INSIGHT & OUTLOOK Country Focus high. Germany—with its specialised even triple figures—constitutes a return of around € 6 billion last year, Germany machines—has for many years been to normality. It permits companies to was the second-largest supplier for the second-most-important supplier for process their orders without having to the world’s industrial companies. The India’s industrial sector, after Japan. This impose ever-lengthening delivery times biggest sales markets are China, the is not least a welcome confirmation of on their customers. Important customer USA, Switzerland, Russia and Italy.” the good reputation enjoyed by German groupings—like the international Besides the core processing machinery and solutions in India.” automotive industry, its component techniques—such as milling, turning, suppliers, the energy sector, and aircraft pressing, and grinding—there exists The sector has quarter by quarter manufacturers—will additionally an extensive variety of special purpose achieved double-figure growth in order be making strategic investments. machinery which are supplied especially bookings, primarily driven initially by They have to themselves launch new to highly sophisticated industries such China, South Korea and India. “The products on their markets, because their as automobiles, aircraft, military, and order books in Germany’s machine tool customers expect more affordable, Information Technology (IT). more energy-efficient and “Germany, with its differentiated Cutting machine tools (comparable to GILDEMEISTER) more individualised products. industrial structure, is also the in € billion Non-cutting machine tools This requires sophisticated planet’s second-largest market 33.8 32.7 36.1 41.7 45.8 50.0 52.6 36.1 45.0 53.9 64.3 (-18%) (-3%) (+10%) (+16%) (+10%) (+9%) (+5%) (-31%) (+25%) (+20%) (+19%) production technology, which for machine tools, and indeed an 50 45 47.0 comes from Germany.” attractive market for importers into 40 39.4 38.2 the bargain. Last year, machines 35 36.4 33.6 32.9 30 31.0 were consumed for € 4.9 billion, 25 Future-Ready Solutions 26.4 25.5 24.7 23.6 of which imports accounted 20 German machine tool 17.3 for approximately 40 per cent. 15 manufacturers are out in front 14.5 14.4 13.6 10 12.1 12.2 10.7 10.6 9.7 9.1 9.1 German machine tools which when it comes to technological 5 0 stand for quality, dependability excellence; they offer the right 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011* 2012* and efficiency are available in a production engineering to enable Source: World machine tools statistics of the VDW (without parts and accessories) * estimate of the VDW and Oxford Economics comprehensive choice of variants. new requirements to be promptly German manufacturers supply The global consumption of machine tools and the market potential met. For instance, the requirements everything needed for modernof new drive technologies in the day metalworking jobs, from an automotive industry, the machining individual machine all the way through of composite materials and light-weight industry are full. The companies are to a complete production system for an construction in the aircraft industry, and operating at full capacity, and carrying enormous range of different applications. much more. with them an order backlog of almost In particular, the manufacturers 10 months—which in some cases, when Recently, the sector has committed concerned utilised the difficult years customised machines are involved, may itself to proactively progressing of 2008 and 2009 for developing new increase to eighteen months—extending sustainability and energy-efficiency in products, which meant that they were in well into the upcoming year. International and for the relevant production processes. excellent shape for meeting the sudden customers are accordingly well-advised to Here, Germany is the front-runner on rise in demand levels last year.” says take due account of this when planning the international scene. Nonetheless, Kapp. their investments, so that they themselves there will still be plenty of potential in the Given this diverse set of customers do not suffer from any bottlenecks in their future for further solutions that will enable and their individual demand, the industry own production operations.” says Kapp. customers to make sustainable savings, is marked by a high degree of product generating concomitant advantages in heterogeneity with respect to size, type, terms of corporate competitiveness. Laggard Growth complexity and functionality, Kapp says The current global financial turmoil has Kapp concluded by saying that the, that Germany enjoys a good reputation hit almost all the economies around the “The growth drivers for the international and also adds that, “The sector’s business world deeper than anticipated. Industries machine tool industry next year will once situation is concomitantly buoyant at globally are impacted by the slowdown. again be the BRIC nations, plus other present. Its products and solutions are The global outlook is bleak and recovery Asian markets as well, together with the in demand all over the world; during the is still far. According to Kapp, “For USA. In order to meet this demand, first nine months of this year, more than 2012, the German machine tool industry the German machine tool industry is 40 per cent of its exports (€ 5.6 billion is nonetheless anticipating a cyclical upgrading its capabilities by setting up in all) were sent to Asia. Machines slowdown in the tempo of international its own sales offices and service depots or worth € 195 million were delivered to growth. This however—following even production facilities in Asia.” India alone and the demand remains months of growth rates in double and
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126 MODERN MACHINE TOOLS - January 2012