Industrial Automation: 2005 Readers' Choice Awards

In some circles, it might be as big an event as the Oscars. Potential winners hold their breath with anxious optimism to find out if they’ll be feted by CONTROL DESIGN’s academy of readers for doing a good job to help those readers solve automation and control problems. Perhaps that’s a small exaggeration.Our model for this balloting hasn’t changed since we first presented Readers’ Choice results in 2001. During September, we sent survey forms to about 15,000 CONTROL DESIGN subscribers, who tell us they have authority to specify, recommend, or purchase industrial automation and control products for industrial machines.

About the Author

Joe Feeley is editor in chief for Control Design and Industrial Networking. Email him at [email protected] or check out his Google+ profile.Vendors can’t vote, so we didn’t knowingly let any supplier get a ballot. If we did come across a vendor in the responses, we vigorously expunged it. This voting is entirely and only for our machine builder and system integrator readers.As before, our ballot is what’s known as an unaided survey. We don’t include a list of vendors or product brands to choose from. We listed 50-odd hardware and software categories and asked participants to name the best company for the products with which they have experience. We received responses from more than 240 readers.While they chose the best technology value providers, we also had them rate the service and support they receive from these companies on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent).Our published results include only those companies that received at least a 5% share of the vote in their category.Always Some VarietyThe number of companies making the cut this year dropped noticeably to 82 from 93 companies in the 2004 result. Some of this is caused by market consolidation and three fewer categories this year. Nonetheless, 11 companies are new to the listing this year.

2004 Readers' Choice Awards
2003 Readers' Choice Awards

Each year, we have winners that stand out in their margin of victory. This year 34 of the 50 (down from last year’s 40 of 53) categories had winners with victory margins of greater than 10%.Among that group, there were a number that lapped the field. Some 28 companies received at least double the votes of the second-place finisher, and nine companies garnered a clear +50% majority vote in their category, down from 12 last year.The number of close races—decided by margins of 5% or less—increased to 10, compared with nine in 2004. Four of the races ended in statistical dead heats between two companies, one fewer than last year.As was the case last year, nine companies turned in multiple-category wins. Continuing the dominant vote-getting power of previous years, Rockwell Automation won outright or tied for first place in 16 hardware and four software categories. Other multiple winners include Emerson Process Measurement with four; General Electric/GE Fanuc won three times; and Hoffman, Honeywell, National Instruments, Parker, and Pepperl+Fuchs each won twice.Selective Service
Of those 82 companies that made the list, you awarded 55 of them (67%) service and support scores of 4.0 or better—very good-to-excellent performance as measured on a scale of 1-5. By comparison, in 2004 you gave service kudos to 74% of the listed companies. That seems to say you’re getting a little tougher giving out high praise on service and support.However, for those you did chose to put on the list, you awarded higher praise a little more than last year. As you did in 2004, you chose to recognize seven companies a total of 12 times with service scores of 4.5 or better, although last year’s 4.7 score (by two companies) wasn’t duplicated.The noticeable difference is that of the 144 times you recognized those 55 companies this year, a healthy 44% received a score of 4.3 or above. Compare that with last year when you gave service scores 4.3 or better 38% of the time.Whether achieving a score of 4.6 or 4.0, any company making the service and support list should be pleased to receive these readers’ vote of confidence. As was the case last year, some of the companies achieved these commendable service marks more than just once. The Service and Support table (p.46) lists those companies that readers identified as providing service with ratings of 4.0 or better.Baldor, Rockwell Automation, and Yaskawa were alone in achieving the highest service scores of 4.6.Five companies—AutomationDirect, Galil Controls, Numatics, Rockwell Automation and Siemens E&A—tallied 4.5 scores across nine product categories, with both AutomationDirect and Rockwell each achieving this commendable score three times.Voters awarded 23 companies (compared with 26 last year) a service score of 4.0 or better in more than one category. As they did last year, Rockwell Automation achieved this in 26 product categories. Siemens made big strides this year, receiving 4.0 or better ratings in 19 categories, compared with 10 last year. AutomationDirect garnered service kudos in seven categories, while Emerson Process Management made the grade five times. Bosch Rexroth, ifm efector, National Instruments, Parker, and Phoenix Contact each were recognized in four categories. Three (category recognitions) was the magic number for Beckhoff, Honeywell, Invensys, and Pilz Automation Safety; while Baldor, Banner Engineering, Eaton Electrical, Endress+Hauser, Federal Signal, GE Fanuc, Hoffman, Hubbel, STI, and Yaskawa received service recognition in two categories. So, let the red-carpet reception begin now. Here, listed alphabetically, is this year's elite group. As always, we welcome your analysis and thoughts about the outcome.

