With the rise of “Industry 4.0” and the wave of “domestic substitution”, the automation field in China is undergoing a profound transformation. As the “heart component” of industrial automation, PLCs play a crucial role in this process. The market, once dominated by European, American, and Japanese brands such as Siemens, Rockwell, and Mitsubishi, is now experiencing significant changes due to the rise of domestic brands like Xinjie, Inovance, and Holley. So, how big is the gap between domestic PLCs and international giants? Let us delve deeper.
1. Core Comparison: Are Domestic PLCs Really Being “Choked”?
1. The Stronghold of European, American, and Japanese Brands European, American, and Japanese brands have an absolute advantage in chip architecture, real-time operating systems, and industrial protocol compatibility due to decades of technological accumulation. For example:
- Siemens S7-1500 series: Dominating the high-end market with nanometer-level computational precision.
- Rockwell ControlLogix: Almost irreplaceable in fields such as oil and aerospace.
These brands firmly control the high-end market through strong technological barriers.
2. Technological Breakthroughs of Domestic PLCs In recent years, the rise of domestic chips like Huawei HiSilicon and Loongson has injected new vitality into the PLC industry. Products like Xinjie XD5 series and Inovance AM600 have gradually achieved “core self-sufficiency”. Although there are still shortcomings in high-end multi-axis motion control and ultra-large-scale networking, domestic PLCs have already been able to provide “alternatives” to imported products in small and medium-sized projects.
3. Technological Gap: Narrowing but Not Completely Eliminated Despite significant progress in core technologies, domestic PLCs still need to work on the following areas:
- Ability to build ecosystems in high-end markets.
- Stability in ultra-large-scale industrial scenarios.
2. Price vs Value: The “Cost-Performance Nuclear Bomb” of Domestic PLCs
1. The Impact of Extreme Cost-Performance Domestic PLCs have rapidly opened up the market with highly competitive prices. For example:
- A basic Siemens S7-1200 PLC costs about 5000 yuan, while the Xinjie XC series with equivalent functions only costs 1600 yuan, a price difference of over three times!
This price advantage has allowed domestic PLCs to quickly establish a foothold in the small and medium-sized enterprise market.
2. Assurance of Performance and Quality Low price does not mean low quality. Actual tests from a food packaging factory show:
- In a 24-hour continuous operation scenario, the failure rate difference between Inovance H3U and Mitsubishi FX5U has narrowed to 0.3%. User feedback: “The money saved is enough to buy three years of maintenance, it’s really worth it!”
This indicates that domestic PLCs not only have a price advantage but can also provide reliable quality assurance.
3. After-Sales Competition: The “Close Service” of Domestic Manufacturers
1. Pain Points of European and American Brands After-sales service of European and American brands is often criticized:
- Remote support is charged by the hour.
- Engineer visits can cost tens of thousands.
- Slow response times and complex multinational coordination processes.
These issues deter many small and medium-sized enterprises.
2. The Secret Weapon of Domestic Manufacturers Domestic manufacturers win the market with “close service”:
- 24/7 online response: Solving user problems anytime.
- Quick diagnosis: Completing fault diagnosis within 2 hours.
- Timely on-site visits: Engineers arrive within 48 hours.
A real case shared by the manager of a building materials factory in Shandong:
“When the production line went down at midnight, foreign brands required waiting until the next day for multinational coordination, while Holley’s technician provided direct video guidance, restoring operation in 20 minutes!”
This “nanny-level service” has made domestic PLCs extremely popular in the small and medium-sized enterprise market.
4. High-End Competition: How Far Are Domestic PLCs from “Deification”?
1. Current Market Share According to data from the Industrial Control Network in 2023, the overall market share of domestic PLCs has exceeded 40%, but in high-end fields such as automotive manufacturing and semiconductor equipment, the share is still less than 15%.
2. Analysis of Core Pain Points
- Ecological barriers: European and American brands form closed ecosystems by binding upstream and downstream software and hardware (such as Siemens TIA Portal), resulting in high switching costs for customers.
- Brand trust: Large state-owned enterprises still believe that “imported is more stable”, preferring to spend millions for “insurance”.
- Customization capability: For non-standard production lines, the secondary development efficiency of domestic PLCs needs improvement.
3. Successful Cases and Future Potential Despite facing challenges, domestic PLCs have made breakthroughs in several fields:
- Inovance collaborated with BYD to create automotive-grade PLCs.
- Xinjie successfully implemented photovoltaic smart factory solutions.
These cases indicate that domestic PLCs are gradually advancing into high-end markets.
5. Global Outlook: Who Will Dominate the PLC Battlefield in the Next Decade?
1. Performance in International Markets The rise of domestic PLCs is not limited to the domestic market:
- Xinjie’s market share in Southeast Asia has exceeded 12%.
- Inovance has established a research and development center in Europe.
- New Times has even secured orders from Tesla’s overseas factories.
These achievements demonstrate the international competitiveness of domestic PLCs.
2. Technological Trends and Opportunities With the explosion of new technologies such as 5G + edge computing and AI algorithm integration, domestic PLCs are expected to achieve a leap in the “intelligent” track. China possesses the world’s most complex industrial scenarios and the fastest iteration speed, which is the ultimate weapon to disrupt the game rules.
6. Conclusion
The rise of domestic PLCs is not merely a simple “substitution”, but an industrial revolution from technological breakthroughs to ecological reconstruction. In the face of competition from European, American, and Japanese giants, although domestic PLCs still have gaps in certain areas, their technological progress, cost-performance advantages, and high-quality services are gradually changing the market landscape.
Next time you are torn between choosing domestic or imported products, perhaps you should ask yourself: Are you willing to continue paying for “brand premiums”, or are you ready to bet on the future of Chinese manufacturing?