Euromap, the umbrella trade group for national associations representing manufacturers of plastics and rubber machinery in nine European countries, estimated the value of global production in 2012 was 9.3bn (£24.8bn), up 3.68%.
The value of machine production in Euromap countries amounted to 2.1bn (£10.3bn) up 3.2% on 2011, with exports valued at 3bn (£7.9bn), up 2.4% on the previous year.
Euromap said it expected to register a “stable” 2bn (£10.2bn) this year, with a growth estimate for 2014 of 4% to 2.5bn (£10.6bn).
The organisation’s president and general manager at Italian machine maker Tria, Luciano Anceschi said Euromap members accounted for 41.2% of 2013's total, effectively level with 2011 and 2010, but down 9% on 2008
Exports from Euromap members accounted for 48.5% of the 9.2bn (£16bn) posted in 2012.
Major destinations were Europe (40.7%), the Americas (19.4%), ‘rest of the world’ (13.7%) and China (10.3%).
Helmut Heinson, Euromap’s vice president and also sales managing director at Arburg, said Chinese imports of injection moulding machines had risen 8% in 2012 while production of such machines had fallen 10% in the same period.
On the subject of bringing about a common standard throughout machine manufacturing Euromap said it was pursuing safety standard that were “of global relevance”.
The organisation’s secretary-general Thorsten Kühmann said a meeting in Frankfurt next month would look at injection moulding equipment.
“We are working on harmonised standards. There will be benefits for all countries.
“There is no reason why different countries should have different standards,” he added. “The goal must be to have one standard. I’m not saying it’s easy, because it’s not.”
