Keyword: Economy

At the autumn conference of the Association of the German Turned Parts Industry on October 9, 2026, in Würzburg, companies reported increasing order intake and better utilization.

The upswing in machine orders in the USA continues following IMTS 2026

The VDMA economic survey for the third quarter of 2026 brings optimism. Individual customer industries are providing positive growth impulses for mechanical engineering. At the same time, the overall situation remains full of challenges, and the need for reform is significant.

With the new ZECHA Innovation Center, the company has created a future-oriented opportunity for development, training, or challenging customer requirements to specifically address individual and complex machining needs.

In August, all key figures for incoming orders in mechanical engineering were declining. Overall, this resulted in a 5 percent decrease in orders - a setback after two months of order growth.

The VDMA expects that production in the machinery sector will likely shrink by a real 2 percent in 2026, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline. For 2027, a real production increase of 3 percent is anticipated.

Order intake in machine tool construction grows by 12 percent in the second quarter

The mechanical engineering companies from Baden-Württemberg were able to stabilize their exports slightly by the end of the first half of 2026.

The mechanical and plant engineering sector in Germany has started the second half of 2026 with a slight upward trend in the order books.

Geopolitical crises, tariffs, and weak demand in individual countries are collectively burdening foreign trade in mechanical engineering. Free trade agreements and a strong EU internal market remain important.

USA with an increase of 36.0% in order intake

The Association of the German Turning Parts Industry presents its balance for the first half of 2026: A positive development in order intake and revenue brings cautious optimism.

Volatile markets, rising cost pressure, and technological upheavals are putting pressure on the machine tool industry. On the occasion of the 'Chiron Open House 2026', Dr. Claus Eppler, CTO of Chiron, explains why robust machining processes are more important than AI, how the trade fair business has changed, and why automation has now become a crucial success factor.

In the second quarter of 2026, the index of machine tool orders calculated by the Centro Studi & Cultura di Impresa of UCIMU SISTEMI PER PRODURRE recorded a decline of 25.8% compared to the period of April–June 2025. In absolute numbers, the index was at 47.8 (base 100 in 2021).