The value of primary plastics machinery shipments rose 7.7 percent from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a report from the Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics.
The value of those shipments, $316 million, was based on preliminary estimates from reporting companies. Injection molding machine (IMM) shipments rose 9.6 percent, while shipments of single-screw extruders fell 0.9 percent and twin-screw extruders dropped 7.7 percent in the fourth quarter.
Compared to the fourth quarter of 2018, overall shipments were down 16.2 percent in 2019's fourth quarter. Shipments dropped the most for twin-screw extruders, which were 35.2 percent lower, while single-screw extruders saw a 12.3 percent decrease, and IMM shipment values fell 14.9 percent.
A survey of machinery-buying plans conducted by Plastics Machinery Magazine in late 2019 indicated optimism among processors that business was on the upswing.
Read the full report here.
