www.controldesign.com September 2008 Control Design 33

Alarm/Annunciator1. Rockwell Automation 33%

2. Patlite 13%

3. Edwards 9%

Ametek Panalarm 9%

5. Federal Signal 6%

Ball Screw/Lead Screw1. Danaher Motion 14%

2. THK America 11%

3. Bosch/Rexroth 7%

Tolomatic 7%

Exlar 5%

NSK 5%

Controller, CNC1. GE Fanuc 46%

2. Rockwell Automation 13%

3. Siemens E&A 10%

4. Mitsubishi 7%

Controller, Loop1. Honeywell 19%

2. Rockwell Automation 11%

Yokogawa 11%

Siemens E&A 10%

5. Invensys 6%

Red Lion 5%

Controller, Motion1. Rockwell Automation 34%

2. Yaskawa 7%

Siemens E&A 6%

Mitsubishi 5%

Controller, PLC1. Rockwell Automation 47%

2. Siemens E&A 10%

3. GE Fanuc 7%

AutomationDirect 6%

Schneider Electric 5%

Rockwell Automation Bulletin 855P Panel Alarms

Danaher Motion/Thomson MetricLeadScrew

GE Fanuc 30i Controllers Rockwell Automation CompactLogix L23

Rockwell Automation Kinetix Integrated Motion

Honeywell UDC3500 Controller

11 companies that were listed in ’07.

Twelve companies, four more than in ‘07, won in multiple

categories. Perennial heavyweight Rockwell Automation

won or tied for first place in 20 hardware and software

categories. Other multiple winners include Emerson

Process Measurement with four category wins; Danaher

Motion, General Electric and Parker Hannifin won three

times, while Belden, Cisco, Hoffman, National Instruments,

Pepperl+Fuchs, Phoenix Contact and Turck each won twice.

Many firms were clear winners in their category. This

year, 39 (vs. 35 last year) categories had winners with mar-

gins of greater than 10 percentage points.

Despite more clear wins, close races decided by a margin

of five percentage points or less increased to eight, compared

with seven in 2007. Five of those races ended in statistical

dead heats between two or more companies.

Service Scores Continue to SagOf the 107 individual companies in the product category

results, you awarded 69 service and support scores of 4.0

or better (very good-to-excellent performance on a 1-to-5

scale). Compared to this 64% rate, last year you gave ser-

vice kudos to 70% of the companies, and 80% in ’06.

Again this year, more service recognition fell in the

4.0-to-4.1 score ranges. You assigned 56% of the service

recognitions to the 4.0-to-4.1 ranges, compared with 43%

last year. Awards in the 4.3 or higher score ranges dropped

to a total of 29, or 17% of the total service recognitions,

compared with 47 (nearly 30% of the total) last year.

Highest service praise this year—at 4.4—was awarded

to Endress+Hauser in the Flow Measurement category,

Phoenix Contact for Connectors and Cordsets, and Siemens

E&A for Flow Measurement.

Every company making the service and support list should

be pleased. Some achieved great service marks more than

once. The table on p. 44 lists those companies that voters say

have terrific service/support in specific product categories.

Rockwell Automation was recognized in 25 product

categories. Phoenix Contact, Yokogawa and Siemens E&A

garnered seven recognitions. Emerson Process Manage-

ment received six.

AutomationDirect, Banner Engineering, National Instru-

ments and Schneider Electric each received five, while

Beckhoff, Danaher Motion and Invensys each were recog-

nized four times.

Endress+Hauser, General Electric, Honeywell, Mitsubishi

and Yaskawa achieved service/support recognition three

times, and B&R Industrial Automation, Belden, Eaton,

IDEC, Omron, Pepperl+Fuchs, Pilz Automation Safety, Red

Lion Controls, Rittal, Sick, Tolomatic, Turck and Wago all

were recognized twice.

Listed alphabetically, here are ’08’s fast companies.

