Growth of nearly 4 per cent is forecast for the EMEA market for moulded case circuit breakers (MCCBs), driven both by the development of the economy in EMEA and the success of MCCBs in replacing alternative circuit protection products, according to a new study from analysts at IMS Research.
Outside of the growth in the general economy, the major driver in the MCCB market has been the replacement of fuse products. In fact the market for the more functional MCCBs is predicted to grow at almost double the rate of switch fuse products through 2009. There are a number of benefits associated to the use of MCCBs, including improved functionality - such as remote trip indication - as well as not having to replace the MCCB product after a fault current. Continued developments in the MCCB market, including the more widespread use of 'intelligent' MCCBs and the further reduction in prices, are predicted to continue to drive this replacement of fuse products in the future.
Report analyst Alex West states: "Whilst the replacement of switch fuses is the main driver of growth for MCCBs, this market is also itself beginning to face competition from alternative circuit breaker types, albeit to a smaller degree." In applications where high levels of breaking capacities are required, larger air circuit breakers (ACBs) are, in some instances, replacing MCCBs; similarly the smaller, lower-cost miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) used at the low end of the market for small currents are also biting into MCCB business. However, Alex West continues: "These trends are only having an impact at the extremes of the circuit breaker market and, in comparison with the level of replacement of fuse products, the net effect is small."
