Intelligence

Shipments of cutting tools totaled $278.6 million in August 2026, a decrease of 0.8% from the $280.9 million reported in July 2026 but up 32.2% from August 2025. Year-to-date shipments totaled $2.03 billion, up 22.4% from the same period in 2025.

The Importance of Digital Investment, Automation's Foundational Role, and More.

The overall message from MTForecast 2026 was clear: Manufacturing remains positioned for growth, and many companies continue to invest accordingly.

Total U.S. industrial production increased in September 2026 to the highest level since December 2018. Capacity utilization is at its highest level since November 2018.

American industrialist Henry Ford once wrote, “The motor enabled machinery to be arranged according to the sequence of work, and that alone has probably doubled the efficiency of industry.”

New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report, totaled $732.9 million in August 2026.

Making smarter decisions about investments, hiring, production planning, and growth – and focusing on what measures create lasting success in manufacturing.

$500 Million-Plus in Manufacturing Technology Orders; the Federal Reserve Rate Hike; and More.

Turn IMTS insights, economic forecasts, and market intelligence into a stronger manufacturing strategy for the year ahead. Attend MTForecast 2026, Oct. 14-16, in Schaumburg, Ill.

Total U.S. industrial production was flat in August 2026, and the index for manufacturing decreased by 0.3 percentage points. Capacity utilization among manufacturers also decreased slightly.