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The global temperature sensors and transmitters market is highly competitive, with a large number of participants. Temperature is one of the most frequently measured parameters, with temperature sensors used in many industries (if not all of them). Because temperature applications are so diverse—ranging from critical process control to maintaining comfort levels inside automobiles—there are several technologies that are used to measure temperature although temperature sensors can be broadly classified into two categories: contact and noncontact.
Contact sensors, as the name implies, must be in contact with the object whose temperature is being measured; it is assumed that the sensor and the object are in thermal equilibrium. Examples of contact temperature sensors include thermocouples, RTDs, thermistors, and IC sensors. Noncontact temperature sensors, such as infrared (IR) sensors, read a portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by the object and then measure its intensity.
Some of the contact temperature sensor technologies have been present for decades and are considered mature and static. The noncontact temperature sensor technologies, in contrast, are more dynamic (still maturing) and are projected to show higher growth because of their increasing usage in a wide number of applications. Despite flat growth rates in certain technology segments, the overall temperature sensors and transmitters market is expected to grow during the 2011–2015 period because of stable economic conditions in many regions and robust growth in many emerging economies. Environmental legislation and demand from vertical market segments such as the automotive and telecommunications industries are expected to contribute to the growth of the temperature sensors and transmitters market as well.
End-User Trend Analysis
Considering revenue generation for the global temperature sensor market for 2011, temperature sensor and transmitter use in the chemical and petrochemical industry represents the largest contribution of 19.3% to the total revenues in 2011 (Figure 1). Oil and gas, metals, and automotive are the other key end markets that generate sizable revenues for the world temperature sensors and transmitters market. These industries use most of the different types of temperature sensor technologies.
Johnson
