Industrial automation & control
The machinery that turns a set of components into a line. Integrators do not have a sourcing problem so much as a comparison problem: a dozen credible vendors per component and eleven weeks to commission. Standing in front of all twelve collapses that.
15 shelves
we want filled.
Every line below is a display we would like somebody to own. Several are still completely open.
- 01
PLCs and remote I/O
Compact and modular controllers, distributed I/O, and the programming environment. IEC 61131-3 support and an open fieldbus are worth more than a proprietary ecosystem to this audience.
- 02
Industrial HMIs and panels
Touch HMIs, panel PCs, pushbuttons, pilot lights and stack lights. Readability at an angle in a bright plant is a specification nobody publishes and everybody notices.
- 03
Variable frequency drives
VFDs from fractional to hundreds of kilowatts, with sensorless vector control, safe torque off and a fieldbus card that is in stock rather than on allocation.
- 04
Safety controllers and relays
Safety PLCs, relays, emergency stop systems and interlocks with the certificate for the exact part number and its performance level. Claims without paperwork do not travel here.
- 05
Conveyors and material handling
Belt, roller, chain and modular conveyors, transfer units, lifts and sortation. Bring a running section: throughput arguments are settled by watching, not by reading.
- 06
Feeders and part presentation
Vibratory bowls, flexible feeders, step feeders and vision-guided presentation. The unglamorous step that decides whether an assembly cell actually hits its cycle time.
- 07
Machine framing and structures
Aluminium extrusion, connectors, castors, levelling feet and prebuilt frames. Specified late, always urgent, and a category where holding US stock is close to a licence to print money.
- 08
Guarding and enclosures
Machine guarding, polycarbonate panels, safety fencing, control-cabinet enclosures and the climate control inside them.
- 09
Pneumatic systems
Air preparation, manifolds, fittings, tubing, silencers and the leak-detection nobody installs until compressed air becomes the plant's largest energy bill.
- 10
Process instrumentation
Flow, level, pressure and analytical instruments with the process connections and hazardous-area approvals the application demands.
- 11
Dispensing and joining
Adhesive dispensing, welding and soldering automation, ultrasonic welders, laser marking and screwdriving systems. Process capability data on the customer's own material.
- 12
Inspection and quality automation
In-line gauging, leak testers, X-ray and CT inspection, and the statistical software that turns them into a release decision.
- 13
Cleanroom and controlled environments
Laminar flow units, pass-throughs, ionisers, ESD flooring and cleanroom-compatible machine components for medical and semiconductor customers.
- 14
MRO and consumables
Filters, lubricants, seals, wear parts, abrasives and the spares kit that keeps a line running. Availability is the only specification that matters in this aisle.
- 15
Integration and engineering services
System integrators, controls engineering, panel building and commissioning support. Several of the most useful displays in the building will be services rather than parts.
How to stand out
in this category.
Retrofit is the bigger half of this market. If you make a dimensional or electrical drop-in for a widely installed incumbent part, say so explicitly: it is the fastest way onto an American machine.
Neighbouring
categories.
Most suppliers fit more than one. Apply against the closest and tell us the rest in your company bio.
Own this shelf.
All year, in San Francisco.
A staffed display on the relevant floor, a US address and phone number, and a listing buyers search. Flat annual fee, no commission.