Temp control selection commercial, not technical

A recent study conducted by VDC Research Group indicates

that the global market for the industrial electronic temperature controllers

under the study is forecast to decline at a 0.7% per year rate through 2013.

The study, titled “Industrial Electronic Temperature Controllers: Global Market

Demand Analysis, Tenth Edition” surveyed users, OEMs and system integrators to

understand selection trends for microprocessor-based, single-loop, industrial

electronic temperature controllers.

According to the report, the Asia-Pacific region accounted

for the largest 2008 market share, followed by EMEA and then the Americas. The

EMEA and Americas

markets are forecast to decline over the next five years. The Asia-Pacific

market is forecast to grow through 2013.

The report said that microprocessor-based, single-loop

controllers accounted for a high majority of the 2008 market;

microprocessor-based, multi-loop controllers accounted for most of the balance;

with small numbers for hybrid and analog type controllers. Analog controllers

are forecast to have the sharpest shipment decline, followed by multi-loop,

with a much smaller decline for hybrid and single-loop controllers. Analog

types are being displaced by more flexible microprocessor-based types, and

these (particularly microprocessor-based, multi-loop types) are being displaced

by PLCs, PCs and DCSs. Unit shipment increases are expected for each product

type except analog.

The VDC report also said that the trend is from manual

control to temperature controllers, and onto control loop implementations in

higher-level multi-functional machine, and process controllers using PLCs, PCs

and DCSs. Hybrid controllers, introduced to counter the PLC, PC and DCS threat,

have gained a small market share, but shipments of these are now forecast to

slowly decline as well.

Although there is no single overriding factor cited by users

when selecting industrial temperature controllers, a recent study conducted by

VDC Research Group indicates the most identified selection criteria include

reliability, ease of use, accuracy, PID control and quality.

Users were also asked about their most important non-product

or “commercial” criteria in selecting industrial electronic temperature

controller suppliers. The top five most identified non-product selection

criteria are:

• Price
• Service/support
• Availability/delivery
• Application assistance
• Ease of working with vendor.

•  

  “Suppliers of industrial electronic temperature controllers

  are undergoing an increase in competition from alternative means of control loop

  implementations such as PLCs, PCs and DCSs,” said Robert Torres, an analyst at

  VDC. “Thus, VDC suppliers need to focus on capturing market share by investing

  in meeting the selection criteria of users.

  “It is important to note that nearly all of the most popular

  criteria used to select vendors and products are also among the problems most

  cited by users,” Torres said. “Vendors should concentrate on offering reliable,

  low-cost products with good performance that are easy to use and simple and

  straightforward to order, receive, install and maintain. Providing high-quality

  products, timely delivery, good documentation and good service and support will

  help provide market differentiation from other vendors that do not work closely

  with customers to satisfy their needs.”

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