Beckhoff isn't even a PLC
Beckhoff is a Windows 10 run time. It's a toy. A significant percent of the time I 'logged on with online changes' (Beckhoff-speak for online editing), it locked up. Completely unacceptable. TwinCat has huge bugs. In addition, you can't have multiple people editing online simultaneously. Or have multiple HMI's. The byte-based I/O is also ludicrous. (try integrating a Cognex camera, or an IAI linear actuator). It may be acceptable for a small stand-alone application, but for anything mission critical, it is hoplessly outclassed by either AB or Siemens.
Attempting to save money on controls hardware is generally a fools errand. The majority of the cost of a complex machine is mechanical engineering time & mechanical hardware
Beckhoff is a Windows 10 run time. It's a toy. A significant percent of the time I 'logged on with online changes' (Beckhoff-speak for online editing), it locked up. Completely unacceptable. TwinCat has huge bugs. In addition, you can't have multiple people editing online simultaneously. Or have multiple HMI's. The byte-based I/O is also ludicrous. (try integrating a Cognex camera, or an IAI linear actuator). It may be acceptable for a small stand-alone application, but for anything mission critical, it is hoplessly outclassed by either AB or Siemens.
Attempting to save money on controls hardware is generally a fools errand. The majority of the cost of a complex machine is mechanical engineering time & mechanical hardware