Sensors and Mearurement Technology: Positive sales and incoming orders development despite strong supply bottlenecks

AMA Association reports industry development in the third quarter of 2021

 

Sensors and Metrology presents itself as a stable factor in the third quarter. Sales developed stably at plus minus zero percent. There was an increase of four percent in incoming orders. Short-time work continued to decline, although 79 percent of AMA members said they still had to cope with supply and material bottlenecks.  

 

Berlin, December 16, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensor and Measuring Technology e.V. (AMA) surveyed its approximately 450 members on economic development in the third quarter. AMA members generated sales of plus minus zero percent in the third quarter, compared to the previous quarter. Comparing the sales development with the results of the third quarter of 2020 to 2021, there is a significant increase in sales of 25 percent. 

 

New orders developed as predicted by AMA members, with an increase of four percent, compared to the previous quarter. It is striking that small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reported significantly higher new orders in the third quarter than large companies. The industry expects a moderate increase of a further two percent in the current quarter.   

 

However, AMA members continued to report significant shortfalls due to supply and material bottlenecks. Nearly 80 percent of AMA members said they continue to suffer from material shortages from suppliers, and the industry expects this condition to continue through the middle, and many more likely the end, of next year. 

 

AMA members were also asked about ordering restraint by their own customers due to their material shortages. 28 percent of AMA members confirmed such restraint on the part of their own customers.  

 

"Around 80 percent of the companies in the industry are currently suffering from delivery problems due to a lack of materials, as a result of bottlenecks at their suppliers. Our members estimated that this will continue for another six months to a year," said Thomas Simmons, AMA managing director. "At the same time, the industry is doing very well right now. It's almost as if Corona didn't exist. Sales were flat in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter, but that was at a plus-25 percent level compared to the third quarter of 2020. AMA members expect sales to continue to increase in the current quarter, and new orders have been growing without interruption for the past year and a half," says Thomas Simmons, AMA executive director. "It remains to be seen if and to what extent these supply issues will impact sales."  

AMA Innovation Award 2022: Applications now open

Innovations from sensor and measurement technology sought

 

Berlin, Oct. 12, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology (AMA) invites researchers and developers to apply for the AMA Innovation Award 2022. The search is on for innovative research and development results in sensor and measurement technology. The deadline for entries is January 26, 2022. 

 

Individuals and development teams are invited to apply with innovative research and development solutions that demonstrate recognizable market relevance. The AMA Innovation Award carries prize money of 10,000 euros. In addition, companies can apply for the special "Young Enterprise" award if they have been on the market for no longer than five years, employ fewer than 50 people and generate annual sales of less than 10 million euros. The winner in this category will receive a free exhibition booth at SENSOR+TEST 2022. 

 

For 22 years, the prestigious AMA Innovation Award has been presented to the developers themselves and not to the institutions behind them. The jurors from universities, research institutions and companies place particular emphasis on scientific achievement, the degree of innovation of the development and the expected opportunities in the market.

 

"We invite creative minds from Germany and abroad to apply and present their own developments to a broad and interested audience of experts," says jury chairman Andreas Schütze of Saarland University. "We are looking forward to applications from well-known companies and institutions as well as from newcomers, who can additionally apply for the special category 'Young Enterprises'."

 

Conditions of participation and tender documents for the AMA Innovation Award 2022 and the special category 'Young Enterprise' as well as brochures with the award winners and all applications from previous years are available free of charge at: https://www.ama-sensorik.de/en/science/ama-innovation-award/.

 

Deadline for entries is January 26, 2022, and the nominations and special award winners will be announced at the AMA press conference on March 10, 2022. The winners of the AMA Innovation Award 2022 will be honored at the opening ceremony of SENSOR+TEST on May 10, 2022 in Nuremberg.

Sensors and Measurement: Sales stabilize, order situation picks up

AMA Association reports industry development for the second quarter of 2021

Sensors and measurement technology recorded significant sales growth in the first quarter, with sales stabilizing at plus minus zero percent in the second quarter. Overall, the industry's incoming orders developed positively with an increase of eight percent. The proportion of AMA member companies that have registered for short-time work is falling significantly, with only one in five companies now employing people on short-time work.

