The value of extruders and injection presses shipped in North America increased from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of last year, according to the Plastics Industry Association’s Committee on Equipment Statistics.
The total value of machinery shipments from reporting companies in the fourth quarter was $376.9 million, an 8 percent increase from the third quarter of 2018. Injection molding machine shipments rose 8.8 percent, single-screw extruder shipments increased 4.6 percent and twin-screw extrusion equipment shipments grew 1.5 percent.
According to a survey conducted by the Committee on Equipment Statistics, plastics machinery suppliers remain optimistic about machinery sales. Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they expect market conditions will be steady or even improve over the next year.
