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Industrial Automation Translation   Industrial automation refers to the use of advanced control systems, information technology, and robots to perform traditional manual tasks. With the significant advancement of technology in recent years, industrial automation has improved productivity and quality in the manufacturing industry and other industrial applications. Meanwhile, by reducing reliance on manual labor, it has significantly enhanced safety conditions.   Currently, industrial automation is widely adopted in various industries around the world. Calculated by revenue, the global market size reached USD 509.6 billion in 2024. The global industrial automation market is expected to maintain strong growth in the foreseeable future, mainly driven by the increasingly widespread application in industries such as automotive, electronics, photovoltaics, and power batteries. These industries feature complex manufacturing processes and have a strong demand for automation.   In these highly complex industries, the demand for higher precision, higher efficiency, and stronger scalability is expected to greatly drive the expansion of the industrial automation market in the future. The global industrial automation market is projected to reach USD 724.7 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% from 2024 to 2029.     Translation of the Text   Benefiting from a strong industrial foundation and extensive application scenarios, China’s industrial automation market is an important segment of the global market. In 2024, the scale of China’s industrial automation market reached USD 45.9 billion, accounting for 9.0% of the global market. In the future, factors such as population aging, persistent labor shortages, technological advancements in industrial robots, and government-led industrial upgrading measures are expected to drive China’s industrial automation market to grow faster than the global average growth rate.   The scale of China’s industrial automation market is projected to reach USD 83.3 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7% from 2024 to 2029. China’s global market share will rise to 11.5% by 2029. China’s huge market scale and great growth potential have brought significant development opportunities for domestic industrial automation enterprises deeply engaged in this market. With an in-depth understanding of local market dynamics and the specific needs of Chinese enterprises, domestic industrial automation enterprises are expected to lead the future development of global industrial automation technologies and applications.   Overview of the Global Industrial Robot Solutions Market   An industrial robot refers to an automatically controlled, reprogrammable, multi-purpose robot that can be programmed to operate on three or more axes. It can be fixed in place or mounted on a mobile platform, and is used for automated applications in industrial environments. Industrial robots are generally classified into general-purpose and special-purpose industrial robots based on their application scenarios.   As the cornerstone of modern industrial automation, industrial robots are multi-axis robotic arms with automatic control, reprogrammability, and high adaptability, capable of operating on three or more axes. Thanks to their flexibility, industrial robots can be widely applied to various automated scenarios in industrial environments. Designed with a focus on high precision and efficiency, industrial robots excel at performing tasks that require extremely high precision and speed. Equipped with advanced control systems, they can handle diverse operations, gradually replacing manual labor in repetitive, hazardous, or continuously precision-demanding work.   Industrial robot solutions refer to automated production systems composed of industrial robots, intelligent control systems, and supporting equipment. Suppliers of industrial robot solutions are responsible for designing, developing, and manufacturing robot systems, and integrating peripheral equipment with intelligent control technologies to meet specific operational needs. Such customized industrial robot solutions can help customers address unique process requirements in various industries, thereby improving efficiency, precision, and productivity.   Value Chain of the Global Industrial Robot Solutions Market   The value chain of the global industrial robot solutions market consists of three core links. The upstream link involves the R&D and manufacturing of core automation components and systems, such as motion control systems, servo systems, precision reducers, and various sensors. The midstream link focuses on the manufacturing and system integration of industrial robots, where solution suppliers provide customized programming and supporting equipment to meet specific customer needs. In the downstream link, industrial robot solutions are applied in different industries, including automotive, electronics, metals and machinery, photovoltaics, power batteries, and others.   In recent years, vertical integration has become a key development trend in the industrial robot solutions market. Many traditional industrial robot solution suppliers, which previously focused on the midstream link, are now leveraging their expertise to independently conduct R&D and production of core automation components and systems, gradually extending their business upstream.   