Industrial PC - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics

COVID-19 Gives Industrial Automation & IIoT Special Significance. Industrial PCs Indispensable for Control & HMI to Reach $5.7 Billion

The global market for Industrial PCs is projected to reach US$5.7 billion by the year 2027, trailing a post COVID-19 CAGR of 4.7% over the analysis period 2020 through 2027. Industrial PCs (IPCs) are personal computers which are employed for industrial processes. IPCs are therefore constructed to withstand use in industrial environments, which are characterized by dust, extreme temperatures, moisture, humidity, noise, power spikes, and vibration. Efficient and steady performance in tough environments is the main advantage offered by these PCs, with the potential to function in the temperature range of -40°C to +80°C. They generally comprise robust cooling fans in addition to dust filters and are more flexible in comparison to commercial PCs. The growing need for automated process control has been spurring demand for industrial PCs. Industrial PCs leverage sophisticated instruction sets including x86. As compared to personal PCs, industrial PCs have a higher cost and are more efficient, reliable, consume lesser power, and have a prolonged service life. Industrial PCs use less power, as they function on batteries such as nickel metal hydride, nickel cadmium, or renewable sources such as wind or solar energy.

Industrial PCs are mainly employed for data acquisition and/or process control purposes. In certain areas, such PCs are employed as a front-end for another control computer within a distributed processing environment. While customized software can be used for a specific application, off-the-shelf packages such as LabView, Labtech Notebook, Wonder Ware, or TwinCAT can also be employed for basic programming. The market in the post COVID-19 period is expected to benefit from the re-doubled focus shed on industrial automation and process control. Adoption of automation technology enables enterprises to gain from improved quality of manufactured products, superior employee work efficiency, increased yield and reduced material wastage, and savings on capital and operating costs. Besides the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the worldwide industrial sector is facing several other pressing challenges in the form of volatile raw material prices, harsh regulatory scenario, globalization-driven issues, and decreasing profitability. In order to stay competitive, manufacturers are increasingly focusing on improving the efficiency of their operations and productivity by modifying and modernizing their production processes and infrastructure. Manufacturers are leaning towards automation of processes and systems that facilitate plant supervisors, managers, and engineers and workers monitor and manage plant operations in a more efficient and resourceful manner.

To reap the benefits of automation, process engineers are deploying advanced Machine Vision, Human-Machine-Interface (HMI), Machine-Machine Interface (MMI), IoT Control & Data Aggregation technologies embedded with dedicated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Software (SCADA) that aid in gaining complete control over complex operations and processes. Machine Vision and HMI infrastructure systems have already become common in programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and industrial control panels as these tools provide technicians the capability to select and finalize a pre-planned result from the automated equipment and its application. By deploying HMI, PLC, industrial control panels, machine vision and other technologies, industrial entities can automate various functions such as turn on/off industrial valves, sensors, and alarms; view and monitor critical data in dashboards; control IoT devices and machines; execute push messages, repots, and KPIs; and turn mechanical operations into visual processes to identify and diagnose problems, among others. Against this backdrop, sophisticated industrial computing technologies such as embedded PCs are gaining traction. With industrial automation, 'Smart Factory', Industrial IoT, and M2M communication converging to revolutionize the level of intelligence on plant floors, the demand for embedded and other types of industrial PCs is poised to grow strong in the coming years. Panel IPCs and Rack Mount IPCs are the two largest segments of Industrial PCs, together accounting for over 48% of the market. In addition to being the largest, the Panel IPC market is also growing at the fastest rate over the analysis period. Demand for DIN Rail IPCs is also anticipated to grow at a strong rate owing to their features such as compact design and varied I/O modules. These computers are customized based on the manufacturing process' complexity. DIN rail IPCs mainly find application in medical, industrial, transportation and traffic, and military sectors. Adoption of these IPCs is rising due to growing focus on enterprise networks and connected factory among manufacturing organizations, and the rising need for efficient movement of information across production units.

Competitors identified in this market include, among others:

• Advantech Co., Ltd.
• Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG
• General Electric Company
• Kontron AG
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Omron Corporation
• Panasonic Corporation
• Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• Schneider Electric SA
• Siemens AG

The global analysis and forecast periods covered within the report are 2020-2027 (Current & Future Analysis) and 2012-2019 (Historic Review). Research estimates are provided for 2020, while research projections cover the period 2021-2027.