November U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $168.69 million according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was down 0.2% from October’s $168.99 million and up 9.3%  when compared with the total of $154.28 million reported for November 2015. With a year-to-date total of $1.867 billion, 2016 is down 5.7% when compared with 2015.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent the majority of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“Since the November elections, the cutting tool industry has been following the economic indicators and the growing optimism for an improving manufacturing market,” says Brad Lawton, Chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group.“ The current monthly shipment numbers are not showing this increase, but we are anticipating improvements certainly by the end of the first quarter.  The Cutting Tool Industry is poised and ready to respond to this increased demand.”

Scott Hazelton, Managing Director of Economics & Country Risk at IHS Markit, adds to the positive outlook of the coming months. “Sales for the U.S. cutting tool industry should return to growth mode in the first half of 2017 as higher oil prices re-invigorate the energy sector and add to steadily improving manufacturing fundamentals.  Oil price increases are expected to slow and growth in the important transportation equipment sector will also taper off,” says Scott. “As such, 2017 growth will be temperate with stronger performance in 2018 as U.S. business investment picks up.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool.  Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012.  This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.

AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the China Machine Tool and Tool Builders’ Association (CMTBA) have announced the launch of the China Chongqing International Machine Tool Show (CCIMT) to be held November 13 – 16, 2017, at the Chongqing International Expo Center, Yubei, Chongqing, China.

CCIMT will showcase the latest in manufacturing technology and bring buyers and sellers together from all over the world to the dynamic market of Chongqing and southwest China. With an expanding manufacturing base of domestic companies plus more than 250 Fortune 500 multinationals, Chongqing has established itself as an innovation center for high technology.

Chongqing’s economic growth was 11 percent in 2015, the fastest growth among 31 provinces in China. Chongqing is China’s largest automotive producer, largest laptop computer manufacturing center and a major motorcycle manufacturing location. More than 600 local companies specialize in making motorcycle and related parts with annual motorcycle engine production exceeding 10 million units, of which about 15 percent are exported to overseas markets.

AMT President Douglas Woods stated, “We are thrilled to partner with China’s leading manufacturing technology association, CMTBA, to create a world-class manufacturing technology event in the robust industrial city of Chongqing. Our combined research recognizes that Chongqing is a major production hub, and in the past 10 years we have seen more than 2,000 companies emerge—creating a huge expansion in the number of potential buyers for manufacturing technology products. AMT and CMTBA have been friends and colleagues since the first CIMT show in 1989, and this collaboration represents a new level of commitment between our two organizations.”

CMTBA President Huiren Chen stated, “This collaboration between CMTBA and AMT, is a win-win cooperation, based on the common recognition on the market situation of the city of Chongqing and China’s southwest area as well as the longtime friendship between the two parties. CMTBA has a wide influence over China’s machine tool industry, and close connection with member companies and end-users. AMT is the leading manufacturing technology organization in member service and trade show management. We are confident that, together with the close relationship of the two parties with machine tool manufacturers globally, CCIMT will turn out to be a world-class event.”

The China Chongqing International Machine Tool Show (CCIMT) is expected to fill 46,000 square meters of exhibition space with a target attendance of 50,000 coming from foreign countries including the United States.

February U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $173.38 million according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was up 9.3% from January’s $158.65 million and down 4.0% when compared with the total of $180.56 million reported for February 2015. With a year-to-date total of $332.03 million, 2016 was down 8.9% when compared with 2015.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent the majority of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“With a slow start to 2016 it is nice to see a stronger February,” says Steve Stokey, President of USCTI. “2015 had a much stronger beginning and slower second half. It would appear that 2016 is shaping up as forecasted by most experts. We should see the months continue to improve and 2016 continuously gain on 2015 as the year progresses.”

Adding to the optimistic outlook, Greg Daco, Head of US Macroeconomics at Oxford Economics says “Cutting tool shipments experienced an encouraging rebound in February despite soft durable goods orders and shipments. Looking forward, most leading manufacturing indicators point to modest growth with domestically oriented sectors supported by solid business conditions. Global headwinds will continue to restrain activity, but the drag should gradually dissipate.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool.  Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012.  This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.

AMT and CECIMO represent together over 2000 companies from both sides of the Atlantic. The organisations advocate for better market opportunities and support free trade. AMT and CECIMO welcome the commitment expressed by the European Union and the United States to reach to comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The highly innovative machine tool sector stresses the need to tackle wider area than only abolishing of tariffs to provide concrete and measurable reductions to trade barriers.

Divergences between the EU and the US regulations create different technical requirements, specifications, standards, conformity assessment procedures and licensing procedures. The lack of regulatory convergence forces companies to invest time and resources in duplicative procedures in order to demonstrate compliance. More compatible standards could lead to considerable savings and increased production efficiency in the manufacturing sector. AMT and CECIMO stand for efforts to standardise the testing procedures and authorisation processes.

The difference between the EU and the US regulations often lies in the use of different legal tools for the same public policy choices. TTIP should enhance cooperation between the EU and the US to ensure that existing and new regulations are complementary and minimise the burden on companies. Tackling regulatory divergences between two countries will benefit businesses of all sizes and increase transatlantic trade flows. Trading countries should aim for the mutual recognition of technical requirements for machine tools in line with the international consensus-based standards.

