Miconex 2000 continues growing

Beijing, China —Miconex 2000—International Fair for Measurement, Instrumentation, and Automation—grew to nearly 500 exhibitors and drew 45,300 visitors during its Sept.11-14 run here. Messe Düsseldorf China Ltd. (MDC, Shanghai) reported nearly all exhibitors indicated satisfaction with number of visitors (98%), quality of visitors (94%), and their overall participation in Miconex (99%). Fifty or more serious inquiries were received by 65% of exhibitors, while one in three got over 150such inquiries, says MDC. Newly created MDC will jointly organize future Miconex shows with the China Instrument & Control Society.

Miconex’s process industry orientation continues to be supplemented by automation software, and networking/communications technologies. Chinese e-commerce and online business offerings for industrial products are also starting to show up.

International scope

German companies were very visible, including Rittal , showing a wide range of modular enclosure systems for control equipment, and Siemens , with a gamut of automation, process control, and drives products.

“In the last two years, markets in China have been on a ‘burning’ pace,” Siegfried Schmidt, senior director and gm of Siemens Ltd. China Automation & Drives Group, told Control Engineering. “This market now demands the latest products, thereby bringing all the big players here.” He discussed Siemens’ substantial investments in China, including nine joint ventures with a 1999 turnover of $150 million. Mr. Schmidt cited Simatic PLCs and CNC products doing well versus the competition.

U.S. companies with local representation were also evident. A participant in several shows in Asia, Think & Do Software presented its PC-based control technology that has connectivity to many automation suppliers.

“Miconex is one of the best shows that we participate in,” says John Gong, Think & Do’s Asia/Pacific regional manager, based in California. He adds that Miconex’s “excellent” results included hundreds of qualified leads, exposure of the company name and reputation to thousands of visitors, and attracting potential business partners. “It’s definitely important to have local business partners, in China,” says Mr. Gong. Think & Do Software’s technical session on PC-based control drew an overflow audience of engineers and managers from various industries. “People were hungry for our PC-based control technology,” he adds.

Wonderware is active in the region through its Asia/Pacific technology hub in Singapore. Products offered—such as its InTrack and Protean ERP software for process industries—are identical to those available elsewhere, except for some variation by regional interest. An HMI package configured in Chinese was a hot item on exhibit, said a company spokesperson. Using a basic tutorial CD, the HART Communication Foundation advocated its communication protocol that incorporates both analog and digital signals. Ron Helson, HCF director, gave a presentation on “Applying the HART protocol.”

Fairchild Industrial Products Co . reported good interest by show visitors in its valve positioners and electropneumatic transducers. According to Thomas McNichol, vp industrial controls, “Miconex is a great venue for smaller companies interested in the Chinese market.” Fluid Components International saw strong interest in its flow, liquid level, and temperature sensing products, according to Steve Craig, international sales manger. “List price for products still exists in China,” he says. Magnetrol International exhibited its flow and level measurement products. Guided-wave radar technology for level measurement was highlighted. Bindicator , another U.S. company and veteran exhibitor at Miconex, has had a presence in China since 1991. Its level control products enjoy a “good name” here in power plant and grain-silo applications, says Zhang Pei Zhen, general manager at the Shanghai office.

The show’s theme of “Beyond Measure” will continue at the next Miconex, scheduled for Oct. 23-26, 2001, in Shanghai.

For more information, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America via www.mdna.com , or visit www.controleng.com/freeinfo .

Current and Projected U.S. Fiber-Optic Markets Sizes

Following spectacular early growth, momentum in many fiber-optics markets is expected to slow in the future as telecommunication and other users moderate capital budgets, and as competition in the sector intensifies, according to “Lights Dim for Fiber Optics Industry Overview and Statistics” by BlueStone Capital (New York, N.Y.), a securities research firm, located at

(in billions of $; with % change from previous year)

1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003

Source: Control Engineering with data from BlueStone Capital and Bluechip Blonde,

DWDM (dense wave division multiplexing)
$1.6
2.4
4.2
6.3
9.0
11.0

50%
75
50
43
22

SONet ADM/CC (synchronous optical network add/dropmultiplexer/cross connect)
$3.0
4.8
7.0
9.5
11.3
13.0

59%
47
35
20
15

IP router/ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)
$1.2
2.2
4.6
7.5
11.3
16.3

83%
109
63
50
45

Optical switch
$0
0.2
0.8
1.6
3.1
5.1

NC
300%
100
94
65

Total
$5.8
9.6
16.6
24.9
34.7
45.5

65%
73
50
40
31

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