By developing core components in-house, solution suppliers can better control production costs and the design of core components, provide more integrated and customized solutions, and accurately meet customers’ specific process requirements. This vertical integration model enhances the overall added value of industrial robot solutions, enabling suppliers to gain higher market premiums and improve profit margins. At the same time, through the R&D and manufacturing of core automation components and systems, enterprises continuously accumulate technological capabilities and strengthen their differentiated competitive advantages in the market.   Market Scale of the Global Industrial Robot Solutions Market   Driven by rapid technological progress and the expansion of application fields, the global industrial robot solutions market has achieved significant growth in recent years. By revenue, the market scale increased from USD 14.7 billion in 2020 to USD 25.4 billion in 2024, with a CAGR of 14.6% from 2020 to 2024. It is expected to maintain a strong growth rate in the future: revenue is projected to reach USD 51.8 billion by 2029, with a CAGR of 15.4% from 2024 to 2029.   China has become a crucial driver of global market growth. In recent years, driven by factors such as China’s large manufacturing infrastructure, growing demand for industrial upgrading, and policy support, China’s industrial robot solutions market has expanded significantly. In particular, the Chinese government has issued a series of favorable policies to promote industry development over the years.   For example, the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Intelligent Manufacturing (jointly released by eight ministries including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) proposes to accelerate the innovation and technological breakthroughs of intelligent equipment such as industrial robots and intelligent CNC machine tools. Another example is the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Robot Industry (jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and other departments), which states that by 2025, the density of industrial robots in China’s manufacturing industry will double, and a number of leading enterprises with international competitiveness will be cultivated.   From 2020 to 2024, the scale of China’s industrial robot solutions market grew from USD 6.9 billion to USD 12.7 billion, with a CAGR of 16.5%. This growth momentum is expected to continue: by 2029, the market scale of China’s industrial robot solutions market is projected to reach USD 28.8 billion, with a CAGR of 17.8% from 2024 to 2029. Meanwhile, the rapid development of Chinese industrial robot solution manufacturers has led to significant progress in the R&D of core technologies and components for industrial robots. Localized production has significantly reduced manufacturing costs, forming a distinct competitive advantage.   Combined with technological breakthroughs, these cost advantages have enabled domestic industrial robot manufacturers to meet comprehensive market demands, steadily challenge, and replace foreign brands that have long dominated certain fields. Although international solution suppliers continue to benefit from high brand awareness due to their first-mover advantage in the development of core automation components and industrial robots, domestic enterprises are increasingly becoming an important force in the global industrial robot solutions market.   Domestic enterprises’ in-depth understanding of local demand, flexible customized service capabilities, and continuously improving technological strength have made them emerging leaders in the global industrial automation field. The rapid growth of China’s industrial robot solutions market is expected to drive the rise of industrial automation giants with international competitiveness.   Global Industrial Robot Shipments   Global industrial robot shipments have achieved significant growth, increasing from 390,000 units in 2020 to 541,000 units in 2024, with a CAGR of 8.5%. In 2023 and 2024, global industrial robot shipments decreased by 2.1% and 0.1% year-on-year, respectively, due to a general decline in demand for automation equipment across various industries. The Chinese market is the main driver of growth in global industrial robot shipments. China’s industrial robot shipments surged from 171,500 units in 2020 to 294,200 units in 2024. This significant growth increased China’s share of global industrial robot shipments from 44.0% in 2020 to 54.4% in 2024.   In the future, global industrial robot shipments are expected to maintain a growth trend, reaching 919,500 units by 2029, with a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2029. China is expected to further consolidate its leading position, with its industrial robot shipments projected to reach 590,400 units by 2029.   This will drive China’s share in the global industrial robot market to further increase to 64.2%, with a CAGR of 14.9% from 2024 to 2029. The rapid growth of the Chinese market and its increasingly prominent leading position have brought significant opportunities for local industrial robot solution suppliers, enabling them to stand out in fierce international competition and potentially grow into industry giants with global influence.   