Why a single price is difficult to give
Industrial automation covers projects ranging from programming a small machine for €3,000 to fully automating a plant for several million. The price depends on very specific factors: number of I/O, process complexity, hardware type, required documentation level, applicable regulations and whether electrical cabinet manufacturing is included.
PLC programming: price ranges
- Small project (up to 50 I/O, simple process, 1 operating mode): €3,000 – €8,000
- Medium project (50-200 I/O, process with recipes, several modes): €8,000 – €25,000
- Complex project (+200 I/O, multiple networked PLCs, Motion Control, functional safety): €25,000 – €80,000
SCADA system: price ranges
- Basic SCADA (1 PLC, up to 500 tags, simple process screens): €8,000 – €20,000
- Medium SCADA (multiple PLCs, up to 5,000 tags, historian, alarms, reporting): €20,000 – €60,000
- Advanced SCADA (+5,000 tags, user management, OEE, MES/ERP integration): €60,000 – €200,000
Industrial electrical cabinet: price ranges
- Simple cabinet (switching only, no PLC, up to 100A): €2,000 – €6,000
- Medium PLC cabinet (PLC + drives + HMI, standard process): €8,000 – €25,000
- Complex cabinet (safety PLC + multiple drives + safety modules + communications): €25,000 – €80,000
Collaborative robots (cobots): price ranges
- Basic cell (simple pick & place, standard gripper): €25,000 – €45,000
- Medium cell (screwdriving, machine vision, conveyor integration): €45,000 – €80,000
- Complex cell (multiple tools, 3D vision, automatic tool change): €80,000 – €150,000
Factors that increase price
- Special regulations: GMP validation (pharmaceutical), SIL (functional safety), AS9100 (aerospace)
- Integration with existing ERP or MES
- ATEX environments (potentially explosive zones)
- High availability requirements (redundancy, hot-standby)
- Multi-site installations
At Bluemation we offer detailed quotes after an initial technical meeting. Contact our team and we help you scope the project correctly from the start.