Continued Market Growth Is Testament To The Development Of PLCs

According the latest figures from Gambica, the PLC market continues to grow, despite some predictions about the rise of industrial controllers with PC-based internals versus purely PLC solutions

  • Continued Market Growth Is Testament To The Development Of PLCs
    Continued Market Growth Is Testament To The Development Of PLCs

The PLC versus IPC or PC-based control debate has been with us for over two decades now, with commentators making various predictions about the rise of industrial controllers with PC-based internals versus purely PLC solutions. Yet according the latest figures from Gambica the PLC market continues to grow. Mitsubishi Electric, for example, has long been a global leader in PLC technology with a massive installed base and a continuous stream of innovations being released to the market.

Blurring of technologies

It is interesting to note that there has been some blurring of the technologies, with each now incorporating some of the features of the other. From the PLC perspective, this includes everything from the inclusion of embedded web servers to the availability of plug-in PC modules such as Mitsubishi Electric’s C-Controller. Other modules, such as Mitsubishi Electric’s MES module, mean that PLCs can now link directly to higher level systems without the need for intermediate PC hardware. Furthermore, the combination of PLCs and HMIs means that PLC platforms can also provide a very PC-like environment for SCADA and other visualisation applications.

Graduated in political sciences and international relations in Paris, Anis joined the team in early 2019. Editor for IEN Europe and the new digital magazine AI IEN, he is a new tech enthusiast. Also passionate about sports, music, cultures and languages. 

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