The current state of Spanish machine tool production, technology and commercial systems reveals a growing industry that is very competitive on an international basis. Some of the most important factors contributing to this position are:

- We manufacture over two thousand different machine tool models, thus covering the different technological requirements of our customers.

- The industry has its own technology, backed up and developed over a long period of time.

- This Sector allocates, on average, 5% of their annual turnover to research and development.

- Implementation of European Standards (the EC/CE marking) ensures that Spanish machinery complies with the safety requirements in terms of construction, design and usage.

- 76% of the total value of production consists of machines fitted with the latest Numerical Control technology.

- Over the last ten years, on average, the machine tool industry has exported 56% of the total value of its production to a total of 120 countries. The five main export customers during the year 2001 were Germany (15.6%), France (12%), Italy (11.3%), Mexico (9.3%) and the USA (7.7%)

- Spanish machinery is sold to multinationals (automobile, aerospace, etc.) with the most stringent demands in terms of technological requirements and quality: General Motors, Ford, Nissan, Daimler Chrysler, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, Suzuki, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, and General Electric are some of our sectors' references.

AFM Members Showing Their Products at IMTS 2002

With 16 companies exhibiting directly and taking up a surface area of more than 13,000 square feet, and 20 more presenting their machines through distributors, Spain is once more becoming one of the prominent landmarks at the fair.

For more information: www.afm.es

RELATED ARTICLE: SPAIN, A Reference Point For The Machine Tool Industry

Surging ahead of countries such as the United Kingdom and France, Spain has consolidated its position as one of the world's leaders in the machine tool sector and also as a major industrial country.

The country ranks eighth among the world's main machine tool suppliers, and ninth in terms of export volume. Within the European Union, Spain ranks third, after Germany and Italy.

Behind Spain's more recent market achievements is a long history of industrial development since the first machine tool was manufactured in Spain in 1863. This historical aspect illustrates the strong tradition within the sector.

The Association representing the machine tool sector, AFM, was founded in 1946 and was one of the first Spanish entrepreneurial associations to become a member of international professional organisations when it joined the CECIMO (European Committee for Co-operation of the Machine Tool Industries).

With regard to the Machine Tool Industry in Spain, it should be said that over roughly the last seven years, Spain has exhibited some of the highest growth in machine tool output among all the major machine tool producing countries. This rate of growth is in terms of both production volume and exports.