Editorial
Mood high
Last year, the German mechanical and plant engineering industry was able to announce double-digit growth in some sectors, and the VDMA has also issued a good sales forecast for the current year 2018. And this has now been confirmed for the first half of the year: On August 8, the industry association reported a 7 percent increase in incoming orders. The increase in domestic orders reached 10 percent in real terms in the first six months.
The positive market trend is also confirmed by the German Machine Tool Builders' Association VDW. For the first quarter of 2018, it reported a 22% increase in incoming orders for the German machine tool industry compared to the same period last year. Domestic orders increased by 39% and foreign orders by 15%.
Despite geopolitical unrest, the industry is doing well. Order books are full and capacity utilization averages 94%. The dynamic market development seems to be fueling the industry's drive for development. It draws its motivation from the high mood. And that is a good thing, because the industry has to adapt to changing market conditions.
Mapal Managing Director Dr. Jochen Kress, for example, cited demographic change as one of the major challenges in precision toolmaking, in addition to the shift away from combustion engines to electric drives. The current shortage of skilled workers due to the economic situation will be exacerbated by the retirement of the so-called baby boomers. But this is just one of the challenges that the precision tool specialist has to face.
In our integrated special issue on precision tools, you can read more about the major challenges facing the industry, why tool balancing is so important and also about the financial and legal challenges that need to be overcome on the way to a newly developed tool.
We hope you enjoy reading
Andrea Gillhuber, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]
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