Industry Trends & Analysis

News • August 25, 2017

HP and Deloitte join forces to push 3D printing use in manufacturing

Additive manufacturing developer HP Inc. and professional services company Deloitte together will work to accelerate the digital reinvention of the $12 trillion global manufacturing industry. The two companies will collaborate on the implementation of HP's 3D printing systems in large-scale manufacturing environments, applying their digital operations experience to help enterprises accelerate product design and production, create more flexible manufacturing and supply chains, and enhance efficiency across the manufacturing lifecycle.

Articles • August 23, 2017 • Alan Richter

Lead Angle: Targeting markets high and low

The boost in productivity that the latest cutting tools provide enables manufacturers to reduce the amount fracking companies pay for parts.

Videos • August 10, 2017

Manufacturing jobs video graphic

Contrary to some politically motivated hyperbole, manufacturing is alive and well in the United States. While it is true there are far fewer manufacturing jobs in America, there are multiple reasons for that—it's not solely about manufacturers seeking cheaper labor overseas.

News • August 1, 2017

ISM: Manufacturing growth cooled in July; employment still growing

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in July, and the overall economy grew for the 98th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. At 56.3 percent, the July PMI shows a decrease of 1.5 percentage points from the June reading of 57.8 percent.

News • July 31, 2017

Reuters: China July factory growth cools slightly as export orders ease

Growth in China's manufacturing sector slowed marginally in July, reinforcing expectations that the world's second-largest economy will cool in coming months as borrowing costs rise and regulators clamp down on riskier types of financing. The official Purchasing Managers' Index stood at 51.4 in July, down from the previous month's 51.7 but still well above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had forecast that the reading would come in at 51.6, little changed from June.

News • July 28, 2017

MarketWatch: Without irony, Walmart offers ideas to boost US manufacturing sector

Without irony, Wal-Mart Stores on Wednesday outlined its recommendations to improve the U.S. manufacturing sector, writes Steve Goldstein for MarketWatch. "Wal-Mart could arguably be said to be a contributor to the demise of U.S. manufacturing, with its rapacious sourcing of consumer goods from China as it became the nation's dominant retailer. A 2015 estimate from the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank, said Wal-Mart's trade deficit with China had displaced more than 400,000 U.S. jobs."

News • July 25, 2017

Taipei Times: Manufacturing growth forecast raised

Driven by improving demand and steady global economic recovery, Taiwan's manufacturing output in terms of revenue is expected to grow 3.87 percent to NT$17.54 trillion (US$576 billion) this year, said the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center. Meanwhile, IEK said that in value-added terms, Taiwan's machine tool industry is the worst-performing segment behind all other segments of the manufacturing sector.

News • July 11, 2017

AMT: U.S. Manufacturing technology orders still gaining strength

The U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report for May 2017 showed gains for the month and year over year, according to AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. May orders were up 3.1 percent over April, and 21.8 percent over May 2016.

News • July 11, 2017

BLS: Manufacturing employment up by 1,000 in June

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that manufacturing employment rose by only 1,000 in June after falling by 2,000 in May. Manufacturing sectors with gains in June included machinery, electrical equipment and appliances, primary metals, and computer and electronic products.

News • July 5, 2017

ISM: Manufacturing expanded in June; employment growing

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June—up 2.9 percent from May—and the overall economy grew for the 97th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business.

Articles • June 30, 2017 • Alan Richter

Lead Angle: Are we near the peak?

Peak oil demand is in the news. In a May Wall Street Journal article, for instance, authors Lynn Cook and Elena Cherney stated, "The world's largest oil companies are girding for the biggest shift in energy consumption since the Industrial Revolution: After decades of growth, global demand for oil is poised to peak and fall in the coming years."

News • June 28, 2017

CECIMO: European machine tool builders expect growth, embrace data-driven production

The CECIMO General Assembly that recently concluded in Rotterdam confirmed that, based on solid booking numbers, the European production of machine tool is set to grow by almost 4% in 2017 and surpass a volume of 25 billion euro. Members also agreed that policy-makers should refrain from designing strict regulations on access to and sharing industrial data. CECIMO is the European association representing the common interests of the Machine Tool Industries globally and at EU level.