The global market for electromechanical and solid-state relays is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2007 according to a study by Venture Development Corp. Although global relay consumption contracted between 2000 and 2002, demand rebounded in the second half of 2003 and continued throughout 2004 at 10% to 15% growth rates. Long-term growth rates (three to five years) are expected to be slow to approximately 3% to 4%, with the highest growth expected in the Asia-Pacific region.

According to VDC, the trends that will shape relay consumption in Asia during the next three years include:

• Electromechanical relay growth within telecommunications, automated test equipment, and automotive markets

• Price pressures in commodity-type relay categories, driven in part by the increased number of low-cost Chinese relay manufacturers

• Conversions to solid-state technologies in select industrial and commercial markets

• Shift in consumption to Asian markets, with highest growth expected in the People’s Republic of China.

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