US Manufacturing Technology Orders Surge 102 Percent to Record Levels
New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by The Association For Manufacturing Technology (AMT), totaled $1,007.3 million in September 2026, a 38.0% increase from August 2026 and a 101.7% increase from September 2025. The total value of orders placed in 2026 reached $5.76 billion through September, 45.0% above the first three quarters of 2025.
The value of orders placed in September 2026, which includes those placed at IMTS – The International Manufacturing Technology Show, set a record for monthly investment in manufacturing technology. Orders were 22.5% above the previous record, set in December 2025. The count of new machines ordered in September 2026 was the highest since an earlier IMTS, September 2014. This is the seventh month in a row of orders exceeding half a billion dollars, the longest streak of investment recorded by USMTO.
Growth in the average value of manufacturing technology orders began to exceed the rate of inflation in October 2021. While inflation still plays a role, a far greater driving force is the increased appetite for automation among the companies investing in manufacturing technology. In September 2026, that growth began to moderate as the number of units ordered grew at the fastest rate since July 2024, relative to the change in value. A one-month deviation in the trend could be attributed to customers with a lower appetite for automation making a larger share of monthly investment. Should this trend continue, it may reflect growing capacity constraints among machinery manufacturers, pushing the buying decision toward the option with the shortest lead time, which could forego some added features if it results in extended delivery times.
Orders by Customer Industry
Manufacturing technology investments from contract machine shops, the largest customer industry, continued to accelerate in September 2026. While orders from job shops are on the rise, the generally rising tide of investment across customer industries has brought machinery demand to record levels. Job shop investments also set a record in September 2026, nearly 25% above the previous record, which was set in August 2026. Units ordered were at the highest level since September 2014.
While contract machine shops tend to drive the manufacturing technology investment cycles, their orders tend not to have as much automation as other customer industries. Manufacturers of aerospace products and parts tend to order some of the most complex and automated solutions available on the market. This trend continued to accelerate in September 2026, when both the value of orders and the number of machines were at record levels, rising 5.0% and 8.9%, respectively, above the previous peak in December 2025.
Orders from automotive manufacturers were at the highest level since July 2020, amid the frenzied recovery in sales and subsequent supply chain disruptions after the COVID-19 recession. While overall MT orders from automakers are up in September 2026, the sector is a perfect example of the unequal growth among customer industries that can be expected going forward. Orders from manufacturers of automotive transmissions have pulled back after a few months of elevated investment needed to move away from battery electric vehicle production toward traditional ICE and hybrid powertrains. Aside from a slight uptick in May 2026, motor vehicle stamping has been relatively muted in the post-COVID environment, where manufacturers are introducing fewer variants in body design each year.
Outlook
Orders of manufacturing technology were elevated in September 2026 by the rising tide of IMTS. If the insight from MTForecast holds true, manufacturing technology orders will remain elevated for the remainder of 2026 and into 2027, albeit with some significant variation in the mix of customer industries from month to month. The resilience of demand in the current expansion, which began in September 2024, can be attributed to the increased appetite for automation, demand from industries with long backlogs and lead times, and defense production, which should be sustained through any downturns in aggregate demand.
For more information: www.amtonline.org
