Diaphragm pumps are more energy-efficient than other types of pumps, using more motor torque on the foreword (power) stroke and far less on the back stroke. Owing to the pumps’ low initial costs, low repair and maintenance costs, and easy installation process, combined with their wide application range for pumping fluids with varied viscosities, diaphragm pumps are among the most popular, reliable, and versatile pumps in North America. One of the biggest growth drivers of the diaphragm pumps market for the short term is the rising focus on development in the water and wastewater industry in the United States and Canada.
The Canadian government is looking at investments worth $20 billion to improve its local water and wastewater infrastructure and green infrastructure. In the United States, key focus has been placed on improving storm water and water re-use systems along with desalination, until the end of 2018. Growing investments in water and wastewater are driving the demand for diaphragm pumps, because these pumps are fully capable of handling and effectively managing any kind of debris. This makes them ideal for conveying and metering, among other applications.
Other factors steadily driving up demand for mechanical and hydraulic diaphragm pumps over centrifugal pumps in the North American region include growing emphasis on factors such as quality, reliability, and accuracy in critical processes to achieve operational excellence. These factors play a key role in the purchasing decision of a pump, especially in industries such as oil and gas and water and wastewater, where it is necessary to minimize unplanned maintenance and shutdowns.
Moreover, the increasing demand for sanitized flow of liquids and high-quality process equipment products has led the market to cater to the individual needs of customers, wherein the customer may lay additional emphasis on the material of pump construction and other instrumentation and controls used.
In 2016, the NA diaphragm pumps market generated revenue of $568.6 million chiefly driven by low initial costs, low repair and maintenance costs, and easy installation process of diaphragm pumps coupled with a wide application range for pumping fluids with varied viscosities.
Diaphragm Pumps Market in the United States
- The total revenue generated by the US diaphragm pumps market in 2016 was $458.4 million. The market is expected to generate revenue of $512.4 million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 1.9% between 2016 and 2022. This will be chiefly driven by the revival of the shale gas sector in the country, coupled with infrastructural development projects planned by the government.
- The market saw briefly subdued growth rates in 2015 and 2016, as a result of the global oil price drop during the period. However, recovery in oil prices and improving business sentiments across the globe are opening up tremendous growth opportunities for the North American diaphragm pumps market.
- The sluggish growth in Europe and China may have an impact on the demand in the North American market. The recovery of the US housing market and the increasing consumer confidence are expected to drive the market in the midterm. Factors such as the forecast stabilization in energy and commodity prices are expected to act as minor tailwinds for the diaphragm pumps market in resource-rich countries in 2017.
Diaphragm Pumps Market in Canada
- The country’s shale oil sector is on its recovery path, boosting growth in both the oil and gas and the chemical industries. This trend will open up opportunities for diaphragm pumps in Canada until 2020. Another major trend that is driving the diaphragm pumps market in Canada is the booming organic chemical industry, buoyed by growing focus on shifts in consumer preferences.
- Households will be the main driver of economic growth in the short term. However, consumer spending will decline, held back by the record-high level of consumer debt. The Conference Board of Canada estimates that without a substantial improvement in business investment, the economy is unlikely to see growth above 2% throughout the midterm.
- Growing need for energy-efficient pumps and increasing focus on infrastructure development will make Canada dominate the diaphragm pumps market in North America briefly, until 2019, after which the percent share of the total industry will begin to decline. In 2019, the percent share of the industry is estimated to grow to 22.7%—its highest market share—and is expected to remain stable until 2022.
Diaphragm Pumps Outlook by Segments
There are three types of diaphragm pumps: air-operated diaphragm pumps, hydraulic diaphragm pumps, and mechanical diaphragm pumps. Of the three types, air-operated diaphragm pumps are the biggest segment, as they have many applications across industries such as chemicals, water and wastewater, and oil and gas.
Air-Operated Diaphragm Pumps:
- The air-operated diaphragm pumps segment is worth $374.2 million and it declined by 1.2% in 2016.
- Air-operated diaphragm pumps have many applications across industries such as chemical, water and wastewater, and oil and gas, where they are used for transferring fluids. They are also used for dosing applications the food and beverage industry.
- A number of local manufacturers offer these pumps. As a result of this, the degree of competition is high and price is an important purchasing criteria. The incidence of replacing manufacturers is the highest among the air-operated diaphragm pump segment.
- One advantage of the air-operated diaphragm pumps is that they run using compressed air. This makes the pumps eligible for use in hazardous and explosive working environments and drives the growth of diaphragm pumps in industries such as oil and gas and chemicals. The use of compressed air raises questions about energy efficiency of air-operated diaphragms and may affect its growth in some industries.
Hydraulic Diaphragm Pumps
- The hydraulic diaphragm pumps segment is worth $78.4 million and it declined by 1.1% in 2016.
- The key reason for this decline has been attributed to the decline in oil prices, which discouraged end users from investing in the purchase of new hydraulic pumps that are slightly more expensive than other types of diaphragm pumps due to the complexity of valve and hydraulic sub-systems.
- Hydraulic diaphragm pumps are known for their metering applications across industries, due to the accuracy at which flow can be controlled. The market is expected to witness a CAGR of 2.8% from 2016 to 2022 and amount to $92.3 million in 2022.
Mechanical Diaphragm Pumps:
- The North American mechanical diaphragms pump segment is worth $116.1 million and it declined by 1.7% in 2016, down from $118.1 million in 2015.
- Mechanical diaphragm pumps are known for their metering applications across industries, due to the accuracy at which flow can be controlled.
- The market is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.3% from 2016 to 2022 and amount to $141.4 million by the end of 2022.
The Last Word
As economies recover and export markets are restored, the growth rate for diaphragm pumps in the North American region is expected to witness a gradual increase in terms of revenue and unit shipment size.
Competitive pricing of diaphragm pumps is the fundamental characteristic in the North American region. As it plays a crucial role, the market is expected to become more fragmented.
Growing investments in research and development are expected to open up opportunities for integrated solutions and technological advancements in applications such as metering.
CEO’s Perspective
- Energy efficiency and optimized product quality are the key points of focus.
- Companies are focusing on niche applications to increase customer base.
- Companies are developing end-to-end solutions for key processes.
- The air-operated diaphragm pumps segment is the commonly pump type for transfer across industries.
- Demand for process automation is defining the mechanical diaphragm pumps market.
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