The worldwide Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) market surged in 2023 due to high backlog levels from the previous year, but the growth trend stopped abruptly by the end of the year as backlogs were reduced and demand around the world dropped markedly, especially in China. Currency fluctuations played less of a role than in recent years, even as Asian currencies dropped relative to the US dollar, which stymied growth measured in dollars for this research.
"The Industrial Internet of Things (Industrial IoT) is changing how industrial processes are controlled and monitored, but PLCs are growing with and adapting to new challenges rather than being replaced by alternate technologies. The classic PLC continues to be the preferred choice among machine builders and end users to control industrial machinery and processes, and its popularity in infrastructure applications is growing. Based on established industrial technology, PLCs are valued for their speed, repeatability, reliability, and ease of deployment and maintenance. These characteristics are difficult to achieve with other technologies. However, the age of software-defined automation is upon us, and several suppliers have introduced virtual PLCs that will gradually replace traditional PLCs in some applications. This will be the most exciting area of automation technology to follow in the coming years,” according to David Humphrey, Research Director and key author of ARC's Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and PLC-based Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs) Market Research.
PLC and PLC-based PAC Market Trends
In addition to providing detailed competitive market share data, the research also addresses key market trends as follows:
- Communications will Become More Standardized and Universal
- MTP Adds Flexibility and Scalability
- Software-defined Everything
- More IO to Gather More Information
- Expect More Frequent Migration
- Cloud-based PLC as a Service
- Connect to the Cloud
- PLCs Go Industrial IoT
Leading Suppliers to the PLC and PLC-based PAC Market Identified
In addition to providing specific market data and industry trends, this ARC market research also identifies and positions the leading suppliers to this market and provides and summarizes their relevant offerings. An alphabetical list of key suppliers covered in this analysis includes: ABB, Mitsubishi Electric, Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Siemens.
About the PLC and PLC-based PAC Research
The Programmable Logic Controllers research explores the current and future market performance and related technology and business trends and identifies leading technology suppliers. This new research is based on ARC’s industry-leading market research database, extensive primary and secondary research, and proprietary economic modelling techniques. The research includes competitive analysis, five-year market forecasts, and three years of historical analysis. The segmentation includes Machinery by Segment, Industry, Customer Type, World Region, Sales Channel, Service Revenues by Type, Hardware by Type, Revenue Category, Software by Component, PAC and Standard PLCs, Controller by Type.
This new research is available in a variety of formats to meet the specific research and budgetary requirements of a wide variety of organizations. ARC's Market Data Service (MDS) is an annual subscription service that provides a unique online environment to each customer, together with all the necessary user interface apps and datasets. MDS unlocks the full benefits of ARC’s time-tested market intelligence by leveraging the latest analytical tools and technologies to allow you to make more actionable, real-time business decisions. Interactive access to ARC’s qualitative analysis is displayed in context with up-to-date market data, allowing clients to develop customized views of the market to best suit their needs. ARC continues to offer our traditional static Market Reports as a PDF.
ARC provides several types of market data services. The most common are Market Growth Outlook and Competitive Analysis Services. These services provide detailed market analysis of a single or multiple products or software applications. Please visit Market Data Services page for more details on these services.