Industrial PC Market

Global Industrial PC Market: Snapshot

Industrial PCs are a PC-based computing platform used in various industrial applications. Industrial PCs are especially designed to withstand harsh exterior environments (extremes of temperature, dust, humidity, vibration, power surges) that commercial PCs are not designed for. Industrial PCs are also more flexible as compared to normal PCs, as they support legacy applications that need to work flawlessly for 5 or even 10 and more years. This is because the components used for the manufacturing of industrial PCs are industrial grade rather than commercial grade. These are longer lasting and built to a higher standard. They have longer supported life durations and aren’t substituted by newer versions as often as commercial components. This provides higher consistency of supply and long-term repeatability so the same model can be available for much longer than the commercial equivalent.

The revenue of the global industrial PC market stood at US$3,651.5 Mn in 2016; this is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.7% during the forecast period (2017 to 2025) and reach US$8,784.2 Mn by 2025.

Panel Industrial PCs to Dominate Industrial PC Market due to Rising Demand for Automated Process Control

The industrial PC market has been segmented on the basis of its type and end use. On the basis of type, the industrial PC market is categorized into panel industrial PC, box industrial PC, embedded industrial PC, DIN rail industrial PC, rack mount industrial PC, and thin client industrial PC. Panel industrial PCs are widely used across the industrial sector, as these are generally used for process control operations and data acquisition. Panel industrial PCs are used in the automation, manufacturing, surveillance, transportation, food and beverage, gaming, medical, communication and network infrastructure, retail, and energy and power sectors.

At present, several major manufactures are in the process of developing embedded industrial PCs integrated with self-sensing capabilities for advanced data computing and realizing IoT applications. These are anticipated to be employed in industries such as manufacturing, automation, surveillance, transportation, and food and beverage. As a result, the demand for embedded industrial PCs is anticipated to remain high as compared to other industrial PCs.

The global industrial PC market has witnessed traction across a number of sectors due to the high demand for robust PCs that can withstand severe environmental conditions. The leading applications of industrial PCs lie in communication and network infrastructure, digital signage, digital security and surveillance, energy and power, gaming, industrial automation and control, instrumentation/test automation, medical, aerospace and defense, retail automation, transportation, and others. The aerospace and defense industry requires industrial PCs capable of working at extreme temperatures (-20 degree Celsius to +65 degree Celsius) and extreme humidity levels (5% to 95%), and capable of withstanding corrosion, shocks, and heavy dust. The superior rugged design, combined with the best industrial-grade components, offers high reliability and long-term performance. This factor is expected to boost the market for Industrial PC over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific to Overtake Europe, North America over 2017-2025 Forecast Period

Europe was the largest revenue contributor to the industrial PCs market in 2016, with Europe being the hub for the majority of players in the market. The Europe and North America markets for industrial PCs were valued at US$1,280.5 mn and US$1,226.9 mn in 2016, respectively, and are likely to rise to US$2,576.2 mn and US$2,541.2 mn, respectively, by the end of 2025.

However, Asia Pacific is expected to be an important market for industrial PCs market players in the coming years and is expected to exhibit a robust CAGR of 14.4% in the 2017-2025 forecast period. The valuation of the Asia Pacific market is likely to rise to US$2,777.4 mn by 2025, enabling steady dominance of the regional market in the coming years. In the Middle East and Africa, the UAE and Saudi Arabia cumulatively contributed around 57% of revenue in 2016 and are expected to hold the largest share in the Middle East and Africa industrial PC market in the forecast period.

Leading manufacturers in the global industrial PC market are aggressively focusing on technological innovation by pouring huge investments in research and development activities. The competitive rivalry among these companies is expected to remain high over the forecast period. Several big players are engaged in the process of introducing more next-generation industrial PCs with smart energy solutions that can offer them a competitive edge over their competitors. Key players profiled in the report include Advantech Co., Ltd., Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. Kg, Bernecker + Rainer Industrie Elektronik Ges.m.b.H., Captec Ltd., Industrial PC, Inc., Kontron AG, Landitec Distribution GmbH, Lanner Electronics Incorporated, MiTAC International Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Omron Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Inc., Siemens AG, and Schneider Electric S.E.