Symop unveils the results of its annual survey of machining and forming machine sales in France over the past year. On the distribution side, machine tool distributors are overcoming the crisis of 2012-2013 and moving towards recovery, with sales up 5.7 %. On the manufacturer's side, sales growth is also continuing, with an increase of 7 %. The outlook for the machine tool sector remains positive for the next few years, including in France, even if the growth rate is set to decline.
In a buoyant economic climate, machine tool sales were particularly dynamic in 2017, recording growth of 12 % in value and 5.2 % in volume. While forming machines saw relatively weak growth in volume (1.6 %), machining machines performed strongly (+5.5 % in volume) after an already favorable 2016. Analysis of machine suppliers reveals an improvement in their profitability over the past 3 years.
This year, connectivity is the watchword for all major manufacturers. The digitization of the production chain makes it possible to monitor the strengths and weaknesses of the various process stages, and thus to optimize the former and make the necessary corrections to the latter in near-real time. These challenges have already been integrated into the strategy of major groups such as SKF, for whom performance enhancement involves developing the digitization of production lines at its European sites.
The trends observed should support robust growth in apparent consumption of machine tools in 2018, estimated at +9.5 1TP6Q. Indeed, demand in France will be buoyant as driven by a catch-up phenomenon, as investments were postponed due to the eurozone's economic difficulties. As a result, investment should remain dynamic, with average growth rates of around 4 % by 2020. Demand for machine tools will expand strongly in 2018 (+7.4 %), returning to levels above 4 % in subsequent years. Prime Minister Édouard Philippe's recent announcement of a 40 % tax rebate on SME investments in forward-looking technologies is a step in this direction.
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