This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at La botella medio llena
The half full bottle
15/04/2002
At the end of the last edition of the the CEO of AFM BIEMH, Alberto Ortueta ensured, with regard to the situation of machine tools, that "the worst has passed". Finally, in a show of optimism, one could even say that the best is yet to come. So we hope and that is the opinion that the majority of the members of MetalUnivers collected among the exhibitors, which did not hesitate to show their optimism and the belief that the number of orders, although slowly, will begin to increase this year.
If the words item data, we can highlight that in 2001, the Spanish machine tool industry output rose by 6.2 per cent in comparison with the previous year, reaching the figure of EUR 990,1 million. And this, in spite of the delicate situation of external markets, who heads buna part of our production, and the internal market. In spite of this, exports last year grew by 10.1 per cent and reached 531,7 million euros. The data that points to an increase of 3.9 per cent of the apparent consumption of machine tools in the internal market is also interesting. In other words, the builders of machines had more work than in the previous year, to which is added the sustained activity of the Spanish industry in general, as evidenced by the fact that also increased the consumption of machines.
It is not a matter of throwing a blind optimistic message. Press Conference convened on the occasion of the General Assembly of AFM, its President Rafael Barrenechea acknowledged that "we are facing a difficult and complicated exercise". Nevertheless, the year 2001 meant the consolidation of a period of 7 years continued to grow.
But the quantity is not everything, and less at a time in which innovation is often the key factor. Alberto Ortueta welcomed the technological trends in the sector in the light of the products presented at the fair. Broadly speaking, he highlighted five axes machining centres and the generalization of the high speed to small and medium-sized machining centers. He did not hesitate nor in stress the high level of the Spanish machine tool in milling machines with high speed, "in which we are world leaders".
Another trend is the development of applications for developments parallel kinematics and hexápodos, as well as combine centres of turning and milling. Apart from the process of mechanization, the integration of the telediagnosis in numerical controls begins to more and more presence.
Amount - slight increases, but increases in short - and quality - innovation allows a third place in the ranking of European producers - the Spanish manufacturers are two objective data which allow us to see the half full bottle in "delicate moment".
