Since 2014, there have been reports of an investment boom for machine tool equipment and automation. The desire to update the shop floor with the latest technologies to improve machining speed, accuracy and reliability has been widely publicized, yet many companies still run equipment from bygone eras. So what's the holdup? "There's economic growth, even in manufacturing, but it's a slow growth and will probably remain slow until the end of 2017," said Dan Meckstroth, chief economist for the MAPI Foundation, the research affiliate of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation. According to Meckstroth, certain manufacturing segments are doing quite well-plastics, automotive, and food and beverage-while many others continue to struggle.
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