PLC Automation in Chilean Industry: Status and Trends 2026

Industrial automation in Chile has grown at a rate of 12% annually over the past decade, driven primarily by large-scale mining. However, adoption in sectors like manufacturing, agribusiness, and logistics remains low compared to the OECD average.

Automation Levels by Sector

• Large mining: 70-85% automated. Leaders in SCADA systems, Siemens S7-1500 PLCs, and Allen-Bradley ControlLogix adoption.
• Mid-tier mining: 40-55%. Significant opportunity for improvement in process control and telemetry.
• Manufacturing: 25-40%. Manual and semi-automatic processes still predominate.
• Agribusiness: 15-25%. Emerging adoption of automated irrigation and optical sorting.

Dominant Technologies in Chile

The Chilean market is dominated by three PLC platforms:

• Siemens (TIA Portal / S7): ~45% market share. Dominant in mining and energy.
• Rockwell (Allen-Bradley): ~30% market share. Strong in mining and oil.
• Schneider (Modicon): ~15% market share. Present in water and buildings.

2026 Trends

• Edge Computing: Local data processing to reduce latency in critical process control.
• Digital Twins: Complete plant digital twins for simulation and optimization.
• OT Cybersecurity: IEC 62443 standard increasingly demanded by mining operators.
• IT/OT Integration: Convergence of industrial networks with corporate systems.

The Opportunity

Sandiman offers automation solutions with Siemens and Rockwell PLCs, integrating variable frequency drives, field instrumentation, and SCADA systems. Our advantage: we know Chilean operational reality and can implement solutions that work in the field, not just on paper.