There is no doubt that the current economy has impacted the health of machining industry throughout the world. The smaller demand for machining products is taking its toll on some machine shops that are not able to find clever ways to operate effectively and efficiently. Some shops are continuing to perform at high levels, and are not experiencing the situation as other have been required to.
There is no secret why some machine shops are adapting to this change and are able to maintain profit even during these difficult times. The best machine shops are finding ways to be more precise. Sure. Precision craft is what most machine shops have prided themselves on for a long time, but the shops that are doing well today are expanding the meaning of this precision into the ways they are running the business. More often than not, this precision in business management means the addition of some type of technology.
The growth in machining is in the field of precision machining. With the automotive industry not performing as it once did, the old machine ships that once were able to press and machine parts within reasonable specifications are now understanding that they need to switch operations in order to stay competitive. Precision machining, that is machining that operates within a tiny fraction of an inch, and has fine minuscule tolerances, is now in high demand. This is due to the fact that many industries such as the alternative energy field need very small tolerances.