Ceramic machinery: no cause for alarm despite the downturn

Jun 14, 2007

14/06/07 - Although the ceramic machinery sector’s total turnover of 1,702.1 million euro in 2006 was 4.2% lower than the previous year’s figure, it marked a 6.8% increase over 2004. The contraction is therefore no cause for concern for the ceramic machinery manufacturers as it is the result of a pause for reflection in investments in several key markets.
Sales to the Middle East have dropped by 24.4% and to Asia (excluding China) by 21.1%. By contrast the European Union, Africa and China have performed strongly.

These are the main sector trends revealed by the 15th National Statistical survey for 2006 presented this morning by Acimac’s chairman Pierluigi Ponzoni and director general Paolo Gambuli.

The Italian ceramic machinery producers have retained their world leadership position.
The domestic market remains stable at 458.3 million euro (up 0.3%) and although exports have fallen to 1,243.8 million euro (down 5.8%), they account for 73.1% of the sector’s total turnover.

There was little change in the breakdown of machinery sales to the six different client sectors in 2006. The 2006 turnover reported by the ceramic machinery sector, made up of 166 companies with 6,939 employees (6.8% up on 2005), consisted of 80% sales of tile machinery (turnover 1,361.2 million euro, export share 72.6%), followed at a considerable distance (10.5% of total turnover) by brick and tile machinery (179.1 million euro, export share 65.7%). Sales of sanitaryware machinery fell (87.3 million euro, export share 83.5%), as did those of tableware machinery (down 21.2% to 45.7 million euro).
Lastly, sales of machinery for refractories amounted to 27.5 million euro and various ceramic 1.2 million euro.

As regards the various different types of machinery, there was an increase in sales of plant for forming (+11.6%), glazing and decoration (+5.2%), finishing (+15.6%), quality and process control (+382%) and laboratory instruments (+85.8%).