 

Berlin, October 5, 2021 - The AMA Association for sensors and measurement e.V. (AMA) surveyed its approximately 450 members on economic development in the second quarter. According to its data, the industry generated sales of plus minus zero percent in the second quarter, compared with the previous quarter. 

 

Catching up on sales, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performed significantly better in the second quarter than large companies in the sector. Accordingly, the expectations of small to mid-sized AMA members are slightly more optimistic than those of larger members. Overall, the industry expects positive growth of four percent in the third quarter. 

 

Short-time work is now only found among SMEs in the industry and mainly affects suppliers to the target markets: mechanical engineering, sensor and measurement technology, and the automotive and electrical sectors. Suppliers to the medical technology and energy industries are little or not at all affected. This is underpinned by above-average incoming order for suppliers to the medical technology sector. The aerospace sales market is also developing well. Below-average results are reported by suppliers to the sensor and measurement technology sectors. 

 

The AMA Association also surveyd its members on the development of online sales during the COVID crisis. One in six companies is increasing its own online trade, especially suppliers to the energy and automotive sectors. The majority of companies that are establishing and expanding online trade report promising results. 

 

"Encouragingly, our industry is bouncing back, with sales and new orders in particular performing as our industry expected the long-term trend to be before the Corona pandemic," said Thomas Simmons, AMA executive director. "Order books are well filled, short-time work has decreased significantly, sales are stabilizing and the industry is confident about the current quarter."  

Sensors and Measurement: Strong revenue growth in first quarter

Industry grows more strongly than expected due to catch-up effects

 

Berlin, June 6, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensors and Metrology surveys its 450 members quarterly on economic development. The industry reports revenue growth of 13 percent for the first quarter, compared to the previous quarter. Incoming orders rose by seven percent at the beginning of the year. The industry is in a positive mood and expects further moderate revenue growth of four percent in the second quarter. 

 

According to the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, economic output contracted by 1.7 percent overall in the first quarter of 2021. However, the industry was on an upward trend again at the end of the first quarter and incoming orders continued this upward trend, in particular due to rising domestic demand. Sensor and measurement manufacturers reported much more positive developments for the first quarter. In particular, the large AMA members were able to increase revenue in the first quarter. In terms of incoming orders, on the other hand, the small and medium-sized industry representatives scored above average, while the major players reported stable incoming orders. Strong catch-up effects are having a positive impact on suppliers to the electronics sector and mechanical and plant engineering, while this effect has yet to materialize for suppliers to the automotive sector. 

 

"Our statistics show that the drop in revenue from the Corona crisis has now been offset for a large part of our industry," says Thomas Simmons, managing director of the AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology. "Overall, our members' expectations are positive. In most cases, interrupted supply chains could be closed by alternative suppliers. The trend in new orders also supports the outlook for normalizing revenue growth in the current quarter."  

Sensor and Measurement Science International successfully launched

First digital conference on sensors, measurement technology and metrology  

 

Berlin, May 31, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology invited science and industry to Sensor and Measurement Science International (SMSI 2021), which was held digitally from May 3 to 6 due to the pandemic. 

Research results and developments from the fields of sensors, measurement technology and metrology were presented in more than 160 lectures. Research institutes from the USA, Great Britain and Switzerland, among others, presented ongoing developments and those looking far into the future. These included four lectures on quantum metrology and sensor technology alone, lectures on new methods of materials characterization, and developments in further digitization and artificial intelligence. 

 

Special highlights were the well-attended science slam sessions and the best paper awards, which were awarded to: Lara Hoffmann (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt), Evgeny Melekhov (Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg), Thomas Voglhuber-Brunnmaier (Johannes Kepler University Linz) and Leonhard Nitsche (Fraunhofer Institute IPM). 

"We would like to thank our international speakers and a likewise group of participants for the successful start of our new conference," says Professor Gerald Gerlach, General Chairman of SMSI 2021. "The words of welcome from other international metrology conferences encourage us to integrate SMSI into the already existing international conference ensemble in the future."

