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2007 Readers' Choice Awards

Jan. 9, 2007
Once again, the end users have spoken. Process control professionals assess the best technologies and vote on who best meets their needs in the 15th annual CONTROL Readers’ Choice Awards.
See who are the winners of the 2008 Readers' Choice Awards.

Choosy readers choose who?

This year’s Readers’ Choice Awards were based on a web-based survey across the CONTROL magazine readership. As of the cut-off date, the opinions of more than 700 automation professionals from all corners of the process industries had been tallied. Respondents identified their industry and job functions as follows.

Respondent Demographics

Industry Job Function
Chemical & Allied 21% Engineering 59%
Food & Beverage 13% Plant Operations 13%
Petroleum Refining 8% Research & Development 8%
Pulp & Paper 7% Administration 6%
Primary Metals Production 6% Other 14%
Stone, Clay & Glass 3%  
Engineering & Integration Firms 16%  
Other 9%  

15th Annual Readers's Choice Awards

2006 RCA Winners
2004 RCA Winners

Analyzer, Ambient Gas Detector

1. MSA 21%
2. Emerson Process Management 11%
    General Monitor 9%
4. Draeger 7%
    Industrial Scientific 7%

Analyzer, Density/Concentration
1. Emerson Process Management 41%
2. Endress + Hauser 6%
    Thermo Electron 5%

Analyzer, Process Gas Chromatograph
1. Emerson Process Management 23%
2. Siemens Energy & Automation 13%
    Agilent 12%
4, ABB 10%
5. Perkin-Elmer 5%

Analyzer, Humidity/Moisture
1. (tie) Vaisala 16%
    GE Panametrics 14%
3. ABB 6%
    Ametek 6%
    Emerson Process Management 5%
    Kahn 5%
    Mettler-Toledo 5%

Analyzer, pH/ORP/Conductivity
1. Emerson Process Management 38%
2. ABB 9%
    Hach 9%
    Yokogawa 9%
5. Thermo Scientific 5%

Analyzer, Process Spectrometer
1. Hach 14%
2. Agilent 10%
    Perkin-Elmer 10%
4. ABB 7%
    Thermo Scientific 6%

Analyzer, Stack Gas
1. Emerson Process Management 38%
2. Ametek Thermox 13%
3. Teledyne 6%
    Thermo Electron 5%

Annunciator
1. Ametek Panalarm 33%
2. Ronan Engineering 16%
3. Rockwell Automation 10%
4. Federal Signal 5%

Calibrator, Portable
1. Fluke 56%
2. Altek/Transmation 11%
3. Beamex 6%
    Meriam 5%

Control Valve
1. Emerson Process Management 61%
2. Flowserve 9%
3. ASCO 5%

Data Acquisition System
1. Emerson Process Management 19%
2. OSIsoft 8%
    Rockwell Automation 8%
    GE Fanuc 7%
    National Instruments 7%
    Aspen Tech 6%
    Invensys/Wonderware 6%
8. Honeywell 5%

Enclosure
1. Hoffman Engineering 74%
2. Rittal 11%

Flowmeter, Coriolis
1. Emerson Process Management 81%
2. Endress + Hauser 6%

Flowmeter, Magnetic
1. Emerson Process Management 44%
2. Invensys Foxboro 12%
    Yokogawa 12%
    Endress + Hauser 10%
5. ABB 8%

2006 RCA Winners
2004 RCA Winners

Flowmeter, Open Channel
1. (tie) Emerson Process Management 24%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 22%
3. Endress + Hauser 20%
4. Teledyne-ISCO 10%
5. Ohmart Vega 5%

Flowmeter, Positive Displacement
1. Emerson Process Management 49%

Flowmeter, Thermal Mass
1. FCI 33%
2. Emerson Process Management 26%
3. Endress + Hauser 7%
    ifm efector 5%
    Kurz 5%
    Sage 5%

Flowmeter, Turbine
1. Emerson Process Management 32%
2. Hoffer Flow Control 13%
3. Invensys Foxboro 6%

Flowmeter, Variable Area
1. Emerson Process Management 59%
2. Wallace & Tiernan 9%
3. Dwyer Instruuments 6%
    Endress + Hauser 6%

Flowmeter, Vortex
1. Emerson Process Management 55%
2. Yokogawa 17%
    Invensys Foxboro 15%
4. Endress + Hauser 5%

Flow Switch
1. FCI 20%
2. ifm efector 13%
3. Magnetrol 8%
    Dwyer Instruments 7%
    Endress + Hauser 7%
    Kobold Instruments 7%
7. Omega Engineering 5%

Industrial Computer
1. Dell 39%
2. HP/Compaq 7%
    Rockwell Automation 7%
    Xycom 6%
    Emerson Process Management 5%
    Honeywell 5%

