[Answer] Which Is Better to Learn: Siemens PLC or Mitsubishi PLC?

[Answer] Which Is Better to Learn: Siemens PLC or Mitsubishi PLC?

In our industrial automation projects, we mainly use Siemens controllers and related industrial control products. We are often asked by customers why we choose Siemens, as well as how Siemens compares with other brands and what its distinguishing features are. So here is a brief summary.

Siemens controllers hold the largest market share in the industrial control industry. They combine the reliability and stability associated with German products, have a broad user base, and have been validated in countless projects. In terms of reputation and application scope, Siemens has the strongest presence in the industrial control sector. Brands with usage levels below Siemens include Schneider, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, and others. By comparison, domestic Chinese PLC brands still have very limited application across the overall industrial control industry. According to the 2012 Overview of China’s Industrial Control and Automation Industry, the market share distribution of medium-to-large and small PLC products in China in 2021 is shown in the chart below.

From the comparison chart above, it is clear that Siemens holds an absolute leading position in the PLC market, while ABB is essentially not competitive in this field. Siemens’ leadership is due not only to product reliability, but also to the following factors:

1. High cost performance. Thanks to large shipment volumes, Siemens benefits from economies of scale. In addition, after localizing part of its production lines in China, Siemens products have become price-competitive with European and Japanese PLCs in the same class. Users can therefore buy a more competitive product at a similar price.

2. Abundant application cases. Because Siemens products occupy a much larger market share than comparable products, there are mature and extensive case studies across virtually every industry, along with proven solutions for different sectors.

3. Strong technical support. Siemens provides comprehensive technical support through its online knowledge base, 400 technical support hotline, and online forums. Any technical issue users encounter during application can usually be resolved through these channels, reducing development time and effort. This is an advantage that few other brands can match.

4. Short spare-parts lead times. Similar to the automotive industry, high-volume products have a natural advantage in spare-parts availability and support. Even today, it is still possible to purchase Siemens PLC products from 20 years ago as spare parts. For products such as ABB’s, however, since PLCs do not account for a large share of their business, it is uncertain whether that product line will even continue in the future, making long-term spare-parts support harder to guarantee.

5. Faster development cycles. In China and globally, Siemens PLC engineers and programmers are the most numerous and experienced. As a result, development efficiency and quality are generally highest when using Siemens products. By contrast, very few organizations or individuals have used ABB products. During our cooperation with ABB, our company used ABB PLC products in the development of some production-line equipment, but many industrial automation practitioners may not even know that ABB has PLC products. In terms of development cycle, development efficiency, and system reliability, ABB falls far behind Siemens.

6. Technological leadership. Siemens TIA was among the first to adopt a fully integrated design concept, allowing a complete set of products to be developed and integrated using a single engineering platform. At the same time, Siemens PLCs work more effectively with Siemens motors, sensors, and other equipment. Since Siemens also has one of the most complete product lines in industrial control, it can maximize overall system efficiency and intelligence, enabling fully integrated all-Siemens solutions.