 

SMSI will be held every 2 years and is planned for 2023 as an attendance event parallel to SENSOR+TEST 2023 in Nuremberg. With the SMSI conferences, the AMA Association for Sensors and Metrology supports and strengthens the leading international position of the German industry for measurement technology.

Two development teams awarded the AMA Innovation Award 2021

The AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology (AMA) awarded the AMA Innovation Award 2021 to two nominated teams. Due to the pandemic, the award winners were chosen digitally on May 3, 2021, at the opening event of Sensor and Measurement Science International (SMSI 2021). 

 

The AMA Innovation Award 2021, which is endowed with 10,000 euros, goes this year in equal parts to two development teams. Both developments impressed the jury with their high innovative strength and clear market relevance. 

Gas sensing with dielectric excitation

They have brought new gas sensing capabilities to conventional semiconducting metal oxide materials (SMOX) with the introduction of our sensor excitation scheme, which provides a up-to-date alternative to traditional resistivity sensing. Our excitation scheme offers linear gas response (R² > 0.99), a dynamic gas concentration range of six decades, high baseline stability, reduced humidity effects, and eliminated ambient temperature effects. We have already launched this product with one of our partners and are working with several other users in consumer, industrial, medical, homeland security and more. 

 

The jury congratulates the development team from the USA: Dr. Radislav A. Potyrailo, Richard St-pierre, Dr. Aghogho Obi, Dr. Baokai Cheng, Dr. Christopher Collazo-Davila, Dr. Brian Scherer, Dr. Hilary Lashley Renison, Dr. Andrew Burns (General Electric Research Center)

 

Multi-parameter measurement as a cloud-based sensor for fermentation "QWX43"

Innovative, compact and easy-to-use multi-sensor system that provides the user full transparency at all times. Simultaneous output of density, viscosity, degree of fermentation, extract, alcohol, sugar concentration and other parameters. With the device, brewers can monitor this processes around the clock, logging, documenting and storing the progress. Valuable process evaluations such as the start and end of fermentation are carried out via web interface. The system is based on just two piezo tuning forks and strategically placed temperature sensors and is implemented in a hygienically fully encapsulated metal housing. 

The jury congratulates the development team: Dr. Tobias Brengartner, Jan Schleiferböck, Dr. Sergey Lopatin, Andrey Dodonov, Pablo Ottersbach, Julia Rosenheim (Endress + Hauser Level+Pressure)         

Sensor and measurement technology as innovation drivers

This year, 29 innovative research and development teams with top-class developments competed for the AMA Innovation Award, including 7 young companies. Together, they all demonstrate the innovative power of sensor and measurement technology.

 

"Both winning projects impressed with their sound solutions, convincing innovative strength and market relevance," said jury chairman Professor Andreas Schütze from Saarland University, explaining this year's selection. 

Brochure with all submissions 2021

All accepted submissions will be published with a brief description of the innovation in the brochure 'AMA Innovation Award 2021 - The Applicants', which can be downloaded online free of charge. 


Applications for the Innovation Award 2022

Application forms for the AMA Innovation Award 2022 will be available from the end of October 2021. Individuals or teams of developers from companies and institutes can apply. For more information, visit: www.ama-sensorik.de.

 

Videos: 

 

2pi-Labs GmbH 

https://youtu.be/dWOTeXimkHc

 

General Electric Research Center

https://youtu.be/rzk48j0Xk5k

 

Endress + Hauser Level+Pressure

https://youtu.be/TwGpEc85rgk

 

Sensor and Measurement Science International 2021: Program online

Digital congress on sensors, measurement and metrology 

 

Berlin, March 26, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology invites to the international congress: Sensor and Measurement Science International (SMSI) 2021. Due to the COVID19 pandemic, the conference will be held digitally, in parallel with the SENSOR+TEST 2021 trade fair from May 3 to 6, 2021. The official SMSI 2021 program is now available online.