Input/Output System
1. Rockwell Automation 46%
2. Emerson Process Management 14%

Instrument Fittings
1. Swagelok 63%
2. Parker 28%

Intrinsic Safety Barrier
1. MTL 26%
2. Pepperl + Fuchs 21%
3. R. Stahl 13%
4. Phoenix Contact 6%

Level Gauge, Electrical Property-Based
1. Ametek Drexelbrook 16%
2. Magnetrol 11%
    K-Tek 9%
4. Endress + Hauser 5%
    Siements 5%

Level Gauge, Float/Displacer
1. Magnetrol 33%
2. Emerson Process Management 21%
3. Gems Sensors 10%
    K-Tek 8%
5. Dwyer Instruments 6%

Level Gauge, Contacting Radar
1. Emerson Process Management 32%
2. Endress + Hauser 17%
    Ohmart Vega 15%
4. Magnetrol 12%
5. Siemens Energy & Automation 8%
6. Krohne 5%

Level Gauge, Non-Contact Radar
1. Emerson Process Management 42%
2. Ohmart Vega 20%
3. Siemens Energy & Automation 17%
4. Endress + Hauser 12%
5. Magnetrol 5%

Level Gauge, Inventory Grade
1. Emerson Process Management 39%
2. Enraf 10%
    Magnetrol 9%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 9%

Level Gauge, Laser
1. K-Tek 31%

Level Gauge, Nuclear
1. Ohmart Vega 47%
2. Thermo Electron 31%
3. Ronan Engineering 6%
    Berthold 5%

Level Gauge, Ultrasonic
1. Siemens Energy & Automation 41%
2, Endress + Hauser 17%
3, Emerson Process Management 11%
    Magnetrol 9%
    Ohmart Vega 9%
6. Banner Engineering 5%

Level Indicator, Visual
1. K-Tek 23%
2. Penberthy 18%
3. Jerguson 14%

Level Switch
1. (tie) Magnetrol 21%
    Endress + Hauser 19%
3. Ametek Drexelbrook 13%
4. Emerson Process Management 6%

2006 RCA Winners
2004 RCA Winners

Operator Interface Terminal
1. Rockwell Automation 42%
2. Emerson Process Management 12%
3. Honeywell 9%
    Dell 7%

Panel Display
1. Rockwell Automation 48%
2. Emerson Process Management 5%

Power Supply
1. Sola/Hevi-Duty 41%
2. Acopian 13%
    Phoenix Contact 11%
4. Rockwell Automation  7%

Pressure Transmitter
1. Emerson Process Management 66%
2. Honeywell 5%

Process Control/Automation System
1. Emerson Process Management 33%
2. Rockwell Automation 22%
3. Honeywell  11%
4. Siemens Energy & Automation 7%
    Invensys 5%

Process Loop Controller
1. Honeywell 27%
2. Siemens Energy & Automation 14%
3. Emerson Process Management 10%
    Invensys 10%
    Yokogawa 8%
6. Rockwell Automation 6%
    ABB 5%

Programmable Logic Controller
1. Rockwell Automation 72%
2. Schneider Electric 10%
3. Siemens Energy & Automation 5%

Purge System
1. Pepperl + Fuchs/Bebco 58%
2. Purge Solutions 8%

Recorder
1. Yokogawa 32%
2. Honeywell 20%
3. Invensys Eurotherm 10%
    ABB 8%
5. Siemens Energy & Automation 5%

Remote Terminal Unit
1. Rockwell Automation 26%
2. Emerson Process Management 5%

Resistance Temperature Detector
1. Emerson Process Management 31%
2. Pyromation 16%
3. Omega Engineering 12%

Safety/Emergency Shutdown System
1. Invensys Triconex 25%
2. Rockwell Automation 20%
3. Emerson Process Management 9%
    Honeywell 8%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 6%

Signal Conditioner
1. Moore Industries 26%
2. Invensys Eurotherm/Action 18%
3. Acromag 11%
4. Phoenix Contact 7%
    Absolute Process Instruments 6%
    Omega Engineering 6%

Software, Advanced Process Control
1. Emerson Process Management 22%
2. Rockwell Automation 18%
3. Invensys 13%
4. Aspen Tech 9%
    Honeywell 9%

Software, Alarm Management
1. Emerson Process Management 21%
2. Invensys 18%
3. Honeywell 10%
    Rockwell Automation 10%
5. Matrikon 6%

Software, Asset Management
1. Emerson Process Management 32%
2. Rockwell Automation 12%
    Invensys 10%
    SAP 10%
5. Honeywell 8%

Software, Batch Control
1. Emerson Process Management 29%
2. Rockwell Automation 19%
    Invensys 17%
4. Honeywell 10%

