Computerized Numerical Control Machine Tools: Ability to Support Timely Product Delivery Underlines Their Popularity, Says Frost & Sullivan

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Strategic Analysis of the European Computerized Numerical Control Machine Tools Market, finds that the market earned revenues of €8.6 billion in 2010 and estimates this to reach €17.6 billion in 2015. The research covers: CNC metal cutting machine tools and CNC metal forming machine tools.



CNC machines enable rapid manufacturing of different types of products. These machines play a vital role in helping companies deliver products to the market on time.



“While human beings are more flexible and trainable than machines, a CNC machine can be totally reprogrammed within a few hours to produce a completely different product,” notes Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst Katarzyna Owczarczyk. “This can be done very quickly, so it is possible to have a different product within the shortest time possible and with the same accuracy.”



Moreover, once a programme is verified and executed for single production run, it can be used repeatedly, whenever required. It is possible to refer back to archived programmes or install new ones, when a different work piece is needed.



CNC machine tools also enable faster change-over. They can be setup and operated with great ease.



“This confers CNC machines with a significant advantage over other machines; they can quickly shift to producing a completely different product without the installation of many new parts or a major overhaul of key components,” remarks Owczarczyk. “Products can be manufactured in a short time, obviating the need to maintain a large inventory.”



These features are in synch with current Just-In-Time requirements for product manufacturing and ensure that CNC machines can keep pace with rapidly changing customer demand.



While these are the positives, a key challenge for manufacturers has been the emergence of a second-hand CNC machine tools market. As a result of the continual replacement of existing equipment with new, improved products, old CNC tooling machines have become available to the second-hand market. End-users who may not have specialised needs, those seeking to purchase their first basic CNC machines and those with limited budgets may prefer to acquire such lower-cost, second-hand equipment.



“There are several companies that actually recondition and sell used CNC machines; these machines work just as well as the brand new versions but, obviously, cost considerably less,” concludes Owczarczyk. “In some European countries, the second- hand market is threatening to undermine the sale of new offerings.”