Hoffman Poly Type 4XPolyester Enclosure

Hoffman Zone HazardousLocation Enclosure

Readers’ Choice Awards

Industrial Network Hubs/Routers/Switches1. Cisco/Linksys 25%

2. Belden/Hirschmann 17%

3. N-Tron 12%

Moxa 10%

Phoenix Contact 10%

Input/Output Systems1. Rockwell Automation 42%2. Siemens E&A 10% Wago 9% Turck 8%5. Opto22 7% Phoenix Contact 6% Beckhoff Automation 5%

Intrinsic Safety Components1. Pepperl+Fuchs 30%

2. Rockwell Automation 13%

3. Turck 10%

R. Stahl 8%

5. Banner Engineering 5%

MTL 5%

Linear Actuator/Slide/Guide1. Danaher/Thomson 10%

Parker Motion 10%

Festo 9%

4. THK 6%

Tolomatic 6%

Intelligent Actuator 5%

Machine Vision System1. Cognex 54%

2. Banner Engineering 14%

3. National Instruments 10%

Keyence 9%

Measurement, Flow1. Emerson Process 22%

2. Endress+Hauser 11%

3. Yokogawa 7%

Siemens E&A 5%

Danaher Motion ElecTrak Pro Electric Linear Actuator, Parker HPLA Linear

Actuator and Festo DNCE Linear Actuator

Cisco Industrial Ethernet 3000 Series Switches

Rockwell Automation CompactBlock Guard I/O

Pepperl+Fuchs HiC Intrinsic Safety Isolator

Cognex In-Sight Micro

Emerson Process Flowmeter Family

Differences of less than 3% are not statistically significant

Readers’ Choice Awards

38 Control Design September 2008 www.controldesign.com

Measurement, Level1. Emerson Process 20%

2. Endress+Hauser 11%

Ohmart/Vega 11%

4. Siemens E&A 8%

5. Yokogawa 5%

Measurement, Load Cell/Weighing System1. Mettler Toledo 28%

2. Honeywell Sensotec 15%

3. Rice Lake 12%

Hardy 11%

Measurement, Pressure1. Emerson Process 26%2. Endress+Hauser 12%3. Invensys 6% Honeywell 5% Omega Engineering 5% Siemens E&A 5% Yokogawa 5%