The automotive, electronics, photovoltaic, and power battery sectors are key industries that have driven or are expected to continue driving global industrial robot shipments. By downstream application field, global industrial robot shipments in the automotive, electronics, photovoltaic, and power battery sectors increased from 84,000 units, 110,000 units, 7,800 units, and 16,300 units in 2020 to 136,900 units, 124,400 units, 25,400 units, and 31,900 units in 2024, respectively.   Driven by the increasing application of intelligent technologies in the automotive industry and the accelerated iteration of electronic products, manufacturing enterprises have continuously raised their requirements for production efficiency and precision. As a result, shipments of industrial robots in related industries are expected to continue to rise. By 2029, global industrial robot shipments in the automotive and electronics sectors are projected to reach 275,900 units and 248,300 units, respectively, with CAGRs of 15.0% and 14.8% from 2024 to 2029.   Driving Factors of the Global Industrial Robot Solutions Market    

Industrial Automation Translation   Industrial automation refers to the application of automation technology in the manufacturing process of the machinery industry to realize automatic processing and continuous production, improve the efficiency and quality of mechanical production, and release productivity.   Industrial automation involves a wide range of technologies, including multidisciplinary knowledge such as control engineering, ergonomics, computer software, embedded software, electronics, electric power, mechatronics, and network communication.   With the development of intelligence, industrial automation has integrated new technologies such as image processing, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence, and signal processing.   After long-term development, the industrial automation industry has achieved continuous technological innovation and the continuous expansion of downstream application fields, and has now formed a relatively mature industry competition pattern.   Multinational enterprises such as Yaskawa Electric, Panasonic Electric, Mitsubishi Group, and Siemens are in a leading position globally. In the domestic market, European, American, Japanese, and South Korean enterprises occupy a dominant position. However, local enterprises are gradually seizing the market by virtue of cost-effectiveness and rapid service capabilities, and the trend of domestic substitution is obvious. Against the background of the global entry into the Industry 4.0 era and China's vigorous development of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China", the demand for industrial automation equipment in various application fields such as manufacturing, transportation, energy, and environmental protection has further increased.   According to forecasts by Frost & Sullivan and the China Commercial Industry Research Institute, the global and China's industrial automation market sizes will reach USD 509.59 billion and RMB 353.1 billion respectively in 2024, with year-on-year growth rates of approximately 6.0% and 13.4% compared with 2023.   There are a wide variety of industrial automation products, including core components such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), motion controllers, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, frequency converters, servo systems, pneumatic components, and sensors. These products not only cover key links such as control, execution, and monitoring in industrial production, but also realize seamless collaboration between equipment through integration and communication technologies, serving as an important foundation for realizing intelligent manufacturing.   According to statistical data from Rui Industry, motion control products and drive system products have declined slightly, while segmented products such as CNC machines and high-voltage frequency converters have achieved growth. In 2024, the market size of PLCs was approximately RMB 13.01 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 18.9%; the market size of general servo systems was about RMB 20.55 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 3.8%; the market size of low-voltage frequency converters reached around RMB 28.28 billion, a year-on-year decrease of 7.0%; and the market size of medium and high-voltage frequency converters was roughly RMB 5.89 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%.   Downstream customers in the industrial automation industry are divided into OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) type and project type. The OEM market mainly targets customers who produce automated and intelligent manufacturing equipment in batches; the project market refers to the design and implementation of overall engineering automation systems.   According to statistics from Rui Industry, in the past 9 quarters, China's automation market has achieved a slight positive growth in only one quarter. Among them, OEM automation has experienced negative growth for 11 consecutive quarters, and project automation has shown a downward trend since the second quarter of 2024.   