The annual determination of the installed base of the portfolio of PI (PROFIBUS & PROFINET International) show a significant growth in market acceptance. The numbers for PROFINET and PROFIsafe are particularly strong. IO-Link is also exhibiting a strongly accelerated growth. The somewhat leveling-off growth of PROFIBUS and simultaneous surge of PROFINET is evidence that Ethernet-based communication is starting to replace conventional fieldbus technology in production automation. In contrast, PROFIBUS is trending strongly in process automation markets.
Three million PROFINET devices were brought into the market in 2015. The total number at the end of 2015 was 12.8 million devices, which represents a 30% increase in the installed base over the previous year. In the case of PROFIsafe, 1.3 million nodes were brought into the market in 2015, increasing the installed base by more than 30% to a total of 5.5 million PROFIsafe nodes. IO-Link experienced the greatest increase this year with 63% growth. The total number of installed IO-Link devices is now more than 3.6 million. A total of 2.8 million PROFIBUS devices were brought into the market in 2015.
Karsten Schneider, Chairman of PI, views the latest accounting of node counts very positively. “For the first time in the history of PROFINET, its numbers exceed those for PROFIBUS. This demonstrates the positive trend for the PI technologies, not least because Industrie 4.0 means that the future belongs to Ethernet systems. With its total number of well over 50 million, PROFIBUS is the absolute world market leader. Beating a world market leader is an art. And the fact that this was done – for the first time over this past year – by PROFIBUS’s in-house competitor PROFINET is an unmistakable sign that the future belongs to our technologies.” “Another sign of the strength of our communication technologies is the rapid growth of PROFIBUS in process automation,” said Schneider. In 2015, 900,000 devices were installed in this realm. The total number now exceeds 10 million devices. This accomplishment represents another milestone.
“Our community has worked hard for success in the past, and the challenges of Industrie 4.0 will continue to propel us. PI will confront upcoming future challenges in order to ensure long-term success.”