Measurement, Temperature1. Emerson Process 20%

2. Omega Engineering 8%

Endress+Hauser 7%

4. Minco 5%

Watlow 5%

Measurement, Vibration 1. GE Energy/Bently-Nevada 22%

2. Rockwell Automation 14%

Emerson Process 14%

4. Kistler 7%

Hardy Instrument 6%

Metrix 6%

Motor, Industrial Electric1. Baldor 45%

2. Emerson Motor Technologies 9%

Regal-Beloit 9%

General Electric 8%

5. Rockwell Automation 5%

Motor, Linear1. Parker/Trilogy 13%

Rockwell Automation 13%

3. Baldor 9%

Yaskawa 9%

Motor, Servo1. Rockwell Automation 29%

2. Yaskawa 10%

GE Fanuc 8%

4. Danaher Motion 5%

Motor, Stepper1. Danaher Motion 16%

2. Parker/Compumotor 8%

Sanyo-Denki 8%

Oriental Motors 7%

Motor Starter1. Rockwell Automation 50%

2. Schneider Electric 17%

3. Eaton Electrical 9%

4. Siemens E&A 6%

Sprecher+Schuh 5%

Operator Interface Terminal1. Rockwell Automation 47%

2. AutomationDirect 9%

Pro-face/Xycom 7%

4. Beijer 6%

Siemens E&A 6%

Maple Systems 5%

Panel Meter1. Red Lion Controls 43%

2. Precision Digital 17%

3. Yokogawa 12%

4. Newport Electronics 7%

Simpson Electric 6%

Rockwell Automation Direct Drive Motors and Parker Hannifin R10

Ripped Ironcore Linear Servo Motor

Mettler Toledo Cornerstone Combo XS

Emerson Process 5400 Radar Level Transmitter

Emerson Process 3051S Pressure Transmitter

Emerson Process 3144P Temperature Transmitter

GE Energy Asset Condition Monitoring

Baldor Super-E Motor

Rockwell Automation MP-Series Low-Inertia Servo Motors

Danaher Motion CT Series Step Motor

Rockwell Automation SMC Flex Soft Starter

Rockwell Automation PanelView

Red Lion Controls Panel Meters

Differences of less than 3% are not statistically significant

Readers’ Choice Awards

Pneumatic Components1. Numatics 26%

2. Festo 19%

SMC 17%

4. Parker Hannifin 8%

5. Bimba 5%

Power Supply1. Sola/Hevi-Duty 27%

2. Rockwell Automation 11%

3. Phoenix Contact 7%

Puls 7%

IDEC 6%

Acopian 5%

Presence Sensing1. Banner Engineering 21%

Turck 20%

3. Rockwell Automation 17%

4. ifm efector 7%

Keyence 7%

Sick 6%

Programmable Safety Controller1. Rockwell Automation 25%

2. Pilz Automation Safety 15%

3. Banner Engineering 8%

Siemens E&A 8%

5. Omron STI 5%

Relay1. Rockwell Automation 26%2. IDEC 13%

Omron 11%4. Schneider Electric 10%5. Tyco/Potter & Brumfield 7%

Finder 5%Phoenix Contact 5%

Safety Network Components1. Rockwell Automation 32%

2. Siemens E&A 13%

Banner Engineering 11%

4. Pilz Automation Safety 10%

5. Omron STI 6%

Schneider Electric 6%

Rockwell Automation GuardLogixNumatics Generation 2000 Series

SolaHD SDN and SDP Power Supplies

Turck Proximity Sensors and Turck Proximity Sensors and Banner Engineering SensorsBanner Engineering Sensors

Rockwell Automation General-Purpose Relays

Rockwell Automation SensaGuard Non-Contact Switches

You Need ATEX.We’ve Got ATEX.

ATEX CONTROL PANELEQUIPMENT CERTIFICATION

UL / cUL ClassifiedClass I, Division 1, Groups BCD;Class II, Groups EFG, Class IIIClass I, Zone 1 AEx d IIBEx d IIB

ATEX Certifications 1712 II 2 GD Ex d IIB+H2 T6(T5 Tamb+55C)Ex tD A21 IP66 T 100°CType 4 (4X w/stainless steel hardware)IP40 or IP66 w/N4 Gasket

