Although orders were down, January average unit values hit their highest level since January 2015 suggesting manufacturers are buying more sophisticated manufacturing technology to ramp up productivity rather that expand operations which would show a broader increase in orders and lower unit values.
Instron was established in 1946 by Harold Hindman and George Burr, who were working together at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to investigate suitable substitutes for silk that could be used in the manufacture of parachutes.