AMT: US Manufacturing Technology Orders Down 12% From March

Orders for manufacturing technology in the United States totaled $ 404.6 million in April, down 12% from March but up 72% from April 2020, according to the latest orders report from US manufacturing technologies released Monday by AMT.

Total orders for 2021 reached $ 1.57 billion year-to-date, which is a 40% increase from orders placed in the first four months of last year.

“April 2020 saw the lowest orders in a decade, but the previous three months went as usual, so a 40% increase over the previous year shows the true strength of the industry in 2021 Said Douglas K. Woods, president of AMT. “Parts that would normally have to be shipped to work shops are now produced in-house by larger manufacturers with the means to increase their production capacity. This does not mean that production is moving away from the workshops; They are still running near full capacity and increasing machine orders month to month, but increased consumer demand has necessitated more capacity, and confidence in the sustainability of this demand has justified the capital expenditure of major equipment manufacturers. As a result, our members have seen a resurgence of multi-machine orders close to 2018 levels.

“There has been a strong demand for metal cutting technologies in 2021, and orders for new forming technologies have more than doubled from what they were at this point in 2020. matrix. April’s orders were further bolstered by the expansion of energy exploration and mining from Texas to neighboring areas in response to rising market prices. Consumer products industries also increased orders in April, such as off-road vehicle manufacturing, electrical equipment manufacturing, and commercial and service machinery.

Woods said another positive sign for the industry was the number of open houses its members reported having in recent weeks, where attendance exceeded their expectations.

“This signals a renewed comfort with in-person sales calls and a resumption of regular maintenance as opposed to emergency visits,” said Woods. However, supply constraints have resulted in the addition of new orders to an already growing order backlog. The demand for manufacturing technology is there, and suppliers who can deliver the orders will be able to outperform their competition at short term. “