Metal cutting machine tools manufacturers and suppliers in SEE

According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, published in 2020, the global metal cutting tools market size amounted to USD 77,24 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 101,48 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 4,2% during the forecast period. The increasing demand for metal cutting equipment from various industries, including aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial machinery results in the growth of the market. The surging demand for efficient equipment in critical and complex machine component requirements is expected to drive the industry in the near future. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of CNC machines is also a factor for market growth. This is attributed to the advantages offered by CNC metal cutting tools including high efficiency, transparency, cost saving, and time efficiency.

The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the market has been relatively less significant in the eastern countries such as China, South Korea and Japan, whereas the western part of the world has suffered drastically. In the short term, the major impact primarily lies due to the disruption of manufacturing activities globally. The enormity of these disruptions increases as the number of cases surge at a global level. Moreover, the impact on the manufacturing industry of the metal cutting tools will be far more extensive if the virus impacts other main industrial countries beyond India, China, and Germany. In the long term, the industries, related to the application of metal cutting tools are likely to be back on track, thus, resulting in considerable demand for machines in the coming years.

Global market trends

The increasing popularity and technological advances in additive manufacturing have increased the demand for metal cutting tools. For instance, the 3D printing technology is gaining the interest of key players in the industry. The technology´s benefits such as optimal use of raw materials, waste reduction, and ease of production of various complex geometries are expected to drive the market. The widespread applications of 3D printing in automotive, construction, medical devices, and robots are further expected to result in the growth of the additive manufacturing industry in the future.

The demand for automation in factories is increasing the utilization of smart manufacturing technologies for production processes and product development. This is attributed to the benefits such as improved productivity, product quality