Fifth Annual Readers' Choice Awards

(*Differences of less than 3% are not statistically significant)

Alarm/Annuniciator
1. Rockwell Automation – 21%
2. Ametek/Panalarm – 15%
3. Federal Signal – 12%
4. Edwards – 7%

Ball Screw/Lead Screw
1. Danaher – 17%
2. Nook – 13%
3. Bosch Rexroth – 9%

Controller, CNC
1. GE Fanuc – 46%
2. Siemens E&A – 17%
3. Bosch Rexroth – 7%
    Rockwell Automation – 7%

Controller, Loop
1. Honeywell – 19%
2. Red Lion – 11%
    Siemens E&A – 11%
   *Invensys – 9%
5. Rockwell Automation – 7%

Controller, Motion
1. Rockwell Automation – 37%
2. Bosch Rexroth – 9%
    *Galil Controls – 8%
4. Siemens E&A – 6%
   *Parker Automation – 5%

Controller, PLC
1. Rockwell Automation – 60%
2. AutomationDirect – 9%
    Siemens E&A – 9%

Data Acquistion System
1. National Instruments – 40%
2. Rockwell Automation – 19%

Data Recorder
1. Honeywell – 27%
2. Yokogawa – 23%
3. Invensys/Eurotherm – 12%
4. National Instruments – 8%

Encoder/Resolver
1. Rockwell Automation – 20%
    *BEI – 18%
3. Danaher – 14%
4. Encoder Products – 11%

Hydraulic System Controls/Components
1. Parker Hannifin – 37%
2. Bosch Rexroth – 23%
3. Eaton/Vickers – 12%

Industrial Computer
1. Rockwell Automation – 26%
2. Advantech – 23%
3. Dell – 10%
4. Pro-face/Xycom – 6%
*Siemens E&A – 6%
   *Beckhoff Automation – 5%

Industrial Electrical Connector/Cordset
1. Turck – 21%
2. Woodhead Connectivity – 18%
3. Phoenix Contact – 8%
    Rockwell Automation – 8%
    Tyco/AMP – 8%
   *Hubbel – 6%

Industrial Electric Motor Drive
1. Rockwell Automation – 40%
2. Siemens E&A – 8%
    *Yaskawa – 7%
    *Baldor Electric – 6%
    *Emerson Process – 6%

Industrial Enclosure-Metallic
1. Hoffmann – 65%
2. Rittal – 14%
3. Hubbel-Wiegmann – 7%
    *Saginaw Engineering – 5%

Industrial Enclosure-Non-Metallic
1. Hoffmann – 64%
2. Bud Enclosures – 5%
    Carlon – 5%
   Stahlin – 5%

Industrial Enclosure Purge System
1. Pepperl+Fuchs – 62%
2. Hoffman – 8%

Industrial Network Component
1. Hirschmann – 22%
2. Phoenix Contact – 16%
    *Rockwell Automation – 15%
4. Siemens E&A – 11%

Input/Output System
1. Rockwell Automation – 41%
2. Siemens E&A – 11%
    *AutomationDirect – 9%
   *Wago – 9%
5. Beckhoff Automation – 7%
    *Phoenix Contact – 6%

