Machine tool accessories prices rising
Of the 19 industries tracked here as manufacturers of equipment and tools used in factories, average prices went up in 11 industries, fell in 4, and were flat in 4 others. Despite the fact that most manufacturers (17 of 19) are enjoying stability in their direct manufacturing costs, producers of tools and equipment remain under pressure to hike prices.
Trying to figure out exactly which tools or equipment may cause plant engineers the biggest pricing headaches means we must delve down into an analysis of the products that each industry makes. Let’s look at the machine tool accessories (SIC 3545) industry. Here, average industry prices rose 0.98% in the 12-mo period ending December 2000. When we look at the prices paid for the average machine tool accessory in December 2000 compared to December 1999, average industry prices actually rose 1.3%.
The problem in the machine tool accessories industry, as with many others, is that materials costs have taken a big turn upward. Consider this: in 2000, imported materials costs jumped 6.5% while domestic materials costs also rose 1.4%.
Price/cost/demand roundup
| Other hand and edge tools | 3423 | 1.05 | 1.04 | Stable | C | 6.70 | 6.11 |
| Hand saws and saw blades | 3425 | 0.24 | 0.41 | Rising | C | 4.97 | 4.15 |
| Other hardware | 3429 | 2.18 | 1.96 | Stable | B | 5.02 | 3.62 |
| Other power transmission equipment | 3568 | 1.23 | 1.07 | Stable | A | 6.41 | 5.73 |
| Conveyors and conveying equipment | 3535 | 1.16 | 1.13 | Stable | A | 5.64 | 7.39 |
| Hoists, cranes, and monorails | 3536 | 1.59 | 1.75 | Stable | A | 6.13 | 6.42 |
| Industrial trucks and tractors | 3537 | 0.76 | 1.20 | Stable | C | 7.27 | 8.90 |
| Metal-cutting machine tools | 3541 | 0.70 | 0.78 | Stable | D | 15.29 | 16.94 |
| Machine tool accessories | 3545 | 0.74 | 0.98 | Stable | F | 10.74 | 10.89 |
| Power-driven hand tools | 3546 | 0.20 | 0.22 | Stable | D | 4.30 | 3.62 |
| Welding apparatus | 3548 | 1.74 | 1.96 | Rising | C | 3.58 | 2.33 |
| Pumps and pumping equipment | 3561 | 1.63 | 1.63 | Stable | A | 4.49 | 3.98 |
| Air and gas compressors | 3563 | 1.20 | 1.20 | Stable | C | 4.49 | 3.98 |
| Speed changers, drives, and gears | 3566 | 2.03 | 2.11 | Stable | B | 6.41 | 5.73 |
| Transformers | 3612 | 2.86 | 2.32 | Stable | C | 31.72 | 33.14 |
| Motors and generators | 3621 | 0.04 | 0.24 | Stable | F | 23.77 | 23.16 |
| Process control instruments | 3823 | 1.04 | 1.10 | Stable | C | 0.39 | -0.66 |
| Fluid meters and counting devices | 3824 | 1.65 | 2.64 | Stable | C | 0.39 | -0.66 |
| Instruments to measure electricity | 3825 | 1.42 | 1.48 | Stable | F- | 49.52 | 52.61 |
1 Average product price changes are calculated from the producer price index for each 4-digit SIC (standard industrial classification) industry from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
2 Analyses of each industry’s direct manufacturing cost changes are from Thinking Cap Solutions, Inc.’s proprietary Industry Cost Escalation (ICE) model. The “grade” indicates that recent price/cost changes have produced record high (A+) margins to average margins (C) to record low (F-) margins for the average producer in an industry. Grades of A to A+ mean plant engineers may be able to strike a better bargain with suppliers and better control plant costs.
3 Growth in U.S. end markets data are from the ICE model and are estimates of output for the domestic end markets which purchase a given industry’s products.
All data prepared and presented by Thinking Cap Solutions, Inc., Port Angeles, WA (telephone: 360-452-6159; e-mail: ebaatz@ice-alert.com).