Global Mining Laboratory Automation Solutions Market 2016-2020

Global outlook of the mining laboratory automation solutions market

Technavio’s market research analysts predict the global mining laboratory automation solutions market to post a revenue of almost USD 371 million by 2020. This industry research report identifies the inefficiencies in conventional analytical mining laboratory to be one of the major factors that will have a positive impact on the growth of this market in the coming years. The traditional mining analytical laboratory requires all processes from logging-in samples to executing the sample preparation analysis stages manually. As a result, the mining process becomes labor-intensive, and since the control samples require a fast turnaround time, the need for manual labor only increases. Whereas, in an automated mining laboratory, the mining samples are advanced through analytical processes without the need or manual labor. Additionally, automation systems process samples sequentially, which reduces the processing time and improves the quality of analysis. Moreover, automation solutions use robots that execute a repetitive labeling process which helps in eliminating operator errors and also reduces the cost of sample analysis.

One of the major trends that will gain traction in this market is the shift toward modular laboratory automation. Automation systems incorporate several devices such as centrifuges, decappers, specimen loaders, and unloaders and can either be used as stand-alone instruments or be grouped together to form work cells. Additionally, mining companies also have the advantage to incorporate modular automation in incremental steps, which will benefit several small- and medium-sized laboratories.

Competitive landscape and key vendors

The market is highly concentrated and is characterized by the presence of a considerable number of vendors. Major vendors such as Bruker, FLSmidth, Thermo Fisher Scientific, and ROCKLABS dominate the market. Vendors mainly compete on the basis of product differentiation and focus on developing innovative products and enhancing their product portfolio. Due to the decreasing demand for mining products, vendors in the market are concentrating on offering competitive deals to maintain their market shares. Analysts predict that the shares of the smaller companies will decrease in the coming years as they will choose to sell their assets to large companies due to the decreasing demand for mining lab equipment.

The leading vendors in the market are -

• Bruker
• FLSmidth
• Thermo Fisher Scientific
• ROCKLABS

The other prominent vendors in the market are Datech Scientific Limited, GE Energy, Hach, Intertek, JEOL, Shimadzu, ThyssenKrupp, and Waters.

Segmentation by product type and analysis of the mining laboratory automation solutions market

• Automated analyzers and sample preparation equipment
• Container laboratory
• Laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
• Robotics

Due to the preference of the major mining companies towards automating only the labor-intensive stages such as sample collection and preparation, the automated analyzers and sample preparation equipment segment dominated the market during 2015. The adoption of this equipment help mining companies reduce operator intervention, minimize errors, and also reduce the processing time between different stages. The increasing focus of mining companies to reduce their operational costs will fuel the growth of this market segment in the coming years.

Geographical segmentation and analysis of the mining laboratory automation solutions market

• Americas
• APAC
• EMEA

This market study estimates that in terms of geographical regions, EMEA will be the major revenue contributor to the market throughout the forecast period. Countries in the Middle East and Africa have huge reserves of metals and minerals and offer significant growth opportunities for mining companies. The introduction of new regulatory standards and incentives to encourage investments in the mining industry by several countries in the Middle East and the growth of the mining industry that will create the need for automation solutions in the African countries such as Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia, will drive market growth.

Key questions answered in the report include

• What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2020?
• What are the key factors driving the global mining laboratory automation solutions market?
• What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the global mining laboratory automation solutions market?
• What are the challenges to market growth?
• Who are the key vendors in the global mining laboratory automation solutions market?
• What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global mining laboratory automation solutions market?
• Trending factors influencing the market shares of the Americas, APAC, and EMEA.
• What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global mining laboratory automation solutions market?

Technavio also offers customization on reports based on specific client requirement.

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