New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S.
Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, totaled $538.9 million in October 2025. This was a 9% increase from September 2025 and a 40.3% increase from October 2024.
Machinery orders tracked by USMTO through October 2025 totaled $4.47 billion, a 19.7% increase over the first 10 months of 2024.
Both the value and the number of units ordered in October were the highest since March 2023. It was the third month in 2025 to surpass $500 million in new machinery orders – the most since 2021, when six months saw investments above $500 million. Despite widespread fears about the economy, manufacturers continue to invest in metalworking machinery due to renewed tax incentives and sustained demand for manufactured goods from both consumers and government entities.
October orders from contract machine shops, the largest customer of manufacturing technology, were the largest since March 2023. Despite the high dollar value, the number of units ordered was the same as in September 2024 – but with a 13.2% lower order value. The trend of expanding average order values in this industry underscores the increased demand for automation at all levels of the supply chain.
October saw the highest order value from aerospace manufacturers since March 2025. This investment comes one month before the end of the government shutdown, which saw a significant number of Pentagon contract announcements, as well as the end of the Boeing defense workers’ strike. These developments could foreshadow additional orders before the end of the year, given the sector’s rising capacity constraints.
Manufacturers of engines, turbines, and other power transmission equipment also increased orders significantly in October, reaching their highest value since February 2023 and the highest number of units since March 2022. Continued demand for electricity from data centers is prompting additional investment in new generation capacity and extending the life of some coalfired plants that were slated for decommission.
While numerous experts have predicted a mild industrial downturn in 2026, opportunities remain for manufacturing technology providers in sectors that have been outperforming the overall economy.
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Related Glossary Terms
- centers
centers
Cone-shaped pins that support a workpiece by one or two ends during machining. The centers fit into holes drilled in the workpiece ends. Centers that turn with the workpiece are called “live” centers; those that do not are called “dead” centers.
- metalworking
metalworking
Any manufacturing process in which metal is processed or machined such that the workpiece is given a new shape. Broadly defined, the term includes processes such as design and layout, heat-treating, material handling and inspection.
- sawing machine ( saw)
sawing machine ( saw)
Machine designed to use a serrated-tooth blade to cut metal or other material. Comes in a wide variety of styles but takes one of four basic forms: hacksaw (a simple, rugged machine that uses a reciprocating motion to part metal or other material); cold or circular saw (powers a circular blade that cuts structural materials); bandsaw (runs an endless band; the two basic types are cutoff and contour band machines, which cut intricate contours and shapes); and abrasive cutoff saw (similar in appearance to the cold saw, but uses an abrasive disc that rotates at high speeds rather than a blade with serrated teeth).
