GENERAL NEWS
Metalforming business conditions
Metalforming companies ’ forecast for economic activity over the three months from April 2023 remained fairly steady from the preceding month , with some manufacturers expressing optimism and others anticipating headwinds . This is according to the April 2023 Precision Metalforming Association ( PMA ) Business Conditions Report . Prepared monthly , the report provides an economic indicator for the next three months of manufacturing , sampling 117 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada .
PMA ’ s April report shows that 55 % of metalforming companies expected no change in general economic activity in the next three months ( compared to 53 % in March ), 15 % predicted an increase in activity ( compared to 23 % in March ) and 30 % anticipated a decrease in activity ( up from 24 % in March ). Metalformers forecasted little change in incoming orders , with 28 % of survey respondents expecting an increase for incoming orders during three months after April ( compared to 31 % in March ), 44 % anticipating no change ( compared to 45 % in March ) and 28 % predicting a decrease in orders ( up from 24 % in March ).
“ The latest PMA Business Conditions Report shows that the outlook continues to vary depending on the sectors that our members are supplying ,” said PMA President , David Klotz . “ PMA recently organised a trip to Washington , DC , for leaders from our member companies . The One Voice for Manufacturing legislative fly-in allowed our members to convey directly to Members of Congress and their staffs the need to reinstate the full deduction of R & D expensing , fund workforce training and apprenticeships , and avoid policies that drive up prices and create shortages of raw materials including steel and aluminium .”
Metalforming companies also reported virtually unchanged shipping levels . Thirtythree per cent of respondents reported an increase in average daily shipping levels in April ( compared to 32 % in March ), 46 % reported no change ( compared to 44 % in March ) and 21 % reported a decrease ( down from 24 % in March ).
Lead times rose for the third straight month , with 17 % of metalforming companies reporting
an increase in lead times in April ( compared to 12 % in March ). Seven per cent of companies had a portion of their workforce on short time or layoff ( the same percentage reported in March ), while 47 % of companies are currently expanding their workforce ( compared to 52 % in March ).
PMA is the full-service trade association representing the US $ 137-billion metalforming industry of North America . Its more than 900 member READ companies also include suppliers of equipment , materials and services to
REPORT the industry . n
www
. pma . org
Image : Shutterstock . com .
Driving digital transformation
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition ( SCADA ) and Human Machine Interface ( HMI ) software are at the core of modern manufacturing operations . According to analysis by global technology intelligence firm ABI Research , investment in SCADA / HMI software will reach US $ 11.3 billion in 2033 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate ( CAGR ) of 6.2 %, up from US $ 6.17 billion in 2023 , as manufacturers face ongoing margin pressures and seek to drive digital transformation .
“ The top spending manufacturing markets on SCADA / HMI software are computer and electronic manufacturing , machinery manufacturing and other transport manufacturing ( which includes aerospace , ship and railroad manufacturing ),” said James Prestwood , Industrial and Manufacturing Technologies Research Analyst , ABI Research .
The SCADA / HMI software market is not incredibly expansive , with prominent vendors holding a significant proportion of the market share . While there are pure-play software vendors , they have less market impact than those within the MES market , according to the analyst . The most significant market shares , said the report , are held by Emerson , Siemens and Mitsubishi Electric with 17.3 %, 12.1 % and 11.6 % respectively .
Modularity and integration are the two main design elements being championed by technology vendors for their SCADA / HMI offerings . Software is designed with open standards that allow for easy operability with a manufacturer ’ s pre-existing production processes .
“ These vendors are designing their solutions to meet both modular and holistic frameworks , designing end-to-end portfolios that can be deployed holistically or used to fill gaps in pre-existing systems ,” concluded Prestwood . n
www . abiresearch . com Above : Human Machine Interface ( FICEP ).
6 | ismr . net | ISMR June 2023