To find out about purchasing expectations for flowmeters
· To determine what percent of flowmeters are bought for new vs. retrofit applications
· To ask about the importance of redundancy in flowmeter applications
· To find out how satisfied users are with flowmeter suppliers, manuals, and training guides
· To determine what approvals are required by end-users on flowmeters
· To find out whether and how often end-users calibrate their flowmeters
Flow-Ducker Research began by contacting flowmeter suppliers to ask what question they would like to have answered in the worldwide survey of flowmeter users. This question was part of the Supplier Input Form, which is reproduced in Appendix B. We also used questions that have been asked in previous surveys. The result was a 14-page questionnaire, which is reprinted in Appendix C.
Some companies do surveys in the United States, and then generalize to the world. This method is very unreliable, since geographic and cultural differences exist that have an impact on flowmeter selection. For example, magnetic flowmeters are as popular in Europe as differential pressure (DP) flowmeters are in the United States. Anyone who surveys the United States and then concludes that DP flowmeters are as prevalent worldwide as they are in the United States would be greatly mistaken.
To insure that we obtain a balanced view of the major geographic regions, we decided to interview an equal number of people in the United States, Europe, and Asia. We therefore interviewed 100 flowmeter users in each region. Within the regions, users in the following countries were interviewed:
· North America: United States and Canada
· Europe: United Kingdom, Germany, France
· Asia: China, Japan, Singapore
All interviews were conducted by telephone. In order to conduct the interviews in Germany, France, China, and Japan, the questionnaire was translated into German, French, Chinese, and experienced interviewers fluent in these languages carried out the interviews.
The interviews are tabulated and analyzed in chapters three, four, five, and six of this study. Chapter three gives the results for all three regions taken together. Chapter four provides results of the interviews in North America. Chapter five has the results of the interviews in Europe, and chapter six provides the results of the interviews in Asia. Untabulated data in the form of quotes for certain questions are presented in Appendix D.
Most of the figures in this report are largely self-explanatory; however some background information will greatly help those reading this report. One thing that readers will notice when examining the figures throughout the report is that the number of respondents can vary greatly from one figure to the next. When surveying users about ten different types of flowmeters there are many instances when certain questions do not apply to a particular user. For example, a user who does not use differential pressure flowmeters cannot answer questions about primary elements and a user who does not have any retrofit applications cannot answer the questions about retrofit purchasing channels. Even with a respondent pool of 300 users the number of respondents who have switched from magnetic flowmeters to ultrasonic flowmeters is very small, while most respondents could answer question about their communications protocol.
It is also important to note the difference between “responses” and “respondents.” The number of total respondents to this study is 299. This number will typically change from figure to figure based on the reasons above. In some cases, some respondents gave multiple responses to a question, leading to a total percentage of over 100% in many of the figures. For example, in Figure 3-32, 34.2% of respondents noted using DP flowmeters because of a competitive price. Some users may also have given two responses, such as a competitive price and familiarity, leading to the total overall percentage over 100%. In most every case the responses were unprompted by the interviewer. The exception to this is the rating of price and accuracy in Figures 3-40 and 3-44 and the corresponding figures in the regional chapters.
In some figures where a great deal of respondents gave multiple responses, the data is presented in terms of total responses where the sum of all the factors will total 100%. An example of this is Figure 3-9 where 487 different responses are given and the data is better understood by looking at the total of the responses. Within the report if respondents gave multiple answers it has been noted. Pie charts always correspond to questions where the respondents were limited to giving one answer.
This study is part of an eight-volume set of studies called Worldflow™ whose purpose is to completely define and analyze the worldwide flowmeter market. Sometimes when markets are studied in isolation, it is difficult to achieve accurate results. By studying the entire flowmeter market at once, Flow-Ducker Research believes that a complete picture of the market can be obtained that is not skewed in favor of one technology or another. The complete 8-volume set is as follows:
Volume I: The Market for Coriolis Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume II: The Market for Magnetic Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume III: The Market for
Ultrasonic Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume IV: The Market for Vortex Flowmeters Worldwide
Volume V: The World Market for New Technology Flowmeters (includes DP flow)
Volume VI: Worldwide Survey of Flowmeter Users (results of 300 phone interviews)
Volume VII: The World Market for Positive Displacement and Turbine Flowmeters
Volume VIII: The World Market for Open Channel, Thermal, and Variable Area Flowmeters
Figure 2-1 lists the different types of new technology and traditional technology flowmeters.
The purpose of Worldflow™ is to give a complete definition and analysis of the worldwide flowmeter market, including all technologies. Some companies approach this subject by doing one study at a time, over a period of months or years. This approach makes it difficult to obtain meaningful comparisons of market size and market shares across technologies. In some cases, inconsistent definitions and terminology is used. Differences in the scope of geographic regions, definitions of “smart”, data gathering methodologies, and ways of dividing up the flowmeter market can create major problems in comparing data. In addition, writing one study at a time inevitably means that studies being compared cover different time periods.
