Automated material handling sales estimated to hit $26.2 billion by 2018Automated material handling sales estimated to hit $26.2 billion by 2018

Published under the company's IndustryInsight banner, the 200-plus page Automated Material Handling Markets Worldwide report also shows that 2013 sales of $19.7 billion reflected a 25 percent increase over 2011.

The European market dominates automated material handling equipment/systems purchases, accounting for 36.6 percent of the global share. The United States is next at 23.2 percent, with Japan and China logging in a collective 11.6 percent of total global sales.

Key industries that benefit from automated material handling systems covered in the report include: 3PL, automotive, bulk mining, food/beverage, hospitals, intermodal, mail order/e-commerce, medical/pharmaceutical, parcel/postal, publishing/printing and wholesale/retail.