Software, Calibration Management
1. Emerson Process Management 28%
2. Fluke 9%
    Rockwell Automation 9%
    Honeywell 7%
5. AST/Cornerstone 5%

Software, Design/Documentation
1. Rockwell Automation 22%
2. AutoDesk 14%
3. Emerson Process Management 10%
4. ECT 6%

Software, HMI
1. Invensys Wonderware 29%
2. Rockwell Automation 24%
3. Emerson Process Management 12%
4. GE Fanuc 6%
    Honeywell 6%

2006 RCA Winners
2004 RCA Winners

Software, Loop Tuning
1. Emerson Process Management 31%
2. Rockwell Automation 14%
3. Expertune 10%
    Invensys 10%
5. Honeywell 6%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 6%

Software, Neural Network
1. Emerson Process Management 37%
2. Pavilion 13%
3. Invensys 10%

Software, Process Control
1. Emerson Process Management 29%
2. Rockwell Automation 21%
3. Invensys 12%
4. Honeywell 6%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 6%

Software, PLC Programming
1. Rockwell Automation 73%
2. Schneider Electric 8%

Software, SCADA
1. (tie) Rockwell Automation 24%
    Invensys Wonderware 22%
3. GE Fanuc 18%
4. Emerson Process Management 10%
5. Citect 6%

Software, Simulation
1. (tie) Emerson Process Management 19%
    Rockwell Automation 17%
3. Mynah 10%
    Invensys 8%

Temperature Sensor, Infrared
1. Fluke/Raytek 23%
2. Mikron 13%
3. Ircon 10%

Temperature Transmitter
1. Emerson Process Management 63%
2. Honeywell  6%
    Omega Engineering  5%

Terminal Block
1. Rockwell Automation 39%
2. Phoenix Contact 25%
3. Weidmuller 12%
4. Wago 8%

Thermal Imaging/Thermography
1. FLIR Systems 36%
2. Fluke/Raytek 23%

Thermocouple
1. Omega Engineering 26%
2. Emerson Process Management 15%
3. Pyromation 9%
4. Sandelius 6%

Valve Actuator, Electric
1. Emerson Process Management 18%
2. Limitorque 11%
    Rotork 11%
4. Flowserve 9%
    ASCO 7%
    Beck 7%

Valve Actuator, Pneumatic
1. Emerson Process Management 60%
2. Flowserve 6%

Variable Speed Drive
1. Rockwell Automation 60%
2. ABB 12%
3. Baldor Electric 5%

Vibration Sensor
1.  GE Energy 45%

Weighing System, Load Cell
1. Mettler-Toledo 30%
2. Hardy Instruments 18%
3. Rice-Lake Weighing Systems 10%
4.  Vishay BLH 8%

Weighing Systems, Inline
1. K-Tron 20%
2. Rice Lake Weighing Systems 15%
3. Hardy Instruments 6%
    Acrison 5%
    Siemens Energy & Automation 5%

Wire & Cable
1. Belden 70%

Vendors Offering
Exceptional Service

In addition to selecting the best technology providers, survey respondents to the 2007 Readers' Choice Awards ballots were asked to evaluate the customer service performance of their favored technology providers on a scale of 1 to 5, poor to outstanding.


4.5

Sandelius Instruments, Thermocouple

4.3
Emerson Process Management Remote Terminal Unit
R. Stahl Intrinsic Safety Barrier
Siemens Energy & Automation Programmable Logic Controller

4.2
Pepperl + Fuchs Intrinsic Safety Barrier

4.1
Emerson Process Management Pressure Transmitter
Emerson Process Management Process Gas Chromatograph
Emerson Process Management Stack Gas Analyzer
Endress + Hauser Coriolis Flowmeter
Endress + Hauser Magnetic Flowmeter

4.0
Acopian Power Supply
Altek/Transmation, Portable CalibratorBeck Electric Valve Actuator
Emerson Process Management Control Valve
Emerson Process Management Density/Concentration Analyzer
Emerson Process Management Safety/Emergency Shutdown System
Endress + Hauser Ultrasonic Level Gauge
Fluke Portable Calibrator
Hach pH/ORP/Conductivity Analyzer
Hach Process Spectrometer
Hardy Instruments Load Cell Weighing System
Honeywell Temperature Transmitter
Invensys Wonderware Data Acquisition System
Invensys Simulation Software
Ohmart/VEGA Contacting Radar Level Gauge
Ohmart /VEGA Ultrasonic Level Gauge
Phoenix Contact Power Supply
Rockwell Automation Data Acquisition System
Siemens Energy & Automation Industrial Computer
Siemens Energy & Automation Safety/Emergency Shutdown System
Thermo Fisher Scientific pH/ORP/Conductivity Analyzer
Wago Terminal Block

2006 RCA Winners
2004 RCA Winners