Considering that most automation technologies are installed with the goal of having them operate for years or even decades, it’s no surprise that buyers tend to return to the brands that they have come to trust. Whether based on personal or corporate past experiences, geographic preferences, technologies, price or any number of criteria, Automation World’s readers have again chimed in to show us where their brand loyalties lie.
The Leadership in Automation First Team Honorees receive their recognition from an open-ended survey. This is important so that respondents are not swayed by a set list on a voting form. Instead, they must write in their preferences, which—as you can see on the following pages—include not only the major automation suppliers, but also smaller vendors they have more recently come to trust. The major suppliers still play a dominant role in many of the categories (no surprise, given their breadth of expertise), but smaller players also garner enough write-ins to make the list in many places.
This list of recommendations from your peers is designed to help you better assess suppliers as you make your product buying decisions in the coming year. Return the favor by letting us know who your preferred suppliers are as well. Stay tuned for voting to open soon for the 2017 online survey at www.automationworld.com/leadership. Your input is greatly appreciated.
Actuators & Valves
Alarm Management
Emerson
Honeywell Process Solutions
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Cables, Connectors & I/O Modules
Belden
Lapp
Omron Industrial Automation
Phoenix Contact
Rockwell Automation
Turck
Wago
Weidmüller
Data Acquisition Hardware
Advantech Industrial Automation Group
GE’s Automation & Controls
Honeywell Process Solutions
National Instruments
Omega Engineering
Omron Industrial Automation
Opto 22
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Drives
ABB Drives and Controls
Danfoss
Lenze
Omron Industrial Automation
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Yaskawa America
Enclosures
Hammond Manufacturing
Pentair
Rittal
Energy Management
ABB
GE Digital
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Historian/Data Acquisition Software
GE Digital
Honeywell Process Solutions
Inductive Automation
OSIsoft
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
HMI Hardware
AutomationDirect
GE’s Automation & Controls
IDEC
Pro-face America
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
HMI Software
GE Digital
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Hydraulic/Pneumatic
Asco
Bimba Manufacturing
Bosch Rexroth
Festo
Parker Hannifin
SMC
Industrial PCs
Advantech Industrial Automation Group
B&R Industrial Automation
Beckhoff Automation
Dell
Pro-face America
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Machine Safety
ABB Jokab Safety
Banner Engineering
Omron Industrial Automation
Pilz Automation Safety
Rockwell Automation
Schmersal
Sick
Siemens Industry
Maintenance/Reliability
Emerson
Fluke
GE Digital
Honeywell Process Solutions
Siemens Industry
MES/MOM Software
Epicor Software
GE’s Automation & Controls
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Mobility
GE’s Automation & Controls
Honeywell Process Solutions
Opto 22
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Motors
ABB Motors and Drives
Omron Industrial Automation
Oriental Motor
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Networking—Wired Components
Antaira Technologies
Belden
Cisco Systems
Hilscher North America
Moxa
Omron Industrial Automation
Phoenix Contact
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Softing
Weidmüller
Networking—Wireless
Advantech Industrial Automation Group
Cisco Systems
Kepware Technologies
Moxa
ProSoft Technology
Red Lion Controls
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
PLCs/PACs
AutomationDirect
Delta Products
GE Digital
IDEC
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Omron Industrial Automation
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Power Supplies
Eaton
Emerson/SolaHD
Omron Industrial Automation
Phoenix Contact
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Traco Power
Process Control Software
Emerson
Honeywell Process Solutions
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Yokogawa
Process Safety
ABB
HIMA Americas
Honeywell Process Solutions
Rockwell Automation
Siemens Industry
Robotics
ABB Robotics
Fanuc Robotics
Kuka Robotics
Mitsubishi Electric Automation
Omron Industrial Automation
Universal Robots
Rethink Robotics
Yaskawa America
SCADA
Emerson
GE Digital
Honeywell Process Solutions
Inductive Automation
Rockwell Automation
Schneider Electric
Siemens Industry
Sensors—Discrete
Balluff
Banner Engineering
Omron Industrial Automation
Pepperl+Fuchs
Rockwell Automation
Sick
Siemens Industry
Turck
Sensors—Process Control
Emerson
Endress+Hauser
Honeywell Process Solutions
Omron Industrial Automation
Siemens Industry
Simulation & Modeling Software
Autodesk
Emerson
Eplan
Mynah Technologies
Schneider Electric
Siemens PLM
Vision Systems
Banner Engineering
Cognex
Keyence
Matrox Imaging
Omron Industrial Automation
Sick
Teledyne Dalsa
