(AMTDA TOOL TALK)

May U.S. manufacturing technology orders totaled $388.27 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTO program, was down 2.6% from February, and up121.3% when compared with the total of $175.46 million reported for May 2010. With a year-to-date total of $1,984.87 million, 2011 is up 108.0% compared with 2010.

These numbers and all data in the USMTO report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTO program.

“The May order numbers confirm our members’ reports of continued strong project levels by manufacturing companies to improve productivity in their factories,” said Peter Borden, President of AMTDA. “The 2,000 unit-per-month level signifies a very healthy demand still in place as we head toward the close of the second quarter.”

The United States Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. orders data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology orders provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.

For more information including regional breakdowns, read the report online at www.amtda.org