2020 and beyond: Biggest trends in hardware, machinery

Here's what's hot in the market now and in the next few years.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

The New Year and the coming years ahead are shaping up to be good ones for sourcing hardware and machinery.

Two big trends are expected to fuel demand for popular categories building materials and tools, and machines and parts: the DIY craze and improved automation in machining.

Do-It-Yourself

DIY is here to stay in 2020, a Bob Vila article says. The trend is getting even bigger with the rise of DIY tutorials on building and repair found on social media sites such as YouTube and Pinterest. Lowe's, as quoted in the article, shares that it's also because 74 percent of consumers are researching more before buying building and repair products.

A Home Improvement Research Institute report, as cited by Forbes, also affirms that DIY is still the craze in hardware, finding out that two-thirds of home improvement projects nowadays are DIY. In addition, the DIYer base is said to keep on growing, consisting mostly of millennials –today's social media-savvy generation of homeowners who are undertaking more building and repair projectson their own.

With the trend going strong, popular DIYer must-haves such as building materials and tools are also expected to become "hotter" and what importers must stock up more on.

While the building materials market as a whole still caters most to professionals, some manufacturers are already offering products tailored for DIYers' project needs, and this what other makers or suppliers also have to do, per a Born2Invest article on the impacts of DIY on the construction industry.

In fact, the building materials market is poised to exceed $1 trillion in value this year, due to the demand from increase in building activities, including residential construction projects, Global Industry Analysts reports.

Hand tools will also get a boost in sales thanks to the DIY trend. Zion Market Research estimates revenue to hit $11.28 billion by 2024, a 4.02 percent growth year-on-year. General household tools and kits are seen to be sought the most by consumers for they are "cost-effective" and "come at a diverse range".

Tool accessories and fasteners, such as screws, nuts and bolts, also remain popular and among the major revenue sources for the DIY and hardware industries, according to an Industry Focus article from Fastener World.

Automation/digitization

If in the past, parts creation is manual, and machine work relies heavily on operators, now both are easier, more precise and can be nearly or totally automatic thanks to improvements in manufacturing methods and software.

Image by Pineapple22Productions from Pixabay

Reflecting the said trends is the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining industry, which is predicted to surpass the $5 billion market value mark this year, per an ER Machining report.

Among the "big game changers" in the CNC machining market this year, according to ER Machining, will be computer touch control software and the transition from 3-axis to 5- and 6- or higher axis methods. The former's advantage is said to be that parts processing can be done immediately after easy command inputs on a screen. The latter is said to refer to machine capability to manufacture parts in more than three dimensions. The output product is one that is more accurate dimensions-wise versus what 3-axis machining can yield. Thus, no need for parts to undergo additional manual or machine-based processes.

Industry experts are expecting that automation and digitization will boost growth and sales of machines and parts. A Report Buyer forecast predicts a 6.6 percent CAGR for machines through the next five years, and an Arizton report estimates a 12 percent annual growth for precision parts through 2024, due to the technological developments.

This year and the next ones, indeed, are when the market will see and want new machines that operate with better accuracy and speed, and parts that are more exact in terms of dimensions and produced faster than ever. Importers must be on the lookout for these machinery and parts to make the most of the evolving market.

GlobalSources.com is where buyers can find products that match 2020's hottest trends. Below are standout building materials, tools, machinery and parts that can be sourced directly from Verified Suppliers:

Made via 5-axis CNC machine tools

Company: Jiuhang Precision Co. Ltd

Jiuhang Precision's JH-CNC0031 model is a customized semiconductor part created through 5-axis CNC machine tools. It measures 750mm long. Control method is open-loop. Precision is ±0.10mm. The part lists at $0.50 to $1.

2020 and beyond: Biggest trends in hardware, machinery

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