New orders for metal cutting, forming and fabricating machinery (manufacturing technology) totaled $513.8 million in December 2024, according to the Association for Manufacturing Technology’s monthly Manufacturing Technology Orders Report (USMTO).

Month-to-month, that total was up 15% from November and up 5.4% year-over-year.

For the calendar year, 2024 orders totaled $4.7 billion — down 3.8% from 2023. It was the third straight year that orders declined overall. However, 2024 orders were 9.7% above the annual average dating back to 1998, which AMT said indicates that demand is resilient despite the annual declines.

“After a slow start to 2024, orders of manufacturing technology remained elevated following September’s IMTS show. Although orders in September were modest compared to a typical IMTS year, the falloff in demand typically seen after the show did not happen, and 2024 ended in a strong position,” the report noted.

December 2024 USMTO Report

Published Feb. 10, 2025. Click chart for hi-res version

The December USMTO report also shared the following:

• Orders from Contract machine shops — the largest customer segment for manufacturing technology orders — were a drag on the overall market in early 2024 before turning around late
• Orders from aerospace manufacturers increased significantly despite a lackluster year from Boeing, as the sector deals with ongoing capacity issues. December saw the highest order volume from this sector since December 2021, and total orders through the year increased nearly 32% from 2023.
• After three years of heightened investment, automotive manufacturers pulled back on 2024 orders by a quarter as demand for vehicle normalized and the industry braced for potential tariff impacts
• Nearly 40% of all 2024 orders were placed since September’s IMTS show — pointing to sustained demand for machinery heading into 2024