U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Reach Half-Year Record in 2026

U.S. manufacturing technology orders reached a record level during the first half of 2026, with strong demand reported across several major industrial sectors, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report from AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

New orders for metalworking machinery totaled $672.7 million in June 2026, up 15.6% from May and 56.8% from June 2025.

For the first six months of 2026, manufacturing technology orders totaled $3.44 billion, representing a 36% increase compared with the first half of 2025. According to AMT, the first half of 2026 was the strongest six-month period for the value of metalworking machinery orders since the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders (USMTO) program began collecting data in 1998.

Despite the increase in order value, the number of machines ordered was 2.6% lower than during the second half of 2025, indicating that higher-value equipment accounted for a significant portion of the spending.

Business Investment Supports Machinery Demand

The manufacturing technology market's performance comes as business investment in machinery remains elevated. Recent U.S. gross domestic product data showed that investment in machinery contributed significantly to economic growth for two consecutive quarters.

AMT reported that some of the investment has been associated with artificial intelligence infrastructure and related manufacturing activity, while demand for manufacturing technology has also been supported by broader industrial capacity requirements.

Contract Machine Shops Increase Orders

Contract machine shops continued to increase their investment in manufacturing technology during the first half of 2026. The segment recorded its highest first-half order value since USMTO data collection began in 1998.

However, the number of machines ordered by contract machine shops declined by nearly 8% compared with the second half of 2025.

Job shops remain the largest customer segment for manufacturing technology, although their machinery purchases have lagged the broader market in recent years. AMT noted that some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have increased internal production capacity to accommodate higher demand rather than relying as heavily on outside job shops.

Aerospace Orders Reach Record Levels

The aerospace sector was among the largest sources of manufacturing technology investment during the first half of 2026.

According to AMT, aerospace manufacturers placed a record amount of machinery orders during the first six months of the year in terms of both order value and unit volume. First-half order value was nearly one-third higher than during the second half of 2025, while the number of machines ordered increased by nearly 25%.

AMT attributed the activity to factors including continued commercial aircraft backlogs, expanding space-related manufacturing requirements and increased defense production needs.

Power Generation Sector Increases Investment

Manufacturers of engines, turbines and power transmission equipment also increased their manufacturing technology investments as demand for electricity from new artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to grow.

While total orders for the sector during the first half of 2026 were comparable to the previous three half-year periods, June orders were more than twice the monthly average recorded since January 2000.

The increased activity resulted in power generation and distribution manufacturers recording first-half investments that were 14% higher than those of the automotive sector, according to AMT.

Manufacturing Technology Market Faces Economic Headwinds

The first half of 2026 included several factors that could affect business investment, including inflation, trade uncertainty, supply chain challenges, changes in Federal Reserve leadership and ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Despite those conditions, AMT reported that measures of U.S. industrial production continued to improve while capacity utilization remained at elevated levels.

The organization also recently presented an updated machine tool order forecast during its Summer Economic Forum. The forecast calls for manufacturing technology orders to increase by 1.5% during the second half of 2026, bringing full-year orders to nearly $7 billion.

The manufacturing technology order data provides an indication of continued investment in metalworking machinery, automation and production capacity as manufacturers respond to demand across aerospace, power generation, automotive and other industrial markets.