Online Process Analyzers

The Online Process Analyzers market research report delivers current market analysis plus a five-year market and technology forecast. The report covers a wide range of technologies used to obtain real-time information from on-going processes. The study is available in multiple editions including worldwide, all regions, and most major countries.

​Online Process Analyzers: A Real-time Window into the Process

Real-time analytics opens a window into the process as it happens. Against this background, online process analyzers are penetrating further into production and processes.  This trend is gaining momentum by technological developments that make existing technologies easier to use or moving to more sophisticated methods from the laboratory directly into the process.

The process industries use a variety of analyzers, based on chromatography, optical or electrochemical methods.  The discussed analyzers are typically connected to the distributed control system via an industrial network. Even though the speed of the analysis may take some time (seconds or milliseconds) these analyzers are considered to be ‘real-time’.

In this market analysis, we give an overview over the three most common analyzers types used in online analytics: gas chromatographs, optical process analyzers, and electro-chemical process analyzers. Optical and electro-chemical process analyzers are heavily used in industries that are not very susceptible to changes in the economic cycles (e.g., water & wastewater, food & beverage, and pharmaceuticals).  Gas chromatographs are predominately used in oil & gas-related industries and are more dependent on the prices and cycles of these sectors.   

Online Process Analyzers Strategic Issues

In addition to providing a five-year market forecast, the Operator Training Simulator market research provides detailed quantitative current market data and addresses key strategic issues as follow. We are also looking at the influence of the on-going COVID-19 crisis and the influence it has on the demand from different industries. 

2020 Is Not an Average Year 

The disruptive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is felt in every aspect of our lives and its dramatic results are also seen in the results of industrial companies.  Broken supply chains and low consumption have brought the economy to a screeching halt.  ARC estimates a 20 percent loss overall.  The prognosis is that the world economy will reach pre-COVID-19 numbers earliest in 2022.  While the COVID-19 pandemic did not impact the 2019 demand for online process analyzers, the market projections do take into account industry trends with our best estimates for how COVID-19 will impact the market in different industries.  

Remote Control and Monitoring

Process analyzers sales suffer alongside other automation products.  But as a large proportion is deployed in essential industries such as, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, and water & wastewater—the effect may be more muted for them.  Especially in times of work-from-home and the resulting difficulties to be physically present in the plants, remote control and monitoring has experienced a strong growth.  Process analyzers deliver important parts of the necessary data to manage production lines remotely.  As a result, the demand for remote solutions has risen exponentially during the COVID-19 crisis.  Solutions have been offered by manufacturers for some time, but the application was sluggish in many process industries.  The disruption caused by the pandemic seems to have accelerated the adoption of these technologies, possibly even causing a general change in attitude toward remote solutions.

Demand for Customized Products

The demand for smaller and customized batches is supporting the online process analyzers market.  Especially in established markets in Europe and North America, the demand for customized products with short lead times is growing.  Emerging markets like China and India also show a growing demand for the technology, as their offerings move from basic products toward specialized offerings. 

Real-time Information and Digitalization

The growing demand for real-time information is another factor.  The ongoing digitalization of industrial production processes is a major driver, especially in highly regulated industries, such as, pharmaceuticals, food & beverage, and water & wastewater, but also in the specialty chemical industry and the oil & gas industry.  Digitalization of processes needs historic and current data to be efficient.  Online process analyzers provide fast and reliable data for continuous process monitoring, thus, limiting waste and allowing for fast and informed reactions to changes in the process.

Disparity in Technologies and Industries

Optical and electro-chemical process analyzers are heavily used in industries that are less susceptible to changes in the economic cycles (e.g., water & wastewater, food & beverage, pharmaceuticals).  Thus, even though they cannot completely avoid the dramatic downturn caused by the pandemic, they suffer less than other products.

Gas chromatographs are predominately used in oil & gas-related industries and are dependent on the prices and cycles of these sectors.  In 2019, their sales caught up, as many projects that had been delayed were executed.  The dramatic oil price drop in the spring of 2020 has stopped most projects in the oil & gas industry again, but the need for maintenance and updating remains strong; the oil price has risen again in the second half of 2020 and is forecasted to stabilize further in 2021.