Week 19 in Manufacturing News

Trade dispute a ‘big headwind’ but US manufacturing sees solid growth: report

US trade disputes and the prospect of even more tariffs on China is a “big headwind” to American manufacturing but the sector still expects solid growth this year, according to an industry survey released Wednesday.

While manufacturing growth projections have fallen since December, firms expect revenues to increase by four percent this year, which is “still very strong growth,” according to Timothy Fiore of the Institute for Supply Management.

Source: The Business Times.

Germany: Manufacturing still in negative territory 

Aline Schuiling, the senior economist at ABN AMRO, suggests that even though Germany’s factory orders and industrial production data improved in March, but the details of the two reports, as well as sentiment indicators signal that the tide in the sector has not yet turned and weakness continues.

Source: FXStreet.

Japan manufacturing returns to growth in April

The Nikkei-Markit flash manufacturing purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.2 in April, up from its March reading of 49.2, and modestly above the 50 mark separating expansion from contraction.

The survey found new orders continued to fall, albeit at a slower pace, with persistent weakness in demand and lower export orders blamed for the decline. Exporters across Asia have been hit by ongoing US-China trade tensions.

Source: Financial Times.

5 Key Trends for the Future of Manufacturing in the US

The latest industrial machinery is outfitted with smart sensors to collect data in real-time. And with substantial developments in the field of artificial intelligence, companies can now analyze the data effectively and identify gaps in their manufacturing processes.

Source: SpendEdge.

Department of Energy Announces $89 Million for Innovative Manufacturing Technologies

Energy Secretary Rick Perry announced $89 million to support innovative, advanced manufacturing research and development projects. This Department of Energy (DOE) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) tackles key Departmental priorities such as domestic manufacturing for energy storage.

Source: Energy.gov.