Digital Transformation Transforms Industrial Automation Hardware Market
數字化轉型改變工業自動化硬件市場

The global market for automation hardware is undergoing a significant change as manufacturers adopt automation solutions with more complex architectures, and software-based PLCs are an increasingly “notable vector of transformation” for the PLC market, according to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research.

根據全球技術情報公司ABI研究公司的一份新報告，隨著制造商采用具有更復雜架構的自動化解決方案，自動化硬件的全球市場正在發生重大變化，基于軟件的PLC正日益成為PLC市場的“顯著轉型載體”。

Makers of next-generation human machine interfaces (HMIs), industrial personal computers (IPCs) and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) are adapting to the growing digital transformation within manufacturing. They are attempting to identify best-of-breed offerings, leverage the increasing openness of products and integrate these assets into a comprehensive overarching solution. ABI Research predicts each market will see strong growth over the next ten years with the total market forecast to increase from a current value of US$38.7 billion in 2023 to US$64 billion in 2033.

下一代人機界面(HMI)、工業個人計算機(IPC)和可編程邏輯控制器(PLC)的制造商正在適應制造業日益增長的數字化轉型。他們試圖找到同類最佳的產品，利用日益開放的產品，并將這些資產集成到一個全面的總體解決方案中。ABI研究公司預測，未來十年每個市場都將出現強勁增長，市場總額預計將從2023年的387億美元增長到2033年的640億美元。

The PLC market is the largest segment with sales projected to reach US$30 billion by 2033. “PLC market growth is driven by new manufacturing requirements, such as for smart connected products, EVs and battery manufacturing,” said James Prestwood, industrial and manufacturing industry analyst.

PLC市場是最大的細分市場，預計到2033年銷售額將達到300億美元。“PLC市場的增長是由新的制造需求推動的，例如智能互聯產品、電動汽車和電池制造，”工業和制造業分析師James Prestwood表示。

“New production techniques and a “digital-first” mindset are also encouraging new automation solutions like software-based PLCs,” said Prestwood. The trend toward software-based PLCs is best reflected in Siemens’ announcement of it SIMATIC S7-1500V, he said, a virtual PLC completely independent of hardware that is downloaded and integrated directly into a manufacturer’s IT environment.

“新的生產技術和“數字優先”的思維模式也在鼓勵新的自動化解決方案，如基于軟件的PLC，”Prestwood說。他表示，西門子宣布推出SIMATIC S7-1500V是基于軟件的PLC的最佳體現，這是一種完全獨立于硬件的虛擬PLC，可以下載并直接集成到制造商的IT環境中。

Siemens, Mitsubishi Electric, Rockwell Automation, Emerson and ABB account for about 42% of total industrial automation hardware market share, said ABI Research. The is also characterized by other prevalent players such as Omron, Phoenix Contact, Honeywell, Bosch Rexroth and Beckhoff.  In its report, ABI identifies large PLCs (controllers with more than 1,024 input/outputs (I/Os) as having the most robust growth compared to other PLC classes (micro, small and medium). “As manufacturers continue to adopt automation solutions with complex architectures, which increasingly demand powerful PLC assets, large PLC controllers are the ideal solution, rather than using multiple smaller PLCs to achieve similar results,” Prestwood concluded.

ABI研究公司表示，西門子、三菱電機、羅克韋爾自動化、艾默生和ABB占據了工業自動化硬件市場份額的42%。其他主流公司也是如此，如歐姆龍、菲尼克斯電氣、霍尼韋爾、博世力士樂和倍福。在其報告中，ABI將大型PLC(具有超過1024個I/o的控制器)確定為與其他PLC類別(微型、小型和中型)相比具有最強勁的增長。“隨著制造商繼續采用復雜架構的自動化解決方案，這越來越需要強大的PLC資產，大型PLC控制器是理想的解決方案，而不是使用多個較小的PLC來實現類似的結果，”Prestwood總結道。

These findings are from ABI Research’s Industrial Automation Hardware Innovation: PLCs, IPCs and HMIs application analysis and market data reports, part of the company’s Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies research service.

這些發現來自ABI研究公司的“工業自動化硬件創新:PLC、IPCs和HMIs應用分析和市場數據報告”，是該公司工業和制造技術研究服務的一部分。