Another Strong Gain for Plastics Machinery Shipments in Q2

The accelerating momentum in plastics machinery demand that emerged in the second half of 2013 was sustained through the first half of this year, according to statistics compiled and reported by the Committee on Equipment Statistics (CES) of SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association.

Shipments of primary plastics equipment (injection molding, extrusion, blow molding and thermoforming equipment) for reporting companies totaled an estimated $299.3 million in Q2. This was slightly below the strong total of $300.3 million in Q1 of this year, but it represented a gain of 10% when compared with the total from Q2 of 2013. For the year to date, the total value of primary equipment shipments is 10 percent ahead of last year.

A closer look at the CES data show that the shipments value of injection molding machinery increased 9% in Q2 of 2014 when compared with the total from Q2 of last year. The shipments value of single-screw extruders slipped 2%, but the value of shipments of twin-screw extruders (which includes both co-rotating and counter-rotating machines) jumped 63%. The shipments value for blow molding machines edged down 2% in Q2.