Worldflow™ addresses these issues by creating a systematic complete intellectual framework in terms of which to view the worldwide flowmeter market. Worldflow™ uses a consistent set of definitions of flowmeter types, “smart” flowmeters, and geographic regions throughout. We do not claim to have discovered the best possible set of definitions of terms or of geographic regions. What we do claim is to have used a consistent set of definitions of terms and geographic regions throughout these studies. In addition, we have, as much as possible, clearly stated our definitions, so that anyone using a different set of definitions can make the appropriate adjustments. This chapter contains a complete definition of the geographic regions used in these studies, complete with maps to make the regions more easily visualized and understood.
Besides developing a consistent framework in terms of which to view the worldwide flowmeter market, Flow Research has utilized the philosophy of viewpoint pluralism to provide a more complete understanding of the flowmeter market. The philosophy of viewpoint pluralism can be stated very simply: Our knowledge of any subject or object is proportional to the quantity and quality of the points of view we have of the subject or object. When the subject is the worldwide flowmeter market, this means looking at the worldwide flowmeter market from a variety of perspectives, or points of view.
The Market for Vortex Flowmeters Worldwide is the result of a partnership between Flow Research of Wakefield, Massachusetts and Ducker Research Company, Inc. of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The lead analyst in the project is Jesse Yoder of Flow Research. Flow Research specializes in market research on instrumentation and process control subjects. Dr. Yoder did the supplier interviews, data analysis, forecasting, and writing of the study. He has previously written a worldwide flowmeter study, a worldwide ultrasonic study, a worldwide vortex study, a worldwide pressure study, and numerous proprietary studies on flowmeters.
Michael Kirsch, Senior Analyst, has 28 years of consulting experience in the chemical and plastics industries. He has a BSChE and an MBA.
Nick Limb, Partner at Ducker Worldwide, has overseen the publication of many reports in areas such as adjustable speed drives and flat glass. He has a Masters Degree in economics. Mr. Limb is the overall manager of the project.
Scott Shober, Project Manager at Ducker Worldwide, has extensive experience in technology-driven markets. He specializes in market sizing and forecasting. He has a B.S. in engineering.
Josiah Waxman, Market Analyst at Ducker Worldwide, has research experience in the building & construction industry. He specializes in size and segmentation studies and has a B.A. in Marketing.
Jeff Soohoo of Flow Research served as research assistant and Lorena Ferrari of Ducker Worldwide served as production coordinator.
Ducker Research carried out the end-user survey, under the leadership of Scott Shober, assisted by Josiah Waxman. Nick Limb of Ducker Research served as project manager.
Flow Research is the only market research company whose primary mission is to research flowmeter markets. Flow Research is a division of Idea Network, a market research and publishing company founded in 1986 (www.ideanetworks.net). Idea Network has been producing market research, technical reports, and newsletters for the process control industry since 1986.
The lead analyst for this study, Jesse Yoder of Flow Research, has 15 years experience writing about and analyzing process control and instrumentation markets as president and founder of Idea Network. He has written over 40 market research studies and published numerous articles on instrumentation in industry journals. To read more than 15 articles on instrumentation written by Dr. Yoder, visit the Flow Research website at www.flowresearch.com.
Market research studies are sometimes divided into off-the-shelf and custom reports. Off-the-shelf studies, like this one, are not written for, or specified by, a single company. Instead, they are written and then made available to all interested companies. They are called “off-the-shelf” because they are sold as-is, and are not modified for the requirements of an individual company. Off-the-shelf reports are also called syndicated reports.
Companies that want more detailed information on a specific subject commission custom reports. Custom reports are often commissioned to evaluate the future of a product line, or to determine whether to make an acquisition. In most cases, the type of information required in a custom project is too specific and narrow to be available in an off-the-shelf report.
