The market for small motors, like most industrial product markets, will have a turbulent ride over the coming years.

The 2009 IMS Research report has the world market for small motors forecast to be worth $3,018.1 million in 2008.

The largest markets for small motors, medical and industrial automation in 2008, are estimated to account for 39 percent of all small motor sales worldwide.

The IMS Research study defines small motors as having a continuous power rating between 1W and 500W, and 0.1W and 500W for coreless motors.

Meanwhile, another IMS Research report predicts electric motors to grow significantly for automotive applications.

This report analyzes and forecasts the impact of industry trends out to 2016, for a wide range of electrical motor types.

Full reports are available from IMS Research

The bad news from the small motors report: The world market for small motors experienced a period of sustained growth between 2001 and 2008, the downturn in 2009 will result in a market contraction, which some regional markets will take many years to recover from.

The good news from the automotive motors report: While the world market for electrical motors in automotive applications is forecast to shrink this year, recovery is expected to begin next year followed by a number of years of strong and then steady growth.

There you have it. Until microelectro-mechanical systems take over all the moving parts as part of system-on-chips in industrial control applications, the moving parts business of industrial control can sleep easy.

But MEMS will come, first for sensors then for control.

You are warned!