From the Editor 2020 has been, for many, a year of uncertainty. While the industry continues to face the impact of COVID-19, there is positive news as we head into the fourth quarter. In the latest consumption report from the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology, September’s cutting tool orders were up 14.7 percent from August. Manufacturing technology orders were also up, with $373.7 million spent in September. The manufacturing and fabricating industry continues to steadily improve. I think it is important to acknowledge the impact this year has had on each and every one of us. Some had projected a potential 40 percent loss in orders back in March and April, and while that doesn’t seem to be, thankfully the case, we are still facing the same threat and uncertainty in 2021. As of this writing, there have been 11.2 million cases in the United States, and we can only assume that for some time into the next year, and until one or multiple of the vaccines being developed are readily available, that number will only grow. As a business that is often essential, manufacturers, fabricators and metalworkers are already in a prime position to use this time to position their business to meet the demands of a Post-COVID-19 world. From providing your workforce with personal protective equipment (PPE), investing in equipment that provides adequate social distancing measures, or automation technology that delivers a viable solution to the ongoing skills gap the manufacturing industry was already facing – you have options that could not only keep you and your employees or coworkers safe, but truly improve and modernize your business. In this quarterly edition of Industrial Machinery Digest learn more about how Siemens is increasing the CNC user’s efficiency, Universal Robots reveal how their cobots are addressing the labor shortage for one Washington state-based manufacturer and discover the top products and solutions from this past quarter. We will see you next year, with an all new, digital-optimized Industrial Machinery Digest Quarterly.
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Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association
6 | IMD | Q4 2020
