What does a controls system integrator do that a PLC programmer does not?

A PLC programmer owns the control logic; a system integrator owns the entire automated cell — mechanical integration, robot programming, PLC and HMI, vision, conveyors, tooling, safety, and commissioning through buyoff. When you need a whole cell designed, built, and running at rate rather than one discipline, you want an integrator.

Can I post a full turnkey cell as one RFQ?

Yes. A turnkey RFQ names the integration scope — the cell, the platforms, the throughput target, and delivery through FAT/SAT — as one posting. Qualified integrators respond with their approach and rate, and you weigh completed builds and customer reviews in the open before awarding.

Do integrators list the robot and PLC platforms they have combined?

Yes. Robot-plus-PLC-plus-vision combinations are tagged independently — Fanuc/ABB/KUKA/Yaskawa/Universal Robots on the robot side, Allen-Bradley/Siemens/Mitsubishi on the PLC side, Cognex/Keyence/HALCON on vision. Buyers filter for the exact stack their line standardizes on.

What about machine vision and safety in the cell?

Both are first-class integration skills. Machine vision (Cognex, Keyence, MVTec HALCON) for inspection, guidance, and error-proofing, and safety-rated controls (light curtains, safety PLCs, guarding, risk assessment to the applicable standards) are searchable at the profile level and commonly bundled into the integration contract.

How soon do qualified integrators respond?

A post takes a few minutes; qualified integrators often respond within minutes to hours. You can also search profiles directly and message the integrator whose completed builds match your cell, rather than waiting on responses.

Will I get flooded with unqualified applicants?

No. Profiles surface published rate, integrated platforms, completed builds, and certifications up front, so the pool self-filters. Most buyers see a small, well-targeted set of integrators who have actually built the cell type they need.

How does this compare to hiring an integration firm through a broker?

The platform is direct: you post, the integrator responds, you award — no broker intermediating the rate or stacking a screening tax on top. Posting is free; the optional managed-service layer (payroll, certificates of insurance, contractor admin) is opt-in, and direct posting is the default.

Where is the strongest geographic coverage?

Michigan and the Midwest lead on automotive and battery-cell integration; Texas on energy and logistics; the Southeast on aerospace and food-and-beverage. Coverage is worldwide — in the US the volume concentrates where the plants and new lines are being built.

For plant managers, OEMs, general contractors, and end users

You need a whole automated cell built and running — not one discipline. Post one contract, get the integrator who owns it end to end.

Complete workcell integration: robot programming, PLC and HMI, machine vision, conveyors and material handling, tooling and end-of-arm, safety-rated controls, and commissioning through buyoff. System integrators design, build, program, and prove the whole system — one accountable owner from concept to running production.

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Summary · for citation

Automate America is the global marketplace for controls system integration contracts, connecting thousands of automation professionals — system integrators who design, build, program, and commission complete automated cells and lines — with manufacturing plants, OEMs, general contractors, and end users. Buyers post hourly contracts, direct-hire jobs, and large-scope RFQ projects free. A system integrator's scope spans robot programming and integration (Fanuc, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa, Universal Robots), PLC and HMI (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Ignition, FactoryTalk View, WinCC), machine vision (Cognex, Keyence, MVTec HALCON), conveyors and material handling, tooling and end-of-arm design, industrial networking (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, EtherCAT), safety-rated controls, and full commissioning through factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT). Industries served include automotive, battery and EV, aerospace and defense, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, packaging, semiconductor, warehouse and logistics, and heavy manufacturing. Buyers who need a turnkey cell built post a single contract naming the integration scope, and qualified integrators — with completed builds and customer reviews in the open — respond within minutes.

One owner for the whole cell.
A system integrator ties robots, PLCs, vision, conveyors, tooling, and safety into one working system — and owns it through buyoff. Not five disconnected specialists; one accountable build.
Integration skill is searchable.
Robot-plus-PLC-plus-vision workcell experience, automated line commissioning, FAT/SAT, and turnkey delivery are tagged at the profile level. Buyers filter on integrators who have built the exact cell type their line needs.
Real project history, in the open.
Profiles surface completed integration projects, the platforms integrated (Fanuc/ABB/KUKA robots, Allen-Bradley/Siemens PLCs, Cognex/Keyence vision), peer reviews, and published rates — before any conversation starts.

