VDMA ‘optimistic’ over rubber & plastic machinery outlook

Frankfurt, Germany – German rubber & plastics machinery makers expect “good developments” in their order intake and sales this year, according to a recent members survey carried out by the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association.

In a 10-March review of the survey, the German industrial association said demand for plastics and rubber machinery "changed significantly in all regions in the second half of 2020.”  

The situation in China and Germany was “particularly positive”, according to Ulrich Reifenhäuser, chairman of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association within the VDMA.

"And the expectations for the development of order intake for the currently running first half of 2021 are also consistently optimistic for all regions," he added.

VDMA noted a similar trend in the expected sales development, as almost 50% of the participants said they anticipated growth in sales for the first half of the year.

More than half of the participants said they projected a year-on-year improvement in sales in the second half of 2021. 

Accordingly, almost half of the companies surveyed are planning to recruit again in the first half of 2021, noted Thorsten Kühmann, managing director of the Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association.

"It seems as if the plastics and rubber machinery industry is at the start of a successful business year. We are looking forward to the next few months with anticipation in the hope that the estimates will also come true," he added.

In December last year, VDMA reported that the rubber & plastics machinery segment had ‘turned a corner’ with yearend figures showing a “clear turnaround”.

The industry, VDMA said, “recovered quickly” after the initial challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, showing “a significant increase” in incoming orders from October onwards. 

According to the German association, 2020 saw a 7% increase in orders compared to 2019.