TPT July 2022

I NDUS T RY

UCIMU Index reveals 2022 machine sales THE index of machine tool orders processed by the Economic Studies Department and Business Culture of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE has revealed a slight decrease of -3 per cent in the first quarter of 2022, compared with the period January March 2021. The absolute value of the index stood at 164 (base year 100 in 2015). The outcome was due to the reduction in the collection of orders in the domestic market, which was partially counterbalanced by an increase in overseas orders. said: “Business in foreign markets is essential for Italian manufacturers. Therefore, despite the difficulties caused first by the pandemic and then by the war, it is necessary to develop our business overseas, not only to recover the ground lost over the last two years. The current situation should lead Italian machine tool manufacturing enterprises to reconsider the order of priority of markets. other hand, it could reasonably have been generated by the users’ decision to anticipate their purchases in the last quarter to enjoy the incentives 4.0, whose rates established in the last Budget Law (2021) were higher than those of the current one (2022).” “’After all, even if the fall is rather small and the order collection is presently showing very high performances, as proven by the absolute value of the index, manufacturers are starting to worry about a possible cooling down of the propensity to invest due to the uncertainty caused by the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

“Even if it is important to keep on exploring new areas of destination for the ‘Made in Italy’ of the sector, today it is fundamental to be present and develop business in traditional markets, in particular in Europe and the US. This should occur with a view to gaining market shares in the areas that will be more easily concerned with commercial relations in the near future.” “On the domestic front, the slowdown recorded by Italianmanufacturers in their national market was due to two reasons. On one hand, the data are compared with the results of the first quarter 2021, which was extremely positive. On the

In particular, on the foreign front, the collected orders grew by 5.3 per cent compared with the same period of the previous year. The absolute value of the index was 163.2. On the contrary, the index of the orders collected in the domestic market registered a 15.9 per cent fall compared with the same period of the previous year. The absolute value of the index was 164.4. Barbara Colombo, president of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE,

“The ongoing conflict is already bringing about great harm to the production activities of our enterprises, which must dramatically extend their delivery times of machinery, as they in turn have to wait for supplies of electronic components and materials.”

UCIMU www.ucimu.it New investment expands Express Engineering’s tube welding capabilities

operation, providing additional precision engineering cost and time savings. Alongside investment in extra equipment, two new welders have joined to provide increased cladding and butt-welding capacity while Express Engineering’s trainee welding engineer has qualified as a CSWIP 3.1 welding inspector as part of continued professional development. The investment also comes as the company continues to expand the scope of turnkey solutions provided to the global energy sector, particularly as it moves further into the development of new below-the-mudline products. A range of precision-engineered Measurement While Drilling and Logging While Drilling tools have also recently been produced as part of new product development projects for international energy technology companies.

(cladding) all the way to precision pipe welding and fabrication in exotic alloys. We are developing products for all areas of oil & gas, from the inter-surface arena to below-the-mud line operations. “Our extended capabilities will see us not only able to improve the support current oil & gas customers enjoy, but also expand our precision welding services into a wider range of industrial applications such as the nuclear and defence sectors.” Arc Machines Inc narrow gap equipment butt welding has also been added to improve the capability to deposit lower weld volumes on downhole tooling for the offshore sector, increasing productivity and reducing distortion on heavy wall thickness butt-welds. New 20 tonne capacity Fronius endless torch rotation cladding equipment has also boosted capabilities. This will allow complex geometry welding of racetracks and cross or intersecting bores to be completed in one single

UK-BASED oil & gas subsea equipment company Express Engineering has announced a six-figure investment in new precision welding equipment and capabilities as it expands its sector operations to support customers. The move comes as the company completes its relocation to its new 48,000ft 2 assembly and test centre in Gateshead, UK. It also sees the relocation of the welding department to a newly refurbished facility with the addition of a new carbon steel specific welding area with an additional buttering/ cladding station for larger parts up to five tonnes, automatic butt-welding and manual fabrication. Gary Thirlwell, managing director, believes investment in additional precision welding capabilities will provide advantages over other conventional systems as well as applications. He said: “We now offer a full range of specialist welding services, ranging from simple corrosion-resistant overlay

Express Engineering www.express-engineering.co.uk

14

www.read-tpt.com

JULY 2022