Classification: PLC can be divided into three categories according to input/output points. The number of input/output points is proportional to the program memory capacity demand, that is, the more I/O points, the more complex the control relationship, the greater the capacity requirements for the program memory.

146031-01 Compared with medium and large PLC, small PLC has small size and low price, but the function is relatively single, and the number of IO interface points is less than 256, which is suitable for relatively simple production system; Medium and large PLC is more suitable for more complex logic control production system, continuous production process control and automatic control system of large production equipment.

Application fields: small PLC market access threshold is low, downstream customers are relatively sensitive to product prices, market competition is fierce, generally used for OEM market, industry types are more dispersed, in 2022 textile, battery, packaging, electronic manufacturing accounted for more than 5%; Due to technical restrictions, the medium and large PLC market has a higher entry threshold, generally applied to the project-type market, the industry types are relatively concentrated, and the proportion of batteries, metallurgy, petrochemical, logistics, municipal engineering and automobiles is also higher than 5% in 2022. Small PLC and medium and large PLC market share is similar, each accounting for about 50%.

146031-01

Market size: PLC, as the core module of industrial control, has a broad market space. Globally, according to Mordor Intelligence data, the global PLC market size is about $9.08 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach $10.64 billion in 2026. According to Rui Industry data, in 2022, China’s PLC market size reached 16.99 billion yuan, and is expected to reach 18.01 billion yuan in 2025.

146031-01 Competitive landscape: At present, traditional multinational giants such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron still dominate the PLC market. According to the different product types, the market pattern of small PLC and medium and large PLC shows a certain differentiation, small PLC domestic has been imported, medium and large PLC to be broken through.

The proportion of small PLC market share produced in China continues to increase. The market share of domestic small PLC represented by Huichuan Technology and Xinjie Electric has gradually increased, and the share of the two companies will reach 18.3% in 2022, and the total localization rate will exceed 20%. At present, the domestic small PLC mainly relies on excellent performance and high cost performance in the case of universal automation ecology, and replaces some general products of overseas enterprises through industry-specific products and solutions, and has compatibility with overseas products or components.

Medium and large PLC is more inclined to key manufacturing areas or heavy industry, its requirements for reliability is much higher than small PLC, once switching PLC manufacturers, based on the original manufacturer’s ecological construction of the production process may face reconstruction, trial and error costs are too high, the need for large success cases in the past to impress customers. Therefore, the current market share is still controlled by multinational giants, and CR6 exceeds 92% at present, and all are overseas companies.