Although the world export volume of high pressure and low pressure diecasting machinery(1) declined from €955m to €907m between 2012 and 2014, the five CEMAFON countries - Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - increased their worldwide shipments by a total of 11 per cent to €293m.
The global market share accounted for by the CEMAFON members increased from 28 to 32 per cent thus underlining the leading position of European diecasting machinery manufacturers. This is contrasted by world market shares of 30 per cent for Japan, 11 per cent for China and 3 per cent for the USA. In addition to Italy, as the second largest high pressure diecasting machinery exporter, the UK and Germany are also among the world’s largest exporters of HP and LP diecasting machinery.
STRONG GROWTH IN ASIA AND NORTH AMERICA
In 2014, half of the HP diecasting machinery produced in the CEMAFON membership countries was once again supplied to countries within Europe, and with a production value of €146m, was slightly above the level of 2012. There was a much higher increase in exports to Asia with a rise of 22 per cent to €75m and the shipments to North America doubled to around €43m. The trend in the regional markets of the CEMAFON member nations thus clearly illustrates firstly the increasing shift of the globally positioned user sectors towards the growth markets in Asia and, also, a permanent positive trend in the US market.
LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN TREND AND SYSTEM SOLUTIONS FOR AUTOMATION
With the automobile industry as the most important customer, the export statistics also reflect a dynamic trend in aluminium diecast production due to the growing use of lightweight components in car body making. In addition, customers are increasingly demanding technologies that enable the use of specific system solutions in process automation. As a result, the focal point for the European HP diecasting manufacturers is technical innovations, which contribute to increased productivity and flexibility and, at the same time, guarantee optimum energy and resources efficiency - the central challenges facing the diecasting industry.
“The positive trend in the worldwide export shares in the past two years not only reinforces the strong position of the CEMAFON nations as world market leaders in the diecasting sector, but also underlines their strategy, which is based on a highly innovative technological basis,” said Dr Timo Wurz, general secretary of CEMAFON.
CEMAFON
CEMAFON (the European Foundry Equipment Suppliers Association) was founded in 1972. Members are the national European associations and thus all the major manufacturers of foundry machinery and plant, furnaces and products for the European foundry industry. The association represents the economic and technical interests of its members worldwide, provides information, and creates a platform for the exchange of opinions on a European level. CEMAFON is the initiator and, together with CAEF (The European Foundry Association), organiser of the International Foundry Forum (IFF) - a major event for CEOs. The next IFF will be 23 and 24 September 2016 in Dresden, Germany.
1. The statistical data listed relates to article number 845430 ‘diecasting machinery, high pressure diecasting machinery.’