Results of the change survey 2011
Integrated control technologies preferred in the change
Which changes in the control technology at the machines the machine-builders are intending this year show the results of the current change survey, Quest TechnoMarketing carried out at the beginning of this year.
The technology change is returning – but in a limited and focused manner
March 28th, 2011 - With 24% nearly each fourth of the investigated machine-builders are intending to change the control technology at the machines this year.
Which focus do these changes show?
We remember the situation in the previous year for comparison. In 2010 the change-willing machine-builders were still completely concentrated to adapt, to improve the actual control technology at the machines – so fine-tuning was announced. The downturn in 2009 and a strong rise of incoming orders in 2010 pushed changes in the control technology into the background.
And what about this year? Now the technology change in the control technology is again returning – but in a limited and focused manner.
A technology change indicates three aspects i.e. new use, substitution or stability or fine-tuning. For instance the PC substituting the PLC means new use for the PC while substitution for the PLC. Stability or fine-tuning means e.g. that two small PLC displace one large PLC.
Now we pick out the aspect of the new use of a technology. How high is the portion of machine-builders, which decide changing the control technology for new use?
Limited change of the control technologies
- Only three of seven control technologies show a major new use in the change.
The technology change in the control technology is returning in a limited manner this year, because the new use shows very low portions with four of seven control technologies.
Microprocessor control, CNC, PLC and contactor-based control technology show a portion of new use of 20% and less.
Integrated technologies are dominating the change
However, with three technologies the new use dominates i.e. the change to these technologies. They are the integrated control system platform, the control panel with integrated control system and the PC-based control.
These three technologies have something in common - they are integrated technologies.
So the technology change in the control technology is taking place in a limited manner and focused on integrated control technologies this year.
Representative results
38% of the approximately 650 machine-builders with 100 and more employees in the 10 automation-relevant sectors called their planning to Quest TechnoMarketing at the beginning of this year.
The results concentrated to trends by Quest TechnoMarketing are published in the study „What the machine-builders want to change in the automation technology 2011“. This study is to support also the automation manufacturers to match the technological changes in the machinery industry in time and purposefully.