MCLEAN, VA, July 14-May U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $341.21 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA), and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT). This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was down 16.4% from April, but up 2.2% from the total of $333.80 million reported for May 2007. With a year-to-date total of $1,942.37 million, 2008 is up 17.2% compared with 2007.

These numbers are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) program.

“The May machine tool consumption numbers again demonstrated continued strength and growth in many markets across the country, except in the automotive sector in the upper Midwest,” says Peter Borden, AMTDA president. “However, the concerns about energy and commodity prices, along with the traditional summer and pre-IMTS buying slowness, may in the next few months reduce the gains that we have seen thus far this year to bring the orders closer to the forecasts.”