Use of electrohydraulic servo valves continues to grow in a range of industries. As such, market research firm Coherent Market Insights is projecting the global market for these valves will achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.9% from 2025-2032.
Electrohydraulic servo valves utilize closed-loop control which provides flexibility, accuracy and speed as well as the ability to maintain precision even in changing conditions. This has made them a desirable motion control component in various applications, particularly industrial machinery as it has become increasingly automated and thus requires these attributes to ensure safe and productive operation.
Servo Valves Aid Operation in Energy Sector
Multiple facets of the energy sector are expected to aid growth for the electrohydraulic servo valve market due to reliance on these components in many applications within this industry.
In the renewable energy segment, wind turbines are one of the areas in which electrohydraulic servo valves are utilized, namely for blade pitch control and yaw drive applications. Coherent Market Insights sees further opportunities for these valves to meet the customizable speed and torque control requirements of many large wind turbines.
Solar tracking systems are another area where the research firm sees electrohydraulic servo valves being utilized. In this application, the valves are used to optimize the positioning of a solar panel to ensure it is appropriately oriented toward the sun.
Continued investments in renewable energy around the world are expected to help drive demand for components capable of providing precise and reliable control like electrohydraulic servo valves.
The oil & gas sector is expected to account for one of the largest shares of the electrohydraulic servo valve market. Per Coherent Market Insights, these valves are used in downhole and offshore rigs where extreme pressure, vibration and fluid viscosity is common and thus requires a component capable of withstanding use in such applications.
In this segment, the research firm sees direct-acting servo valves as the most commonly used due to their simple and robust design. This valve type relies on an electric signal to control the hydraulic port directly to offer not only a simplified design but also faster and more precise movement of the hydraulic actuator to which the valve is attached.
Direct-acting (also referred to as direct-driven) valves are commonly used to control sludge pumps, mud pumps, BOP actuators and various other downhole tools.
Increasing implementation of automation in the oil & gas sector is likely to help maintain demand for direct-acting servo valves which are capable of providing the consistently precise operation desired for both routine operations and emergency shutdowns noted Coherent Market Insights in its report.
Ongoing investments in the oil & gas sector will benefit demand for electrohydraulic servo valves as well. In the U.S., the Trump administration has touted a strong focus on fossil fuels which could further investments in this sector and the components utilized in it.
Read more about the Trump administration’s focus on oil & gas in the below articles from Oil & Gas Journal, an Endeavor Business Media partner site:
- Trump propels pro-fossil fuel agenda with day-one orders
- New Trump energy, environment chiefs vow to promote oil and gas
Electrohydraulic Servo Valves Provide Accuracy for Automation and Robotics
The high level of accuracy and responsiveness provided by electrohydraulic servo valves have made them an important component within many automation systems.
Machines used in various segments of the manufacturing industry have been moving toward ever higher levels of automation for several years now, many of which are making use of electrohydraulic servo valves as part of their motion control systems. Productivity and efficiency gains are key drivers for the move to more automated systems and machines.
Automated machines and systems can typically perform repetitive tasks quickly and accurately, helping to minimize rework which helps an operation remain productive. Systems can also be run at various hours throughout the day without needing a break, again aiding with the productivity and overall efficiency of an operation.
Human labor is still needed in many instances, but the lack of skilled labor entering manufacturing has also driven the move toward further automation. Many companies are looking to augment their human workforce with automated machines and systems to ensure they can still produce their goods. This helps them maintain productivity while allowing the human workers at a facility to focus their efforts on tasks requiring their expertise.
Integrating automation into a facility can help improve safety as well by preventing humans from having to do repetitive or dangerous tasks.
Mobile equipment and vehicles are also becoming more automated for many of the same reasons – improved safety, productivity gains and overcoming labor challenges. Construction, agricultural and other heavy machinery are heavy users of hydraulics, and many rely on electrohydraulic servo valves to enable automation of their various machine systems.
Increased use of robotics is an integral part of the transition to further automation. Here again electrohydraulic servo valves play an important role in providing the fast and precise movements typically required. Per Coherent Market Insights, these valves often manage the hydraulic circuits powering the motions of robots used to weld parts, apply paint and install components. The research firm also noted in its report that the precise, micro-level control provided by servo valves aids intricate assembly for automotive and other manufacturing applications.
North America and Asia Pacific to Account for Largest Portion of Servo Valve Demand
Within the global market, Coherent Market Insights sees North America and Asia Pacific being the largest drivers for electrohydraulic servo valve demand in the coming years.
Per the research firm, North America is the dominant regional market for these valves and is expected to account for 40.2% of global market share in 2025. Over 30.5% of global demand comes from North America due in part to the number of aerospace and defense companies located in the U.S. and Canada which rely on electrohydraulic servo valves.
A number of on- and off-road vehicle OEMs are located in this region as well, many of whom are adopting electrohydraulic servo valves into their designs which is driving demand from the North American market.
Several developers of these valves are also located in the region, which Coherent Market Insights sees benefiting North American demand as well. This helps to provide a domestic supply base for OEMs located in North America, an increasingly important aspect since the supply chain disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. And with anticipated tariffs implemented by the Trump administration, having access to a domestic supplier could be even more critical going forward.
Watch Power & Motion discuss with editors from sister publications at Endeavor Business Media the potential supply chain implications of tariffs in the video below.
According to Coherent Market Insights, Asia Pacific has become the fastest growing market for electrohydraulic servo valves due in part to increased manufacturing activity in China, India and Southeast Asian countries. The research firm stated in its report that use of these valves has greatly increased in China because of their use in the country’s ever-expanding manufacturing sector.
China is a large user of robotics and other automation systems in its manufacturing operations which should further bode well for demand in this region for electrohydraulic servo valves.
With continued demand expected from these regions as well as industry sectors such as oil & gas, aerospace and many others, the electrohydraulic servo valve market should fare well in the coming years.
