Pent-up demand may spur sales of automation

More than one injection molding machine maker has been saying that because of the recession in 2008 there is still pent-up demand for new presses. That may be true, but there is also evidence that the demand may be slowing in 2016.

So what is the next hot thing? One expert believes it is automation equipment plus the myriad auxiliary devices that tie the machinery, work cell and entire plant together.

“Automation of the machinery and the plant has the most pent-up demand now,” said Jeff Mengel, a partner at Plante & Moran PLLC, an accounting and business consulting firm based in Chicago. Mengel has been surveying the plastics industry for more than 20 years. He continuously collects data from processers and twice a year analyzes it for the companies that participate.