Total machine vision sales in North America rose three per cent, compared to the second quarter of 2011, according to statistics from AIA, the industry trade group.
According to AIA, total machine vision sales include sales of machine vision systems and components. Sales of machine vision systems, the largest category, rose two per cent year-over-year while sales of machine vision components saw an increase of 10 per cent.
The increase in sales of machine vision components resulted primarily from sales of cameras, the largest machine vision components market in North America, which rose by 13 per cent compared to second quarter 2011. Sales of other machine vision components also rose on a year-over-year basis: software (24 per cent), imaging boards (10 per cent), optics (2 per cent) and lighting (1 per cent).
'We welcome a return to growth,' said AIA President Jeff Burnstein. 'These encouraging results break the pattern of the previous three quarters, which recorded year-over-year declines.'
Paul Kellett, AIA’s director of market analysis, added: 'While second quarter results are up from the first quarter of this year, industry experts do not expect an ongoing improvement. Fifty-three percent of the experts surveyed expect flat sales, while 37 per cent believe sales will decrease in the next two quarters. Only 10 per cent expect an overall improvement in machine vision sales.'
