Integrated control technologies preferred in the change since 2010
The three ways of the technological change from users' view
The technological change from user’s view shows up in the control technology that the machine-builders at the machines
- substitute a control technology by another (substitution)
- improve or make more efficient a consisting control technology (stability)
- implement a control technology for the first time or extend it use at expense of other control technology (new use).
Three control technologies show the relatively highest share in new use
In regard to the new use, three control technologies provide the largest shares in the new use during the last three years. These are the PC-based control, the operator panel with integrated control system and the integrated control platform, which integrates control and motion.
- Source: Market survey by Quest TechnoMarketing about integrated control technologies in the German mechanical engineering industry from 2010 to 2012.
In the diagram the percentages are based on the number of machine-builders that changes at all the control technology of the machines in the respective year.
So in 2010 45% of the machine-builders change-willing regarding control technology turned to PC technology for the first time or extended their use. There was either no predecessor solution (new type of machine) or the PC substituted another control technology.
Each of these three control technologies have higher shares in new uses than the CNC, the microprocessor control, the PLC or the contactor-based control technology. There are only two exceptions. In 2010 the integrated control platform was not expressly covered and in 2012 the PLC is showing the relatively highest share in new use, influenced by changes to safety PLC.
The shares in the new use have been showing a noticeably declining tendency since 2010. That is why the increasing production of the machinery industry since 2010 (production numbers in the +++ Economy ticker +++) shifted the technological change of automation technology at the machines into the background and the fine-tuning of consisting control technologies into the foreground.
All three control technologies are in common their integrated character.
These results are based on the trend surveys carried out in each of the three years with machine-builders with 100 and more employees in 10 sectors of the German machinery industry.
