Sales of integrated motors to the packaging industry surged by 48.8% in 2010 and will continue to expand, according to a new study, The World Market for Integrated Motors, from IMS Research.

Integrated motors are used mostly in new machinery and they benefitted from a 14.6% expansion in global packaging machinery production last year. In particular, AC servo integrated motors recorded a 79.1% hike in revenues from packaging applications last year, driven by their flexibility and dynamic performance.

“This flexibility allows companies to cut costs on wiring, installation labour, and maintenance,” explains IMS analyst, Jenalea Howell. “Users have reported up to 30% savings on installation labour costs.”

She adds that the flexibility of integrated motors also relates to their design and that motors offering various drive placement options are attractive for applications where space is limited.

The flexibility of the integrated motors is also helping them to penetrate sectors that need modular machines, such as materials-handling, and food, beverage and tobacco. Together, these industries accounted for almost 40% of the global integrated motors market last year. IMS predicts that they will grow by an average of 13.4% (CAGR) between 2010 and 2015.