Embedded PLCs to boom
An
IMS Research product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 4, 2002
The demand for automation devices with embedded or integrated PLCs is predicted to increase dramatically by 2004.
The demand for automation devices with embedded or integrated PLCs is predicted to increase dramatically by 2004.
A recent survey of users of automation products by IMS found that nearly half of those surveyed expected to purchase operator panels with an embedded PLC within the next two years.
There was also considerable interest in variable speed motor drives with built-in PLC functionality, as nearly a third of the companies surveyed expected to buy these devices by 2004.
According to analyst John Devlin, "This lower level of demand for variable speed motor drives with embedded PLCs can be explained by the lack of examples available on the market.
Lenze was one of the first companies to release such a product and compliments its Drive PLC with its Servo PLC.
As more companies develop and market drives with embedded PLCs, market awareness will be raised, in turn stimulating demand".
There are many more examples of operator panels with embedded PLCs available on the market.
Newer market entrants such as Messung Systems (Pune, India) and Unitronics (Lod, Israel) are competing with more established companies such as GE Fanuc and Proface with their respective OCS (operator control station) and GLC (graphic logic controller) ranges.
The main perceived benefit of products with embedded PLCs was found to be the reduced cost of having to purchase only one product, instead of two.
Further benefits, such as reduced size, simpler installation and easier programming, were closely ranked to each other but generally received about half the number of responses as reduced cost.
The survey also identified a strong trend over the next two years towards PC-based control as an alternative to PLCs.
The number of companies who expected to buy PC-based controllers in 2004 was double the level in 2001.
Despite this, PLCs are forecast to remain the most commonly used type of industrial controller for the foreseeable future, either as a stand-alone controller, as part of a decentralised control architecture or embedded within other automation products.
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