www.controldesign.com September 2008 Control Design 43

Safety Relay1. Rockwell Automation 36%

2. Pilz Automation Safety 13%

Banner Engineering 13%

4. Omron STI 8%

5. Schneider Electric 5%

Siemens E&A 5%

Single-Board Computer1. Advantech 25%

2. Ampro 9%

Software, CNC1. GE Fanuc 27%

2. Mastercam 9%

4. Siemens E&A 6%

B&R Industrial Automation 5%

Mitsubishi Electric 5%

Software, Data Acquistion1. National Instruments 25%

2. Rockwell Automation 16%

3. Invensys 9%

Software, E-CAD1. Autodesk 64%

2. Bentley/ECT 9%

3. Solidworks 6%

Eplan 5%

Software, HMI 1. Rockwell Automation 30%

2. Invensys 16%

3. GE Fanuc 7%

AutomationDirect 5%

Pro-face/Xycom 5%

Siemens E&A 5%

Software, Motion Control1. Rockwell Automation 40%

2. Siemens E&A 9%

3. Beckhoff 5%

Mitsubishi 5%

Yaskawa 5%

Software, PC-Based Machine Control1. Rockwell/Allen-Bradley 22%

2. National Instruments 12%

3. Phoenix Contact 9%

4. Beckhoff Automation 6%

Software, PLC Programming1. Rockwell Automation 55%

2. Siemens 8%

AutomationDirect 6%

GE Fanuc 6%

5. Mitsubishi 5%

Schneider Electric 5%

Stack Light Tower1. Rockwell Automation 48%

2. Patlite 14%

3. Schneider Electric 9%

4. Eaton Electrical 6%

IDEC 6%

Terminal Blocks1. Phoenix Contact 22%

Rockwell Automation 21%

3. Wago 18%

4. Wiedmüller 9%

ABB/Entrelec 8%

AutomationDirect 7%

Wire & Cabling 1. Belden 48%

2. Alpha Wire 9%

3. Lapp USA 7%

Anixter 6%

Rockwell Automation 1492 Terminal Blocks and Phoenix Contact Clipline

Rockwell Automation Guard-master Minotaur MSR300

Advantech PCA-6194

GE Fanuc MTE

National Instruments LabView 8.6

Autodesk AutoCAD Electrical 2009

Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk View

RSLogix 5000 Programming Software

Rockwell Automation PC-Based Machine Control Software

Rockwell Software RSLogix 5000

Rockwell Automation Bulletin 855F Compact Control Tower Lights

Belden Electronics Industrial Data Solution Cables

Differences of less than 3% are not statistically significant

Readers’ Choice Awards

44 Control Design September 2008 www.controldesign.com

4.4Endress+Hauser ................................. Flow Measurement

Phoenix Contact ...............................Connectors/Cordsets

Siemens E&A ..................................... Flow Measurement

4.3B&R Industrial Automation ................ Industrial Computer

Banner Engineering ..................................Machine Vision

Banner Engineering ......................................Safety Relay

Cognex ....................................................Machine Vision

Emerson Process ..........................Pressure Measurement

Emerson Process ....................Temperature Measurement

Invensys .................................. Data Acquisition Software

Mitsubishi................................................ CNC Controller

National Instruments ................................Machine Vision

N-Tron ............................Network Hubs/Routers/Switches

Ohmart/Vega ......................................Level Measurement

Pepperl+Fuchs ............................Instrinsic Safety System

Phoenix Contact .................... Wired Network Components

Red Lion ...................................................... Panel Meter

Rockwell Automation ........................Connectors/Cordsets

Rockwell Automation .................. Data Acquisition System

Rockwell Automation ...................Instrinsic Safety System

Rockwell Automation ............ Operator Interface Terminals

Rockwell Automation .............Safety Network Components

Rockwell Automation .................................... Servo Motor

Rockwell Automation ............. Wired Network Components

Tolomatic.........................................Ballscrew/Leadscrew

Turck ...............................................Connectors/Cordsets

Turck ................................................... Presence Sensing

Yokogawa ........................................... Flow Measurement

Yokogawa ...........................................Level Measurement

4.2AMCI ....................................................Encoder/Resolver

Banner Engineering ......... Programmable Safety Controller

Belden/Hirschmann .........Network Hubs/Routers/Switches

Danaher Motion................................Ballscrew/Leadscrew

Danaher Motion.....................................Encoder/Resolver

Emerson Process Management ...............Level Measurement

Emerson Process Management ........... Vibration Measurement

Emerson Process Management ...Wireless Network Components

Encoder Products ..................................Encoder/Resolver

Endress+Hauser .................................Level Measurement

Endress+Hauser ......................Temperature Measurement

Festo .......................................... Pneumatic Components

Finder ................................................................. Relays

General Electric ........................................ Electric Motor

Hardy Instrument ............. Load Cell/Weight Measurement

Lenze/ACTech ............................................ Electric Drive

National Instruments ................ Data Acquisition Software

National Instruments .................. Data Acquisition System

Pepperl+Fuchs/BPS ............................... Enclosure Purge

Phoenix Contact .............................. Input/Output System

Precision Digital ........................................... Panel Meter

Rockwell Automation ...........................Alarm/Annunciator

Rockwell Automation ................ Data Acquisition Software

Rockwell Automation ......................... Industrial Computer

Rockwell Automation ....................... Input/Output System

Rockwell Automation .................................. Motor Starter

Rockwell Automation ..........Programmable Safety Controller

Rockwell Automation ....................................Safety Relay

Rockwell Automation .......................... Stack Tower Lights

Schneider Electric ........................................Safety Relay

Schneider Electric/CST ..........................Encoder/Resolver

Sick .................................................... Presence Sensing

Sick/Stegmann ......................................Encoder/Resolver

Siemens E&A ........................Safety Network Components

Tolomatic...............................Linear Actuator/Slide/Guide

Yaskawa ...................................................... Servo Motor

Yokogawa ................................... Data Acquisition System

Yokogawa .................................................. Data Recorder

Yokogawa ..................................................... Panel Meter

Yokogawa ......................................Pressure Measurement

4.1ABB Entrelek ..........................................Terminal Blocks

