INDUSTRY NEWS
July 2022 business conditions report
Metalforming companies forecasted little change in business conditions for three months after July 2022 but continue to report a drop in daily shipping levels , according to the July 2022 Precision Metalforming Association ( PMA ) Business Conditions Report . Prepared monthly , the report provides an economic indicator for the next three months of manufacturing , sampling 109 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada .
PMA ’ s July report showed that 48 % of metalforming companies anticipate no change in general economic activity in those three months ( compared to 50 % in June ), 15 % forecast an increase in activity ( the same percentage reported in June ) and 37 % predict a decrease in activity ( compared to 35 % in June ).
The report also showed little change in expectations for incoming orders , with 20 % of survey respondents forecasting an increase in incoming orders over the three months ( compared to 19 % in June ), 48 % predicting no change ( compared to 51 ) and 32 % anticipating
PMA President , David Klotz .
a decrease in orders ( compared to 30 %).
However , current average daily shipping levels dropped for the third consecutive month , with 28 % of respondents reporting a decrease ( increasing from 23 % in June ), 44 % reporting no change ( compared to 41 % in June ) and 28 % reporting an increase ( decreasing from 36 % in June ).
“ PMA ’ s July Business Conditions Report shows a modest change in overall conditions , but a concerning drop in daily shipping levels for the third straight month ,” said PMA President , David Klotz . “ This reflects supplychain challenges throughout the manufacturing sector . PMA ’ s advocacy team in Washington , D . C ., continues to press our elected leaders and policymakers to take action . More than US $ 5 billion in manufacturing workforce training and research and development is included in the China competition bill now moving through Congress .
“ In addition , I had the honour of testifying with several PMA members at the U . S . International Trade Commission hearing on how
Facility expansion completed at Taiwanese elevator plant
Fujitec Taiwan Co ., Ltd . ( Head Office : Taipei , Taiwan ), a group subsidiary of Fujitec Co ., Ltd . ( Head Office : Shiga , Japan ) has completed a facility expansion at its elevator plant in Hsinchu , Taiwan .
The Hsinchu Plant manufactures elevators primarily for the Taiwanese market and also exports modernisation package products to the global market . Equipment at the plant has been upgraded to increase Fujitec Taiwan ’ s share of the market in Taiwan and to strengthen price competitiveness in manufacturing and operational strategy . The facility expansion includes new automated sheet metal fabrication lines and welding robots , with certain areas of the facility operations unattended at night . These upgrades are designed to improve productivity and enhance the price competitiveness of the company ’ s products .
In support of Taiwan ’ s green energy policy , the Hsinchu Plant leases its roof space to a solar power generation company . The operator generates 170,000kWh of electricity annually from the solar panels ,
Fujitec ’ s Hsinchu plant .
contributing to the generation of green energy . In addition , the installation of the power generation panels prevents sunlight from shining directly onto the roof of the plant , which lowers the temperature inside the plant and contributes to a better working environment .
Fujitec expects Hsinchu Plant to produce 1,000 units per year by FY 2024 and is aiming for further global business expansion under Fujitec ’ s medium-term management plan , Vision24 . n
www . fujitec . com the Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs affected U . S . industries . We highlighted in our testimony the problems our members are experiencing in obtaining steel and aluminium at globally competitive prices ,” he added .
Lead times improved with only 23 % of metalforming companies reporting an increase in lead times in July , compared to 36 % in June . Four per cent of companies had a portion of their workforce on short-time or layoff in July , up from 2 % in June , while 70 % of companies are currently expanding their workforce ( compared to 76 % in June ).
PMA is the full-service trade association representing the US $ 137-billion metalforming industry of North America — the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping , fabricating , spinning , slide forming and roll forming technologies , and other value-added processes . Its more than 900 member companies also include suppliers of equipment , materials and services to the industry . It offers advocacy ; networking ; statistics ; the PMA Educational Foundation ; FABTECH trade shows and MetalForming and 3D Metal Printing magazines . n
REPORT
ICOSPA Congress comes to the UK
Over 120 of the world ’ s leading sheet metal pressworkers will be heading to Birmingham , UK , as part of a global manufacturing event . The 20th ICOSPA ( International Council of Sheet Metal Presswork Associations ) Congress will return to the UK for the first time in 18 years , from 19-20 October 2022 , with the emphasis firmly on ‘ New Tech , New Skills and New Challenges .’
Delegates will hear keynote addresses from Francisco J . Riberas ( Executive Chairman , Gestamp ); Ian Hartnett ( Chairman , Tevva Electrical Trucks ); Antonio Costa , ( CEO , Congress Diamond Sponsor , Kaizen Institute ) and Gianfranco Ruggiero ( Senior Product Manager , Congress Gold Sponsor , AutoForm Group ).
The National Metalforming Centre in West Bromwich will host the main Congress , followed by a Congress dinner the same evening at the Grand Hotel in Birmingham . To book , please email the Confederation of British Metalforming ( CBM ) at :
icospacongress @ thecbm . co . uk n