Industrial automation is the name of a new kind of industry that makes it possible to build and build more products and services with fewer people in an industrial setting. Industrial automation is currently being used in aerospace, automotive, medical, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, retail, and others. Industry automation is one of the major factors driving the growth of the PLC market. Automation can be defined as automatic processing systems to decrease human intervention and increase the efficiency of the process through the optimal utilization of resources.
The industries have now realized the reliability and long-term profits that can be achieved by using automated systems. Conveyor systems and packaging systems, among others, can be automated by using PLC systems. Automation of manufacturing processes can offer various benefits, such as effortless monitoring, reduction of waste, and speed of production. This technology offers customers improved quality with standardization and dependable products within time and at a much lower cost.
Additionally, automation helps the sector cut costs on extra labor expenses. Because these systems can operate around the clock, it also aids in expanding production scale. These systems make better use of the available resources and are more dependable and efficient. PLC-based automation systems also aid in lowering industrial pollutants. Automating processes is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by about 34 million metric tons annually. The automation industry has been revolutionized by the combination of the digital and physical aspects of manufacturing, aimed at delivering optimum performance.
Basically, the programmable logic controller (PLC) market is expected to grow by registering a CAGR of 4.56% during the forecast period (2022-2027). A major growth indicator for PLCs in the discrete-manufacturing sectors is the amplified deployment of robots across the automotive manufacturing, electrical, and electronics industries. Owing to the rapid growth of the industrial sector and increasing investment in automation solutions across various sectors, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to register the highest growth. China is expected to remain the leading market for PLCs in the APAC region.
The manufacturing sector forms a significant part of China’s economy, which is undergoing a rapid transformation with the recent growth in IoT due to the rise in Industry 4.0 across the manufacturing industries globally. For instance, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China’s manufacturing robot density is now 9th in the world (246 units), up from 25th (49 units) five years ago. Furthermore, by 2025, the country expects the robotics industry’s average annual operating income growth rate to exceed 20%. This large-scale transformation has put the country in one of the leading positions in the PLC market globally.