From the perspective of the downstream market of industrial automation, the project-based market has performed better than the OEM market, with a year-on-year growth of 0.1%. Among them, industries such as petroleum, refining, chemicals, mining, thermal power, and water conservancy are relatively prosperous due to policies such as equipment renewal. However, industries such as iron and steel are underperforming due to overcapacity and the impact of steel prices, which have reduced manufacturers' willingness to invest and transform.   The OEM market fell by 5% year-on-year. Among them, industries such as packaging machinery, plastic machinery, and textile machinery have achieved growth, while the demand in industries such as lithium battery equipment, photovoltaic equipment, and hoisting machinery is relatively sluggish. In 2024, among the three major types of knitting machinery, the flat knitting machine industry recovered and improved, the circular knitting machine industry operated under pressure, and the warp knitting machine industry maintained a certain growth overall.   In 2024, the economic operation of China's sewing machinery industry showed a trend of recovery and growth. Against the background of policy support and the recovery of market demand, the economic benefits of the industry have rebounded significantly. In 2024, the demand in domestic and foreign markets was gradually released, and the intelligent transformation and upgrading of equipment in downstream industries such as clothing, shoes, and hats accelerated, driving the rapid recovery of the production and sales scale of the sewing machinery industry and significantly improving the quality and efficiency of enterprises.   With the continuous expansion of the downstream market of industrial automation and the accelerated iteration of core technologies, the industrial sector is ushering in an all-round transformation. In key links such as production control and drive execution, automation technology is deeply penetrating into traditional industries such as automobiles, electronics, and chemicals, and rapidly extending to strategic emerging fields such as new energy and biomedicine.   The large-scale application of intelligent equipment such as new sensors, intelligent control systems, and industrial robots is promoting the evolution of automation equipment towards greater intelligence, precision, and reliability, and continuously expanding the application boundaries of new scenarios such as intelligent warehousing and unmanned workshops. In the process of China's manufacturing industry leaping to the high-end, the level of automated production continues to improve, which is becoming a key variable reshaping the global manufacturing competition pattern.

The competition in China's domestic industrial automation industry is fierce, and foreign manufacturers of industrial automation equipment and products still dominate the major market for upstream product supply in China. Let's take a look at which foreign industrial automation companies are the most profitable.     1.Siemens AG (Germany)     Siemens AG (FWB: SIE, NYSE: SI) is a global leader in the field of electrical and electronic engineering. Founded in 1847 by Werner von Siemens, its international headquarters is now located in Munich, Germany. As a listed company on both the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, Siemens achieved a total revenue of 6.14 billion euros in China in 2013 and employed nearly 32,000 people in the country.   In the industrial automation control industry, Siemens holds a dominant position. Its widely used industrial control products include PLCs, frequency converters, touch screens, modules, sensors, low-voltage electrical appliances, servo motors, and industrial computers. Meanwhile, Siemens is the world’s largest supplier of products, systems, solutions, and services in the fields of industrial automation and building technology, serving various sectors of China’s industry.   With operations in over 190 countries worldwide, Siemens owns approximately 600 factories, R&D centers, and sales offices globally. Its business focuses on four core areas: Industry, Energy, Infrastructure & Cities, and Healthcare. The company’s global business operations are managed by 13 business groups, including Siemens Financial Services GmbH and Siemens Real Estate Asset Management Group. Additionally, Siemens holds a stake in a joint venture—Bosch-Siemens Home Appliances Group.   Currently, it owns 15 brands worldwide (including Siemens and Bosch) and operates 39 factories across 27 regions globally, ranking as the largest home appliance manufacturer in Europe and the fourth-largest in the world. As competition in the global home appliance market becomes increasingly fierce, this company—with a global business orientation and a focus on high-end home appliance production—has begun to turn its attention to China’s increasingly mature market.   2. ABB Group (Switzerland)   Ranked among the world’s Top 500 enterprises, ABB Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Formed in 1988 by the merger of two international companies with over 100 years of history—ASEA (Sweden) and BBC Brown Boveri (Switzerland)—the two predecessor companies were founded in 1883 and 1891 respectively.   