Orders Up, But U.S. Manufacturing Faces Headwinds
U.S. machine tool orders increased in December, but uneven demand reflects difficulties in certain sectors.
Posted: February 9, 2016
Continuing to battle the headwinds of a strong dollar and weak oil prices, the 2015 market for investment in manufacturing technology reflected those difficulties. The latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report from the AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT; McLean, VA) showed that total orders for the year were down 17.4 percent compared to 2014. While orders did climb from November to December, as is typical for companies looking to make equipment purchases with year-end profits, it was at a lower-than-average rate.
The automotive industry showed strong demand for new production equipment throughout the year, as low oil prices created demand for larger trucks and SUVs. The aerospace and consumer electronics industries also showed a high level of order activity.
Pat McGibbon, the vice president of strategic analytics at AMT comments in the video below on USMTO numbers and the manufacturing technology market in the U.S.:
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