The European association for plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers, Euromap, has warned of possible slowdown in orders despite expecting a strong 2018.
“There is no end of the growth in sight. Due to full order books, Euromap expects a growth rate of 2 percent for European plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers,” said the association in a June 15 statement.
However, the association, which held its general assembly in Linz, Austria, said the “unusually long” boom had its drawbacks, including an impact on delivery times.
“Moreover, some companies have trouble [finding] appropriate skilled workers. A slowdown of the economic growth, therefore, is becoming increasingly likely,” warned the association.
According to Euromap, the global production of plastics and rubber machinery increased 4 percent in 2017, with strong performance by Chinese competitors.
“In 2017 they already produced machinery and plants worth 11.1 billion euros ($12.9 billion), which is 180 percentage points more than in year 2009,” said Euromap.
Also during the general assembly, Euromap elected Luciano Anceschi, from Tria, Cologno Monzese, Italy, as its president for 2018-21.
Michael Baumeister, from Brückner Maschinenbau, Siegsdorf, Germany was appointed as vice president and VDMA's Thorsten Kühmann was named as secretary general.
Sustainability and Industry 4.0 were among the key topics addressed during the annual meeting.
“The close collaboration on a European level is extremely important for the manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery when it comes to central topics like Industry 4.0 or circular economy,” said the new president Luciano Anceschi.