ABB is a leading provider of power and automation technologies. Its technologies help customers in the power, utility, and industrial sectors improve performance while reducing adverse environmental impacts. With operations in over 100 countries and 117,000 employees worldwide, ABB achieved sales of USD 32 billion in 2009. In 2012, its business performance in China saw steady growth in sales revenue, exceeding USD 5.2 billion.   ABB offers an extensive product portfolio, including a full range of power transformers and distribution transformers, high/medium/low-voltage switchgear, AC and DC power transmission and distribution systems, power automation systems, various measuring devices and sensors, real-time control and optimization systems, robot hardware and software as well as simulation systems, energy-efficient motors and drive systems, power quality, conversion and synchronization systems, and fuses and switchgear for power system safety. These products have been widely used in industrial, commercial, power, and utility sectors.   ABB’s cooperation with China dates back to 1907, when it supplied China with its first steam boiler. In 1974, ABB officially established a China Business Unit in Hong Kong, followed by a permanent office in Beijing in 1979. In 1994, ABB moved its China headquarters to Beijing, and formally established ABB (China) Limited in 1995. To date, ABB has 15,300 employees in China, serving 30 local enterprises and 40 sales and service branches across 60 different cities. In 2009, ABB’s sales in China reached USD 4.3 billion, maintaining China’s position as ABB’s largest global market. ABB attaches great importance to attracting, developing, and retaining talents, and actively undertakes social responsibilities, making it one of the most respected employers.   Through close cooperation with local partners in China, ABB has established strong production bases in power transmission and distribution, automation products, and systems. Its business covers a complete range of power transformers and distribution transformers, high/medium/low-voltage switch applications, electric drive systems, and motors. These products have been widely used in the industrial and power industries. ABB pursues outstanding quality, and its enterprises and products have become benchmarks in the industry. ABB’s capabilities in engineering and project management are demonstrated in multiple fields, including metals, pulp, chemicals, life sciences, automotive industry, power industry automation, and building systems.   3. Emerson Electric Co. (USA)   Emerson is a diversified global manufacturer. By integrating technology and engineering across its businesses—including Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions—Emerson provides customers with innovative solutions. China is one of the fastest-growing markets for Emerson’s global business and has been Emerson’s second-largest market (after the United States) since fiscal year 2002. Currently, Emerson has established over 40 enterprises in China, including more than 30 manufacturing facilities and nearly 20 R&D centers.   The company is organized into five business segments:   Process Management: Provides measurement, control, and diagnostic functions for automated industrial processes that produce food, fuel, machinery, power, and other products. Industrial Automation: Delivers integrated production solutions for global industries. Network Power: Supplies power and environmental control for telecommunications systems, data networks, and critical commercial applications. Climate Technologies: Enhances residential and commercial comfort, and improves food safety and energy efficiency through air conditioning and refrigeration technologies. Appliances & Tools: Offers motors tailored for various applications, as well as home appliance and integrated home solutions.   4. Rockwell Automation (USA)   Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, Rockwell Automation is a multinational industrial automation company that provides first-class power, control, and information technology solutions for the manufacturing industry.   Rockwell Automation integrates well-known brands in the industrial automation field and is committed to creating comprehensive automation solutions to help customers improve productivity. These brands include Allen-Bradley (control products and engineering services) and Rockwell Software (industrial control software). The company is also a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) technologies and application systems, helping enterprises manage customer relationships more effectively.   Global technology support and customer service are vital components of Rockwell Automation’s operations. The company has nearly 5,600 distributors, system integrators, and agents in 80 countries worldwide. Cooperation with reliable local companies in distribution, software, and products has significantly strengthened its global capabilities. Its well-known brands and strategic partnerships enhance its ability to provide high-quality and reliable industrial solutions worldwide.   