Intrinsic Safety System/Component
1. Pepperl & Fuchs – 24%
2. Rockwell Automation – 13%
3. MTL – 9%
    *Turck – 8%
   *Siemens E&A – 8%

Linear Actuator/Slide
1. Danaher – 14%
2. Parker Hannifin – 9%
3. IAI America – 5%

Machine Vision System
1. Cognex/DVT – 60%
2. Banner Engineering – 7%
    * Keyence – 6%

Measurement, Flow
1. Emerson Process – 34%
2. Endress+Hauser – 7%
    Siemens E&A – 7%
    *ABB – 5%
    *ifm efector – 5%

Measurement, Level
1. Emerson Process – 24%
2. Endress+Hauser – 13%
   *Siemens E&A – 11%
4. Danaher – 9%
    *AmetekDrexelbrook – 7%
   *ifm efector – 7%

Measurement, Load Cell/Weighing System
1. Mettler-Toledo 17%
2. Hardy Scale 11%

Measurement, Pressure
1. Emerson Process – 28%
2. Honeywell/Sensotec – 12%
3. Invensys/Foxboro – 6%   R>    *Dwyer Instruments – 5%

Measurement, Temperature
1. Emerson Process – 21%
2. Omega Engineering – 13%
3. Honeywell – 10%
4. ifm efector – 6%
   Pyromation – 6%
    *Siemens E&A – 5%

Measurement, Vibration
1. GE Energy/Bently Nevada – 38%
2. Rockwell Automation – 14%

Motor, Industrial Electric
1. Baldor – 39%
2. Rockwell Automation – 16%
3. Regal-Beloit – 13%
4. GE – 7%
    *Emerson Electric – 6%

Motor, Servo
1. Rockwell Automation – 30%
2. Bosch Rexroth – 18%
3. Yaskawa – 8%
    *Parker Automation – 6%

Motor, Stepper
1. Parker Automation – 24%
2. Danaher – 8%
    Sanyo Denki – 8%
    *AutomationDirect – 7%

Motor Starter
1. Rockwell Automation – 50%
2. Schneider Electric – 19%
3. Siemens E&A – 8%
4. AutomationDirect – 5%
    Eaton Electrical – 5%

Operator Interface Terminal
1. Rockwell Automation – 54%
2. Siemens E&A – 11%
3. AutomationDirect – 7%
    *GE Fanuc – 5%

Panel Meter
1. Red Lion – 37%
2. Simpson – 12%
3. Newport – 8%
   *Precision Digital – 6%

Pneumatic System Controls/Components
1. SMC Pneumatics – 30%
2. Numatics – 15%
    Parker Hannifin – 15%
4. Festo – 6%
    MAC Valves – 6%

Power Supply
1. Sola/Hevi-Duty – 29%
2. Rockwell Automation – 12%
    *Phoenix Contact – 11%
4. Siemens E&A – 7%
    *Power-one – 6%
    *Acopian – 5%
    *AutomationDirect – 5%
    *Puls – 5%

Presence Sensing
1. Turck – 21%
    *Rockwell Automation – 19%
3. Banner Engineering – 14%
4. ifm efector 1– 0%

Programmable Safety Controller
1. Rockwell Automation – 27%
    *Siemens E&A  – 25%
3. Pilz Automation Safety – 14%
4. Triconex – 5%

Relay
1. Rockwell Automation – 31%
2. IDEC – 20%
3. Omron – 13%
     *Tyco/Potter&Brumfield – 12%

Safety Network Components
1. Rockwell Automation – 29%
2. Siemens E&A – 21%
3. Pilz Automation Safety – 8%
    STI – 8%
    *Banner Engineering – 7%

Safety Relay
1. Rockwell Automation – 33%
2. Pilz Automation Safety – 20%
3. Siemens E&A – 10%
4. STI – 7%
    *Schmersal – 5%

