Driving force
Car makers are increasingly using banks of smaller CNC machines to provide a flexible way to meet fluctuating demand within the constraints of just-in-time and lean manufacturing. Mark Venables reports
For the first time in years, the machine tool industry is looking forward to a healthy future, according to a recent report.
The results of the
Trends survey for the first quarter of 2006 show that orders accelerated in the early part of the year and that respondents predict further growth, albeit at a more modest pace, for the second quarter.
'It is encouraging to see that the demand for manufacturing technology in the UK is growing - a trend confirmed by recent data on investment by the engineering sector which also showed that strong growth and the short-term outlook for the sector is positive,' said MTA director-general Andrew Manly.
One sector that is always an important customer to machine tool companies is automotive. And despite the demise of
and
decision to close its
plant and move production to eastern Europe, the sector is thriving in the
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