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Readers choose best in sensing and vision

Sept. 1, 2006

Value rises above the rest as readers make known their choices among suppliers of sensing and vision technologies. Check out which companies they recognize for providing the best services and support.

2006 Readers' Choice Awards

By Joe Feeley, Editor in Chief

FOR SIX years now we’ve trusted you to tell us—with your votes—which vendors provide the best value for you in the categories of sensing and vision. It’s those evaluations that make some automation suppliers’ products rise above the rest. After the usual careful consideration, Control Design’s readers told us how they rate the technology value of suppliers in these categories.

As they voted for the best technology value providers, we also had them rate the service and support they receive from these companies on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Our published results include only those companies that received at least a 5% share of the vote in their category.

Here, with products listed alphabetically, is this year’s “all-star team” of winners in sensing and vision categories. As always, we welcome your analysis and thoughts about the outcome.

Sixth Annual Readers' Choice Awards

(*Differences of less than 3% are not statistically significant)

Data Recorder
1. Honeywell – 17%
*Yokogawa – 15%
3. Invensys – 10%
National Instruments – 10%
5. Astro-Med – 6%

Encoder/Resolver
1. Rockwell Automation – 24%
2. BEI – 17%
3. Danaher – 12%
4. Encoder Products – 7%
*Heidenhain – 5%

Machine Vision System
1. Cognex – 47%
2. Banner Engineering – 16%
3. Keyence – 8%
4. National Instruments – 5%

Measurement, Flow
1. Emerson Process – 30%
2. Endress+Hauser – 9%
3. Sierra Instruments – 6%
*ifm efector – 5%

Measurement, Level
1. Emerson Process – 14%
2. Endress+Hauser – 11%
3. Honeywell – 6%
Magnetrol – 6%
Omega Engineering – 6%
*Danaher – 5%
*Schneider Electric – 5%
*Siemens E&A – 5%

Measurement, Load Cell/
Weighing System
1. Mettler-Toledo – 19%
2. Omega Engineering – 10%
*Hardy – 8%
4. Honeywell – 5%

Measurement, Pressure
1. Emerson Process – 29%
2. Endress+Hauser – 8%
    Omega Engineering – 8%
*Invensys – 6%
5. Honeywell – 5%
    ifm efector – 5%
    Schneider Electric – 5%

Measurement, Temperature
1. Emerson Process – 22%
2. Omega Engineering – 18%
3. Honeywell – 8%
*Pyromation – 6%
5. Endress+Hauser – 5%
Watlow – 5%

Measurement, Vibration
1. GE Energy--Bently Nevada – 26%
2. Rockwell Automation – 15%
3. Omega Engineering – 6%

Presence Sensing
1. Banner Engineering – 23%
2. Turck – 20%
3. ifm efector – 12%
*Rockwell Automation – 11%
5. Schneider Electric – 6%

The 2006 Readers’ Choice
Service and Support Leaders

The readers tell us these companies provide very good (4.0) to excellent (5.0) service in these categories. Only companies that received the minimum 5% vote share were considered.

4.4
Emerson Process – Level Measurement
Emerson Process – Temperature Measurement
Endress+Hauser – Flow Measurement
Endress+Hauser – Pressure Measurement
Mettler Toledo – Load Cell/Weighing System
National Instruments – Data Recorder
Rockwell Automation – Presence Sensing
Turck – Presence Sensing

4.3
Banner Engineering – Machine Vision System
BEI – Encoder/Resolver
Emerson Process – Pressure Measurement
ifm efector – Presence Sensing
Invensys – Pressure Measurement
Rockwell Automation – Encoder/Resolver
Rockwell Automation – Vibration Measurement

4.2
Emerson Process – Flow Measurement
ifm efector – Flow Measurement
Invensys – Data Recorder
Krohne – Flow Measurement
Magnetrol – Level Measurement
National Instruments – Machine Vision System
Omega Engineering – Level Measurement
Omega Engineering – Load Cell/Weighing System

4.1
Cognex – Machine Vision System
Schneider Electric – Level Measurement
Sierra Instruments – Flow Measurement

4.0
Astro-Med – Data Recorder
Danaher – Encoder/Resolver
Endress+Hauser – Temperature Measurement
Hardy – Load Cell/Weighing System
Heidenhain – Encoder/Resolver
Honeywell – Level Measurement
Honeywell – Temperature Measurement
Pyromation – Temperature Measurement
Watlow – Temperature Measurement