Find out who has made our list of top automation companies worldwide and nationwide throughout the years. Since 1995, Control editors have worked with ARC Advisory group to bring together the data annually.
To develop the Top 50 lists for North American and worldwide, the analysts at ARC Advisory Group use publicly available financial data wherever possible from the leading firms supplying process control and automation technologies. Even though firms with increased sales are added and those with decreased sales relative to the others or those that have been acquired are subtracted, the Top 50's basic analysis methodology hasn't changed for several years. When these big companies have businesses unrelated to automation and/or don't provide details of the extent of their process control activity, ARC uses other publicly available information and its database to calculate a meaningful determination of the scope of their automation business. This scope is based on ARC's definition of which technologies constitute control and automation and which do not. If anything, ARC's scope and focus on revenue generated by process control and automation activities has only grown tighter.
Technologies included in the Top 50 definition:
- Process automation systems and related hardware software and services;
- PLC and related hardware, software, services, I/O and bundled HMI;
- Other control hardware components, such as third-party I/O, signal conditioners, intrinsic safety barriers, networking hardware, unit controllers, and single- and multi-loop controllers;
- Process safety systems;
- SCADA systems for oil and gas, water and wastewater, and power distribution;
- AC drives;
- Motion control systems;
- Computer numerical control (CNC) systems;
- Process field instrumentation, such as temperature and pressure transmitters, flowmeters, level transmitters and associated switches;
- Analytical equipment, including process electrochemical, all types of infrared technology, gas chromatographs for industrial manufacturing and related products;
- Control valves, actuators and positioners;
- Discrete sensors and actuators;
- All kinds of automation-related software from advanced process control, simulation and optimization to third-party HMI, plant asset management, production management (MES), ERP integration packages from the major automation suppliers and similar software Other automation-related services provided by automation suppliers;
- Condition-monitoring equipment and systems;
- Ancillary systems, such as burner management systems, quality control systems for pulp and paper, etc.
Technologies not included in the Top 50 definition:
- Pumps and motors
- Robotics
- Material-handling systems
- Supply chain management software
- Building automation systems
- Fire and security systems
- Processing equipment such as mixers, vessels, heaters, as well as process design licenses from suppliers that have engineering divisions
- Electrical equipment, such as low-voltage switchgear, etc.