5. Schneider Electric (France)   Schneider Electric SA is one of the world’s Top 500 enterprises. Founded in 1836 by the Schneider brothers, it is now headquartered in Rueil-Malmaison, France. As a global leader in energy management, Schneider Electric provides comprehensive solutions for the energy and infrastructure, industrial, data center and network, building, and residential markets in over 100 countries. It holds leading positions in markets such as energy and infrastructure, industrial process control, building automation, and data centers and networks, and also has strong market capabilities in the residential application sector. In fiscal year 2012, Schneider achieved a total global revenue of 24 billion euros and employed over 140,000 people in more than 100 countries.   Schneider Electric delivers comprehensive solutions to the energy and infrastructure, industrial, data center and network, building, and residential markets across 100+ countries. It leads in markets like energy & infrastructure, industrial process control, building automation, and data centers & networks, while also boasting strong capabilities in residential applications. Dedicated to providing customers with safe, reliable, and efficient energy, Schneider Electric attaches greater importance to its development in China due to the successful expansion of its business here, and is willing to contribute to China’s opening-up and modernization through further business cooperation.   From power generation and transmission to consumption, Schneider Electric offers customized, efficient solutions for various industries. By 2003, global investment in upgrading and transforming the world’s power transmission and distribution networks was projected to reach USD 13 trillion. Energy consumption and electricity use in various facilities account for 1/3 of global energy consumption and 70% of total electricity use respectively—these facilities are also part of Schneider Electric’s target markets. If these diverse markets can address energy waste at the facility level, their key challenges such as energy management and carbon emissions will be alleviated and resolved. This is precisely the goal of Schneider Electric’s energy management solutions: to make building and operation management more efficient and achieve energy savings of up to 30%.   Schneider’s turnover exceeded 20 billion euros for the first time in 2010. In 2011, while continuing to increase revenue and reduce costs, the company planned to offset part of the rising costs of raw materials through a price increase of approximately 1%. According to Schneider Electric’s 2010 performance report, its sales (including Areva’s power distribution business) reached 20.228 billion euros that year—a record high—with an annual net profit of 1.720 billion euros, a year-on-year increase of 109%.   6. Yokogawa Electric Corporation (Japan)   As a world-renowned leader in measurement, industrial automation control, and information systems, Yokogawa Electric Corporation (YOKOGAWA) has been committed to providing customers with cutting-edge professional technology, supporting them in reforming to improve operational efficiency, and contributing to industrial development since its establishment in 1915.   Yokogawa was one of the first foreign enterprises to enter China in the industry. It set up a Beijing Representative Office in 1979 and established its first joint venture in China—Yokogawa Xiyi Co., Ltd.—in 1985. In October 2002, it founded the fully-owned “Yokogawa Electric (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.” in the Suzhou Singapore Industrial Park. With a total factory area of 135,000 square meters, the first production plant (put into use at that time) covered 25,000 square meters, manufacturing flowmeters, recorders, and other products. The flow calibration system installed here can calibrate flowmeters with a diameter of up to 2.6 meters, making it the world’s largest-scale calibration system. On January 1, 2006, “Yokogawa Electric China Trading Co., Ltd.” was established. As a core enterprise of the Yokogawa Group with sales, market development, and engineering technical services capabilities, it works in collaboration with 8 other existing Group companies active in China’s domestic market to vigorously expand the Chinese market.   On February 1, 2008, to expand its business in China’s industrial automation sector and gain a larger market share, the Yokogawa Group integrated the businesses of three of its related Chinese companies and established a new legal entity—“Yokogawa Electric (China) Co., Ltd.” As the group’s umbrella company in China, it aims to meet the diversified needs of China’s industrial automation market by strengthening functions such as sales, technical support, engineering, and after-sales services.   To demonstrate its commitment to the reliability, safety, and forward-looking nature of its system products, Yokogawa has put forward the “VigilantPlant” corporate philosophy. In the measurement field, it provides solutions for analysis, quality management, sensors, and operation terminals; in the control field, its offerings cover production control, safety management, data collection, and logical control; in the optimization field, it includes production management, advanced control, asset management, and operation support. Guided by this philosophy, Yokogawa leverages cutting-edge technology to continuously develop new products and strives to make greater contributions to industrialized society.  

