The woodworking technology and wood-based materials industry keeps showing encouraging trends: preliminary figures for the current year speak for themselves, showing a fully positive sign for all major indexes. The analysis carried out by the Studies office of the Confindustria-member association ACIMALL, gathering the industry's leading companies provides a brighter picture than many were expecting. And compared to the recent past, satisfaction comes from the domestic market, a trend that might bring even more significant “surprises” in 2016. Meanwhile, let’s take a look at figures, reminding

For the third quarter of 2014, orders for Italian textile machinery manufacturers grew compared to the previous quarter. Economic data from industry surveys conducted by ACIMIT, representing the textile machinery sector, indicate a 4% increase. The value of the orders index for the period from July to September came in at 89.8 points (basis 2010=100). However, this rise in orders is limited to foreign markets, where for the period taken into consideration an increase of 9% was reported, and the index measured a value of 99.4 points. On the other hand, the domestic market remains stagnant

World Maker Faire 2014, the most important show this year, dedicated to advanced and 3D printing manufacturing will take place from September 20-21, 2014 at the New York Science Hall in New York City. Italian Maker Pavilion is in Zone 3 - Makers Pavilion - Booth MP-13 (see map photo) To design on one’s computer or tablet and then to print in 3D means you can edit the original project as many times as you want at no extra cost. One will not need years of study, large capital investments nor large economics of scale to be successful. Today, millions of people have access to producing anywhere

After a still-positive trend in January and February (in the wake of the +5.9% result at the end of 2012), the first quarter of 2013 instead closed with a downturn for Italian exports of plastics and rubber processing machinery, according the Italian National Institute of Statistics - ISTAT figures processed by Assocomaplast (the Italian trade association belonging to CONFINDUSTRIA, which groups together some 165 manufacturers). In fact, foreign sales in this sector fell 4% compared to January-March 2012, set against a 9-point drop in imports. The result is on the whole not surprising, given