A recent Japan association of Plastic Machinery Manufacturers (JPM) survey shows that, in the first half of 2010, local production of injection moulding machines increased by 61% over the same period in 2009, exceeding 50 billion yen and 5,000 units. This result was achieved thanks to an excellent trend in demand for low-to-medium tonnage models, which more than tripled. Likewise, the Italian manufacturers of injection moulding machines, after hard times, have been recording increasing orders in the past months, confirmed by a +14% increase in exports in the first half of 2010.
The situation for Japanese blow-moulding machines is quite emblematic: turnover remained unchanged - around 5.2 billion yen - while the number of shipped units exceeded 240 (as opposed to 170 in January-June 2009). Given growth in exports (+46%), does this mean Japanese manufacturers are applying a price reduction policy to better compete on foreign markets?
Negative trend for extruders: sales fell from 11.2 to less than 9 billion yen, or from 665 to 585 shipped units.