  Lithium extraction from salt lakes, as an important part of the new energy industry, is experiencing rapid development. Faced with complex processes such as adsorption, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis, how to simplify wiring, realize electrical drive communication control, and fully integrate the continuous ion exchange host control system into DCS has become the focus of customers in a certain lithium extraction project. The realization of integrated DCS control will greatly reduce the user's maintenance difficulty and cost. Relying on the advanced PCS 7 V10 process automation control system and flexible on-site solutions, Siemens has helped the salt lake basic lithium salt integration project to build an efficient, intelligent, and easy-to-maintain modern factory.   Project Scale and Architecture   CS architecture based on PCS 7 V10.0 4 pairs of redundant OS servers, 33 OS clients, 13 pairs of AS410-5H, 15 units of AS-410S Over 14,000 physical IOs Over 1,000 SINAMICS/SIMCODE drives Over 400 ModbusTCP/OPC communications, over 2,000 HART instruments AMS asset management station, PH history server, AVR anti-virus server, OPC UA server   DCS Direct Control of Core Equipment—Continuous Ion Exchange Host   To meet process requirements, the Siemens control system precisely controls key equipment such as hydraulic pump stations, servo drives, and valve islands with an execution cycle of 50ms. It also implements the "rapid approximation + precise positioning" control strategy for the host servo motor, ensuring that the continuous ion exchange host turntable accurately docks at the specified valve position, achieving a system response time of no more than 100ms.   Through this technical solution, Siemens not only helped the customer achieve true integrated control of core equipment but also brought comprehensive optimization in system response speed, operational convenience, and post-operation and maintenance costs. Quick configuration of device logic and screens based on CMT and Faceplate To address the challenges of a large number of ion exchange hosts, wide distribution, and complex wiring in the salt lake lithium extraction plant, Siemens customized the SIMATIC CFU compact field unit solution for this project. It has been successfully applied to over 3,000 on-site signal points with more than 300 CFU units deployed. Compared with traditional centralized IO wiring, the number of on-site construction terminals has been reduced by nearly 70%, and wiring workload has decreased by over 30%, significantly saving construction time and costs.   Compared with traditional wiring, CFU features flexible layout, more economical wiring, and easier maintenance. The collection and configuration speed of on-site IO signals has been significantly improved, bringing customers a truly "fewer wires, faster debugging, and easier expansion" application experience. It is an important part of the intelligent upgrade of salt lake lithium extraction plants. Simplifying the Communication System   For drive products, the project fully adopts Siemens SINAMICS and SIMOCODE series, which are deeply integrated into the PCS 7 control system through the PROFINET network, simplifying traditional control wiring. Combined with the Siemens PCS 7 APL standardized library, the access of drive equipment is faster, more flexible, and easier to maintain.   The project also adopts Siemens' integrated factory network solution, building a plant-wide industrial network from the field to the control layer, and fully applying SCALANCE industrial switches to ensure the real-time performance and high reliability of data transmission. Siemens CN4100 Communication Solution The use of CN4100 in the lithium extraction process of this project The cost advantage of lithium extraction from salt lakes has become evident, and it has now become the mainstream technical route. In this integrated lithium extraction project, Siemens' products such as the PCS 7 process control system, SINAMICS drives, and SCALANCE network have provided customers with efficient and stable control systems and solutions, contributing to the development of the industry.  

