Machine tool demand hits record high

Manufacturers and machine shops booked more than $1 billion in new orders for metalworking machinery in September, setting a record for monthly investment, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) report, released Monday by AMT-The Association for Manufacturing Technology.

The USMTO report tracks new-order values and machine units for metal-cutting and metal-forming machinery nationwide and in six regions. The report serves as an economic indicator for future manufacturing activity, as companies invest to support expected production needs.

September’s numbers were boosted by orders placed during the International Machine Tool Show (IMTS), held September 11-14 in Chicago, and continued an upward trend in machinery investment. The totals marked the seventh straight month of orders exceeding half a billion dollars—the longest streak of investment in the report’s history, according to AMT.

September orders rose 38% compared to August and were up 101.7% from September 2025. The total value of orders placed in 2026 reached $5.76 billion through September—45% above the first three quarters of 2025.

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