DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY — The value of global plastics and rubber machinery production rose 3.7 percent in 2012, according to new figures released at the K show in Düsseldorf.
Euromap, the umbrella trade group for national associations representing manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery in nine European countries, estimated the value of production in 2012 was €29.3 billion ($39.9 billion), up 3.68 percent.
The value of machine production in Euromap countries amounted to €12.1 billion ($16.5 billion) up 3.2 percent on 2011, with exports valued at €9.3 billion ($12.7 billion), up 2.4 percent on the previous year.
Euromap expected 2013 to be a "stable" €12 billion ($16.3 billion) with a growth estimate next year of 4 percent to €12.5 billion ($17 billion).
The organization's president and general manager at Italian machine maker Tria, Luciano Anceschi, said Euromap members accounted for 41.2 percent of the total, effectively level with 2011 and 2010, but down 9 percent on 2008.
Exports from Euromap members accounted for 48.5 percent of the €19.2 billion ($26 billion) posted in 2012.
Major destinations were Europe (40.7 percent), the Americas (19.4 percent), "rest of the world" (13.7 percent) and China (10.3 percent).
Helmut Heinson, Euromap's vice president and also sales managing director at Arburg GmbH & Co. KG, said Chinese imports of injection molding machines had risen 8 percent in 2012, while China's production of such machines had fallen 10 percent in the same period.
On the subject of bringing about a common standard throughout machine manufacturing Euromap said it was pursuing safety standard that were "of global relevance."
The organization's secretary-general Thorsten Kühmann said a meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, in November would look at injection molding equipment.
"We are working on harmonized standards. There will be benefits for all countries.
"There is no reason why different countries should have different standards," he added. "The goal must be to have one standard. I'm not saying it's easy, because it's not."