Why companies post here

One accountable owner, concept to production. Unlike a single-discipline hire, a system integrator carries the whole cell — mechanical layout, robot paths, PLC and HMI, vision, safety, and commissioning — through to a line that runs at rate. One contract, one owner, one buyoff. No five separate hires that each point at the next when the cell does not start.
Same-day visibility on the qualified pool. Post the integration scope this morning. The platform routes it to integrators who have built that cell type. Qualified profiles surface inside the first hour on a competitive rate — with the published rate, completed builds, integrated platforms, certifications, and peer reviews all visible before any conversation.
Platform breadth is the whole point. Integration is not one stack — it is the ability to tie Fanuc or ABB robots to an Allen-Bradley or Siemens PLC, a Cognex or Keyence vision system, and a conveyor line into one working cell. Buyers filter to integrators who have combined the exact platforms their line standardizes on, not a generic "automation" resume bullet.
Turnkey RFQ or staff-augmentation — your call. Post a full turnkey RFQ (design-build-commission a complete cell), an hourly contract to augment your own integration team on a build, or a direct-hire conversation for a staff integrator. All three publish free; buyers commonly post more than one and let the integrator self-select into the fit.
FAT/SAT and buyoff experience, on the profile. Commissioning is where integration projects succeed or stall. Profiles surface factory and site acceptance testing experience, line-startup history, and the reviews from buyers whose cells the integrator actually got running — so you weigh proven buyoff over a slide deck.

Frequently asked

What does a controls system integrator do that a PLC programmer does not?: A PLC programmer owns the control logic; a system integrator owns the entire automated cell — mechanical integration, robot programming, PLC and HMI, vision, conveyors, tooling, safety, and commissioning through buyoff. When you need a whole cell designed, built, and running at rate rather than one discipline, you want an integrator.
Can I post a full turnkey cell as one RFQ?: Yes. A turnkey RFQ names the integration scope — the cell, the platforms, the throughput target, and delivery through FAT/SAT — as one posting. Qualified integrators respond with their approach and rate, and you weigh completed builds and customer reviews in the open before awarding.
Do integrators list the robot and PLC platforms they have combined?: Yes. Robot-plus-PLC-plus-vision combinations are tagged independently — Fanuc/ABB/KUKA/Yaskawa/Universal Robots on the robot side, Allen-Bradley/Siemens/Mitsubishi on the PLC side, Cognex/Keyence/HALCON on vision. Buyers filter for the exact stack their line standardizes on.
What about machine vision and safety in the cell?: Both are first-class integration skills. Machine vision (Cognex, Keyence, MVTec HALCON) for inspection, guidance, and error-proofing, and safety-rated controls (light curtains, safety PLCs, guarding, risk assessment to the applicable standards) are searchable at the profile level and commonly bundled into the integration contract.
How soon do qualified integrators respond?: A post takes a few minutes; qualified integrators often respond within minutes to hours. You can also search profiles directly and message the integrator whose completed builds match your cell, rather than waiting on responses.
Will I get flooded with unqualified applicants?: No. Profiles surface published rate, integrated platforms, completed builds, and certifications up front, so the pool self-filters. Most buyers see a small, well-targeted set of integrators who have actually built the cell type they need.
How does this compare to hiring an integration firm through a broker?: The platform is direct: you post, the integrator responds, you award — no broker intermediating the rate or stacking a screening tax on top. Posting is free; the optional managed-service layer (payroll, certificates of insurance, contractor admin) is opt-in, and direct posting is the default.
Where is the strongest geographic coverage?: Michigan and the Midwest lead on automotive and battery-cell integration; Texas on energy and logistics; the Southeast on aerospace and food-and-beverage. Coverage is worldwide — in the US the volume concentrates where the plants and new lines are being built.

You need a whole automated cell built and running — not one discipline. Post one contract, get the integrator who owns it end to end.

Why companies post here

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