Industrial automation refers to the application of automation technology in the mechanical industrial manufacturing process to realize automatic processing and continuous production, improve the efficiency and quality of mechanical production, and release productivity.   The industrial automation involves a wide range of technologies, including control engineering, ergonomics, computer software, embedded software, electronics, electric power, mechatronics, network communication and other multidisciplinary knowledge.   With the development of intelligence, industrial automation has integrated new technologies such as image processing, pattern recognition, artificial intelligence and signal processing.   After long-term development, the industrial automation industry has witnessed continuous technological innovation and the continuous expansion of downstream application fields, and has now formed a relatively mature industry competition pattern.   Multinational enterprises such as Yaskawa Electric, Panasonic Electric, Mitsubishi Group and Siemens are in a leading position worldwide. In the domestic market, European, American, Japanese and South Korean enterprises occupy a dominant position. However, local enterprises are gradually seizing the market by virtue of cost performance and rapid service capabilities, and the trend of domestic substitution is obvious. Against the background of the global entry into the Industry 4.0 era and China's vigorous development of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China", the demand for industrial automation equipment in various application fields such as production and manufacturing, transportation, energy and environmental protection has further increased.   According to the forecasts of Frost & Sullivan and the China Commercial Industry Research Institute, the global and China's industrial automation market sizes will reach 509.59 billion US dollars and 353.1 billion yuan respectively in 2024, with year-on-year growth of about 6.0% and 13.4% compared with 2023.   There are various types of industrial automation products, including core components such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), motion controllers, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, frequency converters, servo systems, pneumatic components, and sensors. These products not only cover key links such as control, execution, and monitoring in industrial production, but also realize seamless collaboration between devices through integration and communication technologies, which are important foundations for realizing intelligent manufacturing.   According to the statistics of MIR 睿工业，motion control products and drive system products have declined slightly, but among the segmented products, CNC and high-voltage frequency converters have grown. In 2024, the market size of PLC was about 13.01 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 18.9%; the market size of general servo was about 20.55 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 3.8%; the market size of low-voltage frequency converters was about 28.28 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 7.0%; the market size of medium and high-voltage frequency converters was about 5.89 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.0%.   The downstream customers of the industrial automation industry are divided into OEM type and project type. The OEM market mainly faces customers who mass-produce automated and intelligent manufacturing equipment; the project-based market refers to the design and implementation of the overall engineering automation system.   According to the statistics of MIR 睿工业，in the past 9 quarters, China's automation market achieved a slight positive growth in only one quarter, among which OEM automation has seen negative growth for 11 consecutive quarters, and project automation has shown a downward trend since the second quarter of 2024.   From the perspective of the downstream market of industrial automation, the project-based market performed better than the OEM market, with a year-on-year growth of 0.1%. Among them, industries such as petroleum, refining, chemical industry, mining, thermal power, and water conservancy were relatively booming due to policies such as equipment renewal; industries such as steel performed poorly due to overcapacity and the impact of steel prices, which reduced manufacturers' willingness to invest and transform.   The OEM market fell by 5% year-on-year. Among them, industries such as packaging machinery, plastic machinery, and textile machinery grew, while the demand for industries such as lithium battery equipment, photovoltaic equipment, and lifting machinery was relatively sluggish. In 2024, among the three major types of knitting machinery, the flat knitting machine industry recovered and improved, the circular knitting machine industry operated under pressure, and the warp knitting machine industry maintained a certain growth overall.   In 2024, China's sewing machinery industry showed a trend of recovery and growth. Against the background of policy support and the recovery of market demand, the economic benefits of the industry rebounded significantly. In 2024, the demand in domestic and foreign markets was gradually released, and the intelligent transformation and upgrading of equipment in downstream industries such as clothing, shoes and hats accelerated, driving the production and sales scale of the sewing machinery industry to recover rapidly, and the quality and efficiency of enterprises improved significantly.   With the continuous expansion of the downstream market of industrial automation and the accelerated iteration of core technologies, the industrial field is ushering in an all-round transformation. In key links such as production control and drive execution, automation technology is deeply penetrating into traditional industries such as automobile, electronics, and chemical industry, and rapidly extending to strategic emerging fields such as new energy and biomedicine.   The large-scale application of intelligent equipment such as new sensors, intelligent control systems and industrial robots has promoted the evolution of automation equipment towards more intelligent, precise and reliable directions, and continuously expanded the application boundaries of new scenarios such as intelligent warehousing and unmanned workshops. In the process of China's manufacturing industry leaping to high-end, the level of automated production continues to improve, which is becoming a key variable reshaping the global manufacturing competition pattern.