Dr. Yoder has written numerous custom and off-the-shelf studies in the areas of process control and instrumentation. The following is a list of the off-the-shelf studies he has written:
Thermal Transfer Printing: Technology, Products, Prospects (1983)
World Markets for Distributed Control in the Process Industries (1991)
World Markets for Barcode Equipment (1991)
World Test & Measurement Equipment Markets (1992)
European Market for Test & Measurement Equipment (1992)
The Market for Nondestructive Test Equipment (USA) (1993)
The Evolving U.S. Market for Personal Computers and Software for Programming and Online Operation with Programmable Logic Controllers (1994)
World Market for Industrial Process Control Equipment (1994)
The World Market for Flowmeters in the Process Industries (1994)
The World Market for Intelligent Field Devices (1995)
World Market for Controllers and Control Technology Products (1995)
European Pressure Transmitter Outlook (1996)
Worldwide Vortex Flowmeter Outlook (1997)
Worldwide Ultrasonic Flowmeter Outlook (1997)
Worldwide Pressure Transmitter Outlook (1998)
The Market for Temperature Sensors & Transmitters in the Americas (2000)
The Market for Infrared Thermometers and Thermal Imagers Worldwide (2000)
The Market for Coriolis Flowmeters Worldwide (2001)
The
Market for Magnetic Flowmeters Worldwide (2001)
The Market for Ultrasonic Flowmeters Worldwide (2001)
The Market for Vortex Flowmeters Worldwide (2001)
The Market for New Technology Flowmeters Worldwide (2001)
Worldwide Survey of Flowmeter Users (2001)
The following are articles on instrumentation written by Jesse Yoder:
Mass Appeal, Plant Services, April 2001
Flowmeter Shootout, Part III: How Users Choose, Control, April 2001
Flowmeter Shootout, Part II: Traditional Technologies, Control, March 2001
Flowmeter Shootout, Part I: New Technologies, Control, February 2001
Raising the Bar for Primary Elements, Control Engineering, October 2000
Flowmeter Calibration: How, Why, Where, Control, July 2000
Ultrasonics Reverberate Through the Market, Intech, July 2000
Ultrasonic Flowmeters: A Natural Choice to Measure Gas Flow, July 2000
Growth Prospects for I/P Transducers, Plant Services, July 2000
Taking the Mystery out of Infrared, Control, June 2000
Making Contact with Temperature, Control Engineering, April 2000
Thermocouple Technology, A Matter of Resistance and Metal, Intech, March 2000
Plumbing the Depths of Open Channel Flow Measurement, Control, July 1999
Using Meters to Measure Steam Flow, Plant Engineering, April 1998
Flow Measurement Technologies Move Forward, I&CS, November 1997
Ultrasonic Flowmeters: A Technology Whose Time Has Come, Chemical Engineering World, November 1997
Fast Action, Plus Emissions Control, Boosts Quarter-Turn Valves in Batch, InTech, November 1997
Major Forces Drive Industrial Automation, Honeywell Journal, April 1995
Getting to the Heart of Smart, Intech, February 1995
In addition to the ten years he spent writing market studies, Dr. Yoder spent ten years as a technical writer. Almost four years of this were spent writing technical manuals and training guides for the process control division of Siemens. He also taught technical writing at the graduate level at Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He has recently published a philosophy book called Shades of Experience that is available online at www.ideanetworks.net. Shades of Experience explains the philosophical basis for viewpoint pluralism, and argues that our language needs to be altered in certain fundamental ways. Viewpoint pluralism is the philosophy that underlies the research performed by Flow Research and Idea Network. The overall goal of Shades of Experience is to find better ways to describe our experience.
Ducker Research has 40 years of experience in researching industrial and business markets. This experience gives Ducker Research (www.ducker.com) access to a wide array of industry knowledge, technology awareness and current market trends.
Today, the firm has a staff of 65 in its Bloomfield Hills, Michigan offices. This staff includes 30 professionals in engineering and scientific disciplines. In addition, the company has a dedicated, full-time staff of 35 experienced interviewers and support staff. Ducker maintains the capabilities to conduct all phases of a research project, without outside support, in its offices. The interviewers conduct 18,000 to 20,000 interviews per year in total.
Ducker Worldwide services a worldwide clientele through its Michigan-based staff and through its offices and partner firms throughout the world. In addition to Ducker’s international offices and capabilities, on staff in Detroit are several individuals with multi-lingual capabilities. Several staff members (analysts and project managers) are fluent in French, Spanish, Italian, German and Japanese. With this capability, coupled with offices overseas and many long-standing relationships with partner firms, Ducker has successfully studied world markets for over four decades.
Flow Research maintains an ongoing interest in the flowmeter industry. We are prepared to do further research that builds on the comprehensive research that is detailed in this study. Companies that would like further detailed research are invited to call Flow Research for more information or to discuss specific research needs. We work with many companies that are looking to expand their product lines, introduce new products, or understand better how to penetrate the markets. For more information, please visit www.flowresearch.com.
Ducker Worldwide is a recognized leader in conducting commercial, technical, and industrial research designed to help clients advance in their respective market segments. While the information in this report is designed as an overview of flowmeter users needs and trends in the flowmeter markets, Ducker can provide custom research based on the satisfaction level and needs of your customers. Please contact Ducker Worldwide for a proposal for a customer satisfaction study, or other custom research that Ducker can provide. This includes:
Industrial Market Assessment
· Pricing and Profitability Analysis
· Market Sizing/Segmentation
· Channel Maps and Distribution Analysis
· Purchase Decision Analysis
· Competitive Intelligence
· Due Diligence
Communications Planning
· Image Assessment
· Customer Satisfaction Studies
· Brand Positioning
New Product/Technology Assessment
· Market Entry Planning
· New Product Opportunity Assessment
· Quality Function Deployment
· Key Customer Values
· Price Elasticity of Demand
New Technology Flowmeters |
Traditional Technology Flowmeters |
Coriolis |
Differential Pressure (DP) |
Magnetic |
Open Channel |
Ultrasonic |
Positive Displacement |
Vortex |
Thermal |
Multivariable Differential Pressure |
Turbine |
|
|
Variable Area |
|
|
Other |