TTIP is an opportunity to address the challenges of the internationalisation of the SMEs. In the EU, companies with fewer than 250 employees represent 90% of businesses and 66% of the workforce. In the US, companies with fewer than 500 employees represent 99% of businesses and about half of the total employment. We support measures that improve the SME’s access to the information and markets.

TTIP should enhance transparency in the rulemaking, private sector engagement, and increase opportunities to provide timely inputs. AMT and CECIMO stress the importance of transparent and predictable regulatory environment for the machine tool industry. We call for transparency by regulators and competent authorities in providing information on planned regulatory acts and roadmaps. 

AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology has announced the grand opening of their Brazilian Technical Center located at FACENS, an engineering university in Sorocaba, Brazil. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on May 19, 2015.

The Technical Center, which includes a product demonstration area, was built using funds from a Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) award from the International Trade Administration (ITA) that supports projects that enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. industries. “Brazil is an important manufacturing economy, and was the United States’ fifth-largest export market for manufacturing machinery and equipment in 2014,” said Stefan M. Selig, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade. “Through its center, AMT can help American manufacturers capitalize on the export opportunities in the Brazilian market.”

As an integral part of AMT’s mission to help members expand their business in this growing market, the Technical Center allows member companies to present their manufacturing technology products to manufacturing companies located in Brazil. Members can host open houses, hold trainings or presentations, and access meeting rooms on the FACENS campus.

“AMT members are eager to build partnerships with Brazilian manufacturers as their market expands to a variety of industries with a need for increasingly complex and sophisticated technologies,” said Douglas K. Woods, AMT President. “We also anticipate establishing relationships with faculty and students at FACENS as a means of bringing together our technology and their innovative thinking. We look forward to realizing many mutual benefits as we embark on this exciting venture.”

January U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $181.9 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was down 1.7% from December’s total and up 1.9% from January 2014.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent about 80 percent of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“The industrial production index for manufacturing typically leads cutting tool production by one or two months. January’s 1.7% decrease in shipments mirrors December’s decline in industrial production,” said Pat McGibbon, Vice President of AMT’s Strategic Analytics department. “The short lived fall reflected by January’s increase in industrial production leaves us optimistic to see positive cutting tool shipment growth in February and March.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technolo

December U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $168.2 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was up 7.2% from November’s total and up 20.3% from December 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent about 80 percent of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“The 2014 calendar year closed with a flurry and the overall growth in the cutting tool industry reporting was 5.0% year over year,” said Tom Haag, president of USCTI. “This is an indication that our market is steady and strong despite some volatility in the monthly statistics this past calendar year. December was a reflection on the auto industry perpetuating its strong growth while aerospace markets continue to work on an enormous backlog. The December sales closed a year with a strong message that manufacturing is still driving growth in our economy.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.

Courtesy: AMTonline.org

August US manufacturing technology orders totaled $356.69 million according to AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was up 0.4% from July but down 6.0% when compared with the total of $379.26 million reported for August 2013. With a year-to-date total of $3,076.98 million, 2014 is down 2.4% compared with 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“US manufacturing activity remains at a brisk pace, and especially encouraging for manufacturing technology orders was a recent uptick in durable goods orders, particularly in aerospace, automotive, and several other key industries,” said Douglas K. Woods, President, AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology. “There has also been good news in factory employment as more manufacturers add workers to their payrolls. With AMT’s Global Forecasting & Marketing Conference taking place this week in Detroit featuring some of the top industry analysts and economists, we believe we will be hearing more positive news from their forecasts for the manufacturing technology industry over the next few years.”

The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, compiled by the trade association representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

US manufacturing technology orders are also reported on a regional basis for six geographic breakdowns of the United States.

Northeast Region
At $60.40 million, August manufacturing technology orders in the Northeast Region were down 2.1% when compared with last August’s $61.69 million. The year-to-date total of $495.75 million was 6.8% less than the equivalent figure for 2013.

Southeast Region
At $287.94 million, 2014 year-to-date manufacturing technology orders in the Southeast Region were 0.5% higher than the comparable figure for 2013.

North Central-East Region
August manufacturing technology orders in the North Central-East Region stood at $87.42 million, down 4.2% from July’s $91.25 million and down 11.5% when compared with the $98.83 million tally in August 2013. The 2014 year-to-date total of $844.02 million was 4.0% more than the 2013 total at the same time.

North Central-West Region
North Central-West Region manufacturing technology orders in August totaled $65.35 million, down 6.8% when compared with the $70.12 million for August 2013. With a year-to-date total of $507.68 million, 2014 was off 12.9% compared with 2013 at the same time.

South Central Region
Year-to-date manufacturing technology orders in the South Central Region totaled $482.12 million, 1.2% less than the comparable figure for 2013.

NOTE:  AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology’s intent is to always provide timely and accurate economic reports to our community. For this reason, we are making an adjustment to the USMTO report. Due to a change in survey participants the year over year comparison number for Metal Forming and Fabricating is not an accurate reflection of the data. We have adjusted the data for the past 12 months to take this change into consideration. The new chart reflects a consistent year over year comparison of the data at the current participation level.

July U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $170 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was down 1.1% from June’s total but up 1.5% from July 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent about 80 percent of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“While July sales numbers in 2014 were down by 1.1%, this isn’t unusual for the months leading up to Chicago’s International Manufacturing Technology Show,” said Brad Lawton, Chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group. “Cutting tool consumption continues to contribute to the industry’s stability. Having remained strong for the 6th consecutive month, these figures reassure our confidence in the current market conditions.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels.

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.