Welcome to E-News Update from Plastics & Rubber Asia

ith the German plastics and machinery association, otherwise known as VDMA, reporting an improvement in orders, it seems that the German industry is officially out of the doldrums, also confirmed by suppliers of machines and technologies. This news bodes well for the K2010 exhibition, which will be held in Düsseldorf from 27 October to 3 November.

VDMA reported recently that the industry had a record 85% jump in orders in the first six months of this year. Said Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the VDMA, "Incoming orders have grown rapidly every month since September 2009 and actually passed the 100% mark in June 2010." Orders from customers within Germany were up by 26%, while demand from other countries in Europe went up by 51% and from outside Europe, by 117%.

Having risen steeply, the business climate index for plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers is in positive territory again and there is a sense of optimism about how the industry will develop in the second half of the year, says VDMA.

However, sales are still lagging by 3%, compared to last year. "The relatively high level of domestic sales during the same period last year explains the 23% decline this time around," said Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of VDMA. Sales to customers abroad, on the other hand, rose by 7%. "In the light of the marked rise in incoming orders, we expect sales to grow by 11% by the end of the year," added Kühmann.