U.S. manufacturers ordered $384.81 million worth of new metal cutting and metal forming equipment during April, a drop of 8.1% from the March total, and 1.0% from the April 2014 result. The results are contained in the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report, issued monthly by AMT — the Association for Manufacturing Technology.
With cumulative orders totaling $1.46 billion for the current year, the result is 8.5% less than the result for the same four-month period of 2014.
AMT notes that investments in machine tools are an indicator of manufacturing confidence because of their role in the production of engineered components. AMT — the Association for Manufacturing Technology compiles the United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report to track production and distribution of “manufacturing technology” nationwide and on a regional level, for both domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. AMT also collaborates with the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute to issue to the monthly Cutting Tool Market Report, which tracks ongoing activity.
Robert Brooks has been a business-to-business reporter, writer, editor, and columnist for more than 20 years, specializing in the primary metal and basic manufacturing industries. His work has covered a wide range of topics, including process technology, resource development, material selection, product design, workforce development, and industrial market strategies, among others. Currently, he specializes in subjects related to metal component and product design, development, and manufacturing — including castings, forgings, machined parts, and fabrications.
Brooks is a graduate of Kenyon College (B.A. English, Political Science) and Emory University (M.A. English.)
