GIA officials have released “Machine Tools: A Global Strategic Business Report,” a comprehensive global report on the machine tools markets. The world machine tools market is projected to reach US$154 billion by 2018, driven by the growth of the manufacturing industry in developing countries, and technology developments.

Essentially capital goods installed in factory floors, machine tools have been key enablers of the industrial revolution. As tools designed to mold, cut, shape, and fabricate manufactured products, machine tools wield a major impact on productivity in the manufacturing industry. From turning, boring, milling, grinding, drilling, tapping, forming, casting, and cutting to other more complex tasks, machine tools are indispensable in a wide gamut of industries ranging from automotive, aerospace to medical. The manufacturing industry is therefore a critical driver of growth, with the shifting role of manufacturing and its level of contribution to economic development impacting growth patterns in the market. From generating employment to supporting a nation’s economic competitiveness, the manufacturing industry is a vital component of a country’s economy. While in developing countries, manufacturing serves to generate employment and raise incomes and living standards, in developed countries it aids in enhancing competiveness, innovation, and R&D.

With governments in debt ridden developed economies prioritizing investments in local manufacturing to aid economic recovery, demand for machine tools in these regions is poised to benefit. In the United States, the promised renaissance of the long beleaguered manufacturing industry is expected to bring in attractive market opportunities for Machine Tools. The shale gas revolution and the ensuing availability of cheap energy and fuel source is expected to reduce manufacturing costs attracting industrial companies back, boding a possible return to industrialization after decades of consumption led growth. Developed countries are also forecast to witness increased replacement demand. Creaking production infrastructure and aging machine tool bases are creating the need for massive upgrades and modernization, thus promising attractive opportunities in the coming years.

Growth in the market is also forecast to be driven by technology developments and product innovation. With the manufacturing industry focusing on reducing operating costs, manufacturing timelines, improving productivity and competitiveness, demand for next generation, efficient machine tools is poised to benefit. Advent of 3D-printing machines, in this regard, marks the emergence of next generation machine tools. A part of the generative manufacturing revolution currently underway, 3D machining tools based on additive layer technologies is expected to witness robust growth. Demand for 3D printing machines is expected to be especially strong in developed countries. 3D printing technologies in these countries are widely perceived as a means to stimulate growth in the domestic manufacturing sector and is supported and funded by the government.

According to data in the market research report, Asia-Pacific represents the largest as well as the fastest growing market worldwide. Growth in the region is led by healthy economic growth and infrastructure development in countries like China, Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and India, among others. China in particular, displays tremendous appetite for new machine tools, given the robust development in its industrial sector. Metal cutting tools represent the largest product market with growth led by powder metallurgical HSS cutting tools.

Major players covered in the report include GF AgieCharmilles, Allied Machine & Engineering Corp., Amada Co. Ltd., Amada Machine Tools America, Inc., DMG-Mori Seiki USA, Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd., Dalian Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd., FANUC Corporation, Gildemeister Aktiengesellschaft, Gildemeister Italiana S.p.A., Haas Automation Inc., Hardinge Inc., JTEKT Corporation, Kennametal Inc., KMT Waterjet Systems, Inc., Komatsu NTC Ltd., Makino Milling Machine Co. Ltd., Mori Seiki Co, Ltd., MAG, Okuma Corporation, Otto Bihler Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, Shanghai Machine Tool Works Co. Ltd., Shenyang Machine Tools Co. Ltd., Schuler AG Sodick Inc., Spinner Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik GmbH, Sandvik AB, Sandvik Coromant, TAJMAC-ZPS, a.s., Trumpf Group, Walter AG, and Yamazaki Mazak Corporation, among others.

The research report, “Machine Tools: A Global Strategic Business Report,” provides a comprehensive review of market trends, issues, drivers, company profiles, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities. The report provides market estimates and projections in US$ for all major geographic markets including: the United States; Canada; Japan; Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia, and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Middle East/Africa (South Africa and Rest of Middle East/Africa); and Latin America (Brazil and Rest of Latin America).

Product segments analyzed in the report include: metal cutting tools (boring & drilling machines, gear cutting machines, grinding, honing, lapping, polishing & buffing machines, lathes, milling machines, machining centers, station type machines and miscellaneous metal cutting tools); metal forming tools (punching & shearing machines, bending & forming machines, metal working presses and miscellaneous metal forming tools); and special machine tools (water jet machines, laser machines, electrochemical machines and coordinate measuring machines).