The Fluid Power Industry has evolved comprehensively over the last century and has generated intensive research, efficient production systems and integrated applications.

The fluid power industry has three large segments: mobile hydraulics, industrial hydraulics and pneumatics. Historically, the mobile hydraulic segment has been the largest, accounting for about 50% of total fluid power sales. The industrial hydraulic and pneumatic segments are nearly the same size, each with about 25% of total fluid power sales .

The major sectors in which fluid power finds applications are:

Construction and Mining Equipment
Industrial Process Equipment & Control
Aerospace & Defence
Steel plants
Agri-machinery
Automotive
Marine equipment
Machine tools
Material handling equipment
Textile machinery
Telecommunications

Fluid Power Industry by number

The Fluid Power Industry is a $ 25 billion industry globally. The USA is the largest player with a share of $ 11.5 billion, followed by Germany, Italy and Japan.
The Indian Fluid Power Industry is worth $ 320 million. Of the total Indian fluid power market of Rs.1500 Crores, the pneumatic sector accounts for approximately 200 Crores. However, there is a large unorganized sector comprising of over 30% of the market share.

Recent trends

Recent trends in the Fluid Power industry show massive global waves of consolidation / acquisition / mergers as companies aim to offer a broader range of fluid power products and solution. Customers too want a “Total Fluid Power Package of Components / Systems”.

Industry growth

The industry had two remarkable periods of growth in the last 13 years. The average annual growth rate between 1987 and 1990 was 9.5%. Between 1993 and 1995, annual growth averaged 12%. These high rates resulted primarily from growth in existing markets, but the introduction of electrohydraulic and electropneumatic technologies opened up new markets, such as active suspensions on automobiles, and reestablished the industry in older markets, such as robotics, that had been lost to exclusively electronic technology in the early 1980s.
Currently the industry is experiencing growth as much as 20% aided by the huge demand for construction equipment in the infrastructure projects and robust growth in the other sectors.
The fluid power industry will continue to witness remarkable growth in the coming years due to strong demand for equipment in the infrastructure sector.