 

SMSI 2021 networks national and international representatives from research, science and industry. Current research results from the fields of sensor technology, measurement technology and metrology will be presented. Topics include: Innovative hydrogen sensors for fuel cell vehicles, novel approaches to modeling thermal-electrical behavior of pyroelectric infrared sensors, the development of non-invasive pressure sensors, and the evaluation of ceramic high-temperature sensor housings.

 

In addition to many technical presentations, SMSI 2021 invites all participants to attend international plenary lectures. Among them, for example, NIST on a Chip: Disseminating the SI through Quantum Sensors. Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt reports on the revised SI for Innovation, Science and the Second Quantum Revolution, and the University of California on Invariance of Measured Quantities across the Science. 

The full SMSI 2021 program, registration fees and registration now at: https://www.smsi-conference.com

Sensors and Measurement: On the upswing again after revenue declines

AMA Association reports economic sector development 2020 and outlook 2021

Sensor and measurement technology recorded a two percent drop in revenue in 2020. For the current fiscal year, however, the industry is again expecting a much more positive development of plus nine percent revenue growth. In the past year, the industry invested ten percent less than in the previous year, the export ratio increased by ten percentage points, and the number of companies with employees on short-time work is 52 percent. 

 

Berlin, March, 2021 - The AMA Association for Sensor and Measuring Technology e.V. (AMA) surveyed its members in January 2021 on the economic development of the past fiscal year 2020. According to its own information, the industry generated an overall decline in sales of two percent. Revenue fell in the first two quarters, but picked up again in the third and fourth quarters. The industry closed the fourth quarter with a significant increase in revenue of ten percent compared to the previous quarter.  

 

Investments cut back

Although the sector was previously considered to be particularly investment-friendly, many investments were scaled back last year. In particular, large companies with more than 250 employees were hesitant to invest. Small and medium-sized AMA members invested more than in the previous year. Overall, the industry plans to increase investments again by eleven percent in the current year.  

 

Industry records significant increase in exports

The industry's traditionally strong export ratio recorded a further increase. Since 2016, however, export quotas to other European countries have been declining, while the export quota to non-European countries continues to rise. Overall, the export ratio was 61 percent in 2020. The export ratio to other European countries was 24 percentage points last year.  

 

Fewer employees on short-time working

Due to the pandemic, the Sensors and Measuring Technology division also introduced short-time working. While 58 percent of companies were still using short-time working in the third quarter, the number fell to 52 percent in the fourth quarter. After around 38 percent of all jobs in the sector were on short-time working in the second quarter, the proportion of jobs affected was only eleven percent at the end of 2020. 

 

Pandemic has a positive impact on digitization

The AMA Association surveyed its members on whether and in which areas digitalization is taking place due to the pandemic. 86 percent of AMA members say that the COVID 19 pandemic is leading to increased digitization in companies. Large as well as small and medium-sized companies indicated that they are digitizing their own sales in particular. 

 

Summary statement

"2020 was not a good year for our industry either. In the first half of the year, revenue, investments and the number of jobs fell. Thanks to short-time work, it was possible to retain specialized staff from our members ", says Thomas Simmons, Managing Director AMA Association for Sensor and Measurement Technology. "In the second half of the year, sales and incoming orders picked up again and the willingness to invest is growing. This puts the industry in a positive mood overall, expecting a nine percent increase in sales for fiscal year 2021." 

AMA Association nominates four teams for the AMA Innovation Award 2021

Special 'Young Company' Award for 2pi-Labs GmbH from Bochum, Germany
 

Berlin March, 2021 - In this pandemic year, 29 research and development teams from Germany and abroad applied for the prestigious AMA Innovation Award. The winners receive prize money of 10,000 euros, which the jury can divide. 

 

In the special category 'Young Company', companies that have been on the market for no longer than five years, employ fewer than 50 people and generate annual sales of less than 10 million euros were eligible to apply. The winners of the special award will receive a free booth at SENSOR+TEST 2021, which this year will be held as a digital trade fair. This special award goes to the know-how bearers of 2pi-Labs GmbH for the 2πSENSE - D-band FMCW software defined radar (126-182 GHz) and at the same time remains a contender for the AMA Innovation Award 2021. 

 

Thus nominated for the AMA Innovation Award 2021 are (in alphabetical order):

 

2πSENSE - D-band FMCW software defined radar (126-182 GHz)

Simon Küppers, Dr. Jan Barowski, Dr. Timo Jaeschke, Prof. Dr. Nils Pohl (2pi-Labs GmbH).

 

The 2πSENSE technology platform meets the requirements of complex industrial and scientific radar applications with ultra-fast, network analyzer-like broadband frequency response measurements in D-band. The innovative multi-channel millimeter-wave IC and flexible hardware platform with advanced connectivity options, such as OPC-UA, usher in a new era of software-defined radar systems for even the most demanding applications, such as µm-accurate distance measurements, high-resolution thickness measurements (pipe extrusion), radar imaging (NDT), accurate material characterization (process control), and more.  (brochure p. 8)

 

Gas sensing with dielectric excitation

Dr. Radislav A. Potyrailo, Richard St-pierre, Dr. Aghogho Obi, Dr. Baokai Cheng, Dr. Christopher Collazo-Davila, Dr. Brian Scherer, Dr. Hilary Lashley Renison, Dr. Andrew Burns (General Electric Research Center).

 

They have brought new gas sensing capabilities to conventional semiconducting metal oxide materials (SMOX) with the introduction of our sensor excitation scheme, which provides a up-to-date alternative to traditional resistivity sensing. Our excitation scheme offers linear gas response (R² > 0.99), a dynamic gas concentration range of six decades, high baseline stability, reduced humidity effects, and eliminated ambient temperature effects. We have already launched this product with one of our partners and are working with several other users in consumer, industrial, medical, homeland security and more. (brochure p. 8)

 

Innovative gas property measurement with breakthrough MEMS µ-sensing

Oleg Grudin (First Sensor Corp.), Andreas Niendorf, PhD Natalie Milahin (First Sensor AG).

 

The gas property sensor combines a MEMS μ-cavity and thermal flow sensor to measure viscosity, density, heat capacity and thermal conductivity of gases, enabling improved identification and differentiation of gas mixtures and determination of gas concentrations. This improved gas characterization is used to identify gases and gas mixtures to improve the performance of thermal mass flow sensors. This results in significantly more accurate flow measurements and provides cost-effective alternatives to very complex gas analysis for a variety of applications, especially when gas compositions change. (brochure p. 9)

 

Multi-parameter measurement as a cloud-based sensor for fermentation "InQGuard Brew QWX43"

Dr. Tobias Brengartner, Jan Schleiferböck, Dr. Sergey Lopatin, Andrey Dodonov, Pablo Ottersbach, Julia Rosenheim (Endress + Hauser SE+Co. KG).         

 

Innovative, compact and easy-to-use multi-sensor system that provides the user full transparency at all times. Simultaneous output of density, viscosity, degree of fermentation, extract, alcohol, sugar concentration and other parameters. With the device, brewers can monitor this processes around the clock, logging, documenting and storing the progress. Valuable process evaluations such as the start and end of fermentation are carried out via web interface. The system is based on just two piezo tuning forks and strategically placed temperature sensors and is implemented in a hygienically fully encapsulated metal housing. (Brochure p. 9)

 

"We are pleased that we were once again able to review many outstanding developments from sensor and measurement technology in this special year," says Professor Andreas Schütze, jury chairman from Saarland University. "The four nominated teams particularly convinced the jury and show an interesting variety of developments and approaches to solutions. Together, they all represent the innovative power of sensor and measurement technology." 

 

The winners of the AMA Innovation Award 2021 will be announced on May 3, 2021, at the opening event of Sensor and Measurement Science International (SMSI 2021). This will be held digitally in parallel with SENSOR+TEST 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

The overview of all applications for the AMA Innovation Award 2021 at: https://ama-sensorik.de/fileadmin/Innovationspreis/Booklet/2021_Nominierte.pdf