Autodesk ............................................... E-CAD Software

AutomationDirect ................. Operator Interface Terminals

AutomationDirect .....................................................PLC

AutomationDirect ...................PLC Programming Software

AutomationDirect .......................................HMI Software

AutomationDirect ....................................Terminal Blocks

Baldor ...................................................... Electric Motor

Beckhoff...........................................Industrial Computer

Beckhoff.....................................Motion Control Software

Beijer .................................. Operator Interface Terminals

Belden/Hirschmann ............... Wired Network Components

Cisco/Linksys ..................Network Hubs/Routers/Switches

Danaher Motion......................Linear Actuator/Slide/Guide

Dell ..................................................Industrial Computer

Eaton Electrical ......................................... Motor Starter

Emerson Process Management ............ Flow Measurement

Eplan .................................................... E-CAD Software

Honeywell .....................................Pressure Measurement

ifm efector ........................................... Presence Sensing

Invensys ....................................................HMI Software

Invensys .......................................Pressure Measurement

Lapp USA ...................................................Wire & Cable

Omega Engineering .................Temperature Measurement

Phoenix Contact ................................................... Relays

Pilz Automation Safety...........Safety Network Components

Pilz Automation Safety..................................Safety Relay

Red Lion ..................................................Loop Controller

Rittal ........................... Industrial Enclosure, Non-metallic

Rockwell Automation ................................ CNC Controller

Rockwell Automation ................................. Electric Motor

Rockwell Automation ..................................HMI Software

Rockwell Automation ...................Motion Control Software

Rockwell Automation .....PC-Based Machine Control Software

Rockwell Automation ................................................PLC

Rockwell Automation ..............PLC Programming Software

Saginaw Engineering ........... Industrial Enclosure, Metallic

Schneider Electric ...................................... Motor Starter

Siemens E&A ........................................... CNC Controller

Siemens E&A .................................. Input/Output System

Siemens E&A ...........................................Loop Controller

Siemens E&A .................. Programmable Safety Controller

Siemens E&A .........................PLC Programming Software

Wago .............................................. Input/Output System

Wago ......................................................Terminal Blocks

Yaskawa ...............................................Motion Controller

Yokogawa .................................................Loop Controller

4.0Advantech ...................................Single-Board Computer

Agilent ...................................... Data Acquisition System

B&R Automation ....................................... CNC Software

Banner Engineering ............. Instrinsic Safety Components

Banner Engineering ............Wireless Network Components

Beckhoff......................................... Input/Output System

Beckhoff...................PC-Based Machine Control Software

Danaher Motion............................................ Servo Motor

Eaton/Vickers ................................Hydraulic Components

Exlar ...............................................Ballscrew/Leadscrew

GE Fanuc ................................................. CNC Controller

GE Fanuc ..................................................... Servo Motor

Heidenhain ...........................................Encoder/Resolver

Hoffman ............................. Industrial Enclosure, Metallic

Honeywell ........................ Load Cell/Weight Measurement

Honeywell ................................................Loop Controller

Hydraforce ....................................Hydraulic Components

IDEC ......................................................... Power Supply

IDEC ................................................. Stack Tower Lights

Invensys ................................................... Data Recorder

Keyence .............................................. Presence Sensing

MasterCam ............................................... CNC Software

Mitsubishi................................................. CNC Software

Mitsubishi.............................................Motion Controller

Moxa ..............................Network Hubs/Routers/Switches

National Instruments ................................. Data Recorder

National Instruments .....PC-Based Machine Control Software

Omron ................................................................. Relays

OmronSTI .............................Safety Network Components

Opto 22 .......................................... Input/Output System

Parker Hannifin .............................Hydraulic Components

Patlite ................................................Alarm/Annunciator

Phoenix Contact ........PC-Based Machine Control Software

Phoenix Contact ......................................... Power Supply

Phoenix Contact ......................................Terminal Blocks

Puls .......................................................... Power Supply

Rice Lake ........................ Load Cell/Weight Measurement

Rittal .................................. Industrial Enclosure, Metallic

Rockwell Automation ................................Loop Controller

Rockwell Automation .............................Motion Controller

Rockwell Automation .................................. Power Supply

Schneider Electric .................Safety Network Components

Schneider Electric .............................. Stack Tower Lights

Sola Hevi-Duty ........................................... Power Supply

Sprecher+Schuh ........................................ Motor Starter

Tyco/Potter & Brumfield ........................................ Relays

Watlow ...................................Temperature Measurement

Yaskawa .....................................Motion Control Software

The 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards Service and Support LeadersControl Design’s readers tell us these companies provide very good (4.0) to excellent (5.0) service in these categories. Only those companies that received the minimum 5% vote share in the preceding pages were considered.