U.S. machine tool demand in April totaled $255.13 million according to a report from the Association for Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This was down 27.7 percent from March but up 6.8 percent from April 2005. The 2006 year-to-date total of $1,103.76 million is 18.5 percent higher than last year.
The report is based on the totals of actual data reported by participants in the U.S. Machine Tool Consumption program conducted by the associations, and includes approximately 200 manufacturers, distributors and importers of machine tools representing 76 percent of the machine tool market.
"While April orders were below the very strong level in March, year to date results are up over 18 percent, continuing the growth begun almost 3 years ago," said John B. Byrd III, president of the Association for Manufacturing Technology. "This September's international Manufacturing Technology Show, September 6-13 in Chicago, is likely to accelerate that growth as customers review the latest manufacturing technologies available."
The joint report provided the following regional breakdown of machine tool consumption:
Northeast Region$39.32 million for April was 27.9 percent less than the $54.51 million total for March and 9.8 percent less than the April 2005 total. The year to date total of $161.42 million was 15.2 percent higher than the comparable figure last year.
Southern Region
$31.33 million, down 37.7 percent from the March total of $50.29 million and down 20.2 percent compared with April 2005. The year-to-date total of $158.46 million is 6.3 percent less than the comparable figure a year ago
Midwestern Region
$66.75 million for April is 36.1 percent less then March's $104.45 million and down 4.8 percent compared to April of 2005. The year-to-date total of $330.81 million is 4.8 percent ahead of 2005 at the same time.
Central Region
At $72.85 million, consumption was down 17.7 percent compared with the $8.54 million total in March but 49.6 percent higher than the April 2005 total. The year-to-date total of $280.11 million is 51.9 percent higher than last year's comparable figure.
Western Region
$44.87 million, down 18.5 percent from March's $55.08 million but 20.7 percent higher than the April 2005 total. Year-to-date totaled $172.96 million, a 41.6 percent improvement over 2005.