Software, CNC
1. GE Fanuc – 24%
2. Siemens E&A – 19%

Software, Data Acquisition
1. National Instruments – 38%
2. Rockwell Automation – 16%
3. Invensys/Wonderware – 7%
    *GE Fanuc – 5%

Software, Electrical CAD (E-CAD)
1. Autodesk – 79%
2. ECT International – 5%

Software, HMI
1. Rockwell Automation – 40%
2. Invensys/Wonderware – 20%
3. Siemens E&A – 10%
4. GE Fanuc – 5%

Software, Motion Control
1. Rockwell Automation – 48%
2. Beckhoff Automation – 7%
    Bosch Rexroth – 7%

Software, PC-Based Machine Control
1. Rockwell Automation – 26%
2. Beckhoff Automation – 12%
3. National Instruments – 9%
    Siemens E&A – 9%

Software, PLC Programming
1. Rockwell Automation – 66%
2. Siemens E&A – 10%
    *AutomationDirect – 9%

Stack Light Tower
1. Rockwell Automation – 38%
2. Patlite – 17%
3. Eaton Electrical – 12%
    Schneider Electric – 12%
    *Federal Signal – 10%

Terminal Block
1. Phoenix Contact – 26%
   *Rockwell Automation – 25%
3. Wago – 15%
4. AutomationDirect – 11%
5. Weidmüller – 7%
    *ABB/Entrelec – 6%

Wire & Cabling
1. Belden Cable – 43%
2. Alpha Wire – 7%
    LappUSA/Olflex – 7%
   *Anixter – 6%

2004 Readers' Choice Awards
2003 Readers' Choice Awards

The 2005 Readers’ Choice
Service and Support Leaders

Control Design Readers Tell Us These 55 Companies Provide
Very Good (4.0) to Excellent (5.0) Service

4.6
Baldor Electric – Industrial Electric Motor Drive
Rockwell Automation – Industrial Network Components
Yaskawa – Industrial Electric Motor Drive

4.5
AutomationDirect – Operator Interface Terminal
AutomationDirect – PLC Programming Software
AutomationDirect – Programmable Logic Controller
Galil Controls – Motion Controller
Numatics – Pneumatic System Control/Component
Rockwell Automation – Alarm/Annuniciator
Rockwell Automation – Loop Controller
Rockwell Automation – Motor, Industrial Electric
Siemens – Safety Network Components

4.4
AutomationDirect – Power Supply
Bosch Rexroth – Motion Controller
Hubbel-Wiegmann – Industrial Enclosure-Metallic
ifm effector – Presence Sensing
Patlite – Stack Light Tower
Rockwell Automation – Encoder/Resolver
Rockwell Automation – Power Supply
Rockwell Automation – Terminal Blocks
Siemens – Motion Controller
Siemens – Operator Interface Terminal
Siemens – PLC Programming Software
Siemens – Programmable Logic Controller
Weidmüller – Terminal Blocks

4.3
Ametek Drexelbrook – Measurement, Level
AutomationDirect – Input/Output System
AutomationDirect – Motor Starter
AutomationDirect – Terminal Blocks
Banner Engineering – Presence Sensing
Belden – Cable Wire & Cabling
Bosch Rexroth – Motion Control Software
Dell – Industrial Computer
Eaton – Electrical Motor Starter
Emerson Electric – Industrial Electric Motor Drive
Hoffmann – Industrial Enclosure-Metallic
Hubbel – Industrial Electrical Connector/Cordset
National Instruments – Data Acquisition System
Parker – Pneumatic System Control/Component
Phoenix Contact – Industrial Network Components
Phoenix Contact – Power Supply
Phoenix Contact – Terminal Blocks
Rockwell Automation – Data Acquisition Software
Rockwell Automation – Data Acquisition System
Rockwell Automation – Industrial Electric Motor Drive
Rockwell Automation – Intrinsic Safety System/Component
Rockwell Automation – Motion Control Software
Rockwell Automation – Motor Starter
Rockwell Automation – Motor, Servo
Rockwell Automation – PC-Based Machine Control Software
Rockwell Automation – Presence Sensing
Rockwell Automation – Programmable Safety Controller
Rockwell Automation – Safety Network Components
Siemens – HMI Software
Siemens – Industrial Computer
Siemens – Industrial Electric Motor Drive
Siemens – Industrial Network Components
Siemens Intrinsic Safety System/Component
Siemens – Loop Controllers
Siemens – Measurement, Level
Siemens – Motor Starter
Siemens – Programmable Safety Controller
Turck – Industrial Electrical Connector/Cordset
Yaskawa – Motor, Servo

4.2
ABB/Entrelec – Terminal Block
Beckhoff Automation – Industrial Computer
Bosch Rexroth – Ball Screw/Lead Screw
Bosch Rexroth – Motor, Servo
Cognex/DVT – Machine Vision System
Eaton Electrical – Stack Light Tower
Emerson Process – Measurement, Pressure
Hardy Instrument – Measurement, Load Cell/Weighing System
Hoffmann – Industrial Enclosure-Non-Metallic
Honeywell – Loop Controller
Honeywell – Measurement, Pressure
ifm efector – Measurement, Level
ifm efector – Measurement, Temperature
Invensys – Loop Controller
Precision Digital – Panel Meter
Rockwell Automation – Industrial Electrical Connector/Cordset
Rockwell Automation – Motion Controller
Rockwell Automation – Relay
Siemens – CNC Software
Siemens – Power Supply
Simpson – Panel Meter
Turck – Presence Sensing

4.1
Baldor – Motor, Industrial Electric
Banner Engineering – Machine Vision System
Emerson Process – Measurement, Flow
Emerson Process – Measurement, Level
Emerson Process – Measurement, Temperature
Endress+Hauser – Measurement, Flow
Hirschmann – Industrial Network Components
National Instruments – Data Acquisition Software
Omron – Relay
Parker Hannifin – Hydraulic System Control/Component
Pilz Automation – Safety Programmable Safety Controller
Red Lion – Panel Meter
Rockwell Automation – Operator Interface Terminal
Rockwell Automation – PLC Programming Software
Rockwell Automation – Programmable Logic Controller
Rockwell Automation – Safety Relay
Rockwell Automation – Stack Light Tower
Schmersal – Safety Relay
Siemens – Measurement, Temperature
Siemens – PC-Based Machine Control Software
STI – Safety Relay

4.0
Acopian – Power Supply
Anixter – Wire & Cabling
Beckhoff – Motion Control Software
Beckhoff – PC-Based Machine Control Software
BEI – Encoder/Resolver
Endress+Hauser – Measurement, Level
Federal Signal – Alarm/Annuniciator
Federal Signal – Stack Light Tower
Festo – Pneumatic System Control/Component
GE Fanuc – Controller, CNC
GE Fanuc – Operator Interface Terminal
Honeywell – Data Recorder
IDEC – Relay
ifm efector – Measurement, Flow
Invensys – Data Acquisition Software
Invensys – Data Recorder
Keyence – Machine Vision System
LappUSA/Olflex – Wire & Cabling
Mettler-Toledo – Measurement, Load Cell/Weighing System
National Instruments – Data Recorder
National Instruments – PC-Based Machine Control Software
Omega Engineering – Measurement, Temperature
Parker Automation – Motion Controller
Parker Automation – Motor, Servo
Pepperl+Fuchs – Enclosure Purge
Phoenix Contact – Industrial Electrical Connector/Cordset
Pilz Automation – Safety Safety Network Components
Pilz Automation – Safety Safety Relay
Pyromation – Measurement, Temperature
Siemens – Measurement, Flow
Sola/Hevi-Duty – Power Supply
Stahlin – Industrial Enclosure-Non-Metallic
STI – Safety Network Component
Triconex – Programmable Safety Controller
Yokogawa – Data Recorder