Major Manufacturers of PLC

Detail

PLC was originally created to serve the automotive industry. In 1968, General Motors developed the first programmable logic controller project, which replaced the hard-wired relay system and greatly improved the centralization of factory production. With the continuous development of technology, the functions of PLC are becoming increasingly powerful.

In industrial automation, PLC can control industrial robots. Industrial robots are multi-joint manipulators or multi-degree-of-freedom manipulators that work by control systems and their own power and are mostly used in industrial production. PLC provides a platform for controlling industrial robots. By writing programs to control the motors of robots, they can operate according to the predetermined standard workflow, reduce the defective rate, and increase unit output.

At the same time, PLC can also coordinate and control various production equipment, such as conveyor belts, AGV self-propelled vehicles, etc. In a production line, multiple industrial robots and other movable equipment need to cooperate with each other, which requires PLC to coordinate and ensure the smooth progress of the entire production process.

For example, in the automotive manufacturing industry, PLC can control robots to perform precise welding, assembly and other tasks, while coordinating the speed and position of the conveyor belt to ensure that parts can be accurately delivered to each workstation. In the electronics manufacturing industry, PLC can control various automation equipment to achieve efficient production of electronic products.

In short, PLC plays an irreplaceable key role in industrial automation. It is an important technical means to achieve intelligent and efficient industrial production.

In the global PLC manufacturer list, Japanese companies performed extremely well, with 9 companies on the list, almost occupying half of the market. Mitsubishi Electric, as an important business unit of Japan's Mitsubishi Group, has a market value of approximately US$28 billion and 350,000 employees. In 2017, its annual revenue reached US$37 billion, and its business covers information and communication systems, electronic components, industrial automation systems and other fields. It is a world leader in satellites, ventilation equipment and other fields. Founded in 1933, Omron has nearly 40,000 employees, a market value of approximately US$14 billion, and annual revenue of more than US$8 billion. Its PLC products range from micro to modular versions, covering areas such as industrial robots and sensors. Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems, once a world-renowned company, has now developed many advanced computing technologies in the industrial field, with a market value of US$36 billion, more than 300,000 employees, and annual revenue of nearly US$90 billion. Its PLC products range from general-purpose to proprietary factory engineering design versions. In addition, giants in the electrical and semiconductor fields such as Panasonic and Toshiba are also involved in the PLC field. These companies have rich product categories and advanced technology, and are particularly competitive in the small PLC market. They occupy a certain market share with high cost-effectiveness and channel advantages.

German PLC companies are strong. Siemens, as the largest engineering company in Europe, is headquartered in Munich and Berlin, Germany, with a market value of more than US$93 billion, annual revenue of US$87 billion, and a market share of about 30% to 40% in the PLC field. Its SIMATIC series controllers are suitable for various application scenarios, and have developed from the S3 series to the S7 series, with continuous innovation. Although Phoenix Contact is relatively small, it has 16,000 employees and an astonishing annual revenue of 2.3 billion euros. It is a typical "small but beautiful" company with strong technical strength and high product quality. Startups such as Pilz have also occupied a place in the market with their unique technology and high-quality products. German companies have a wide range of products, covering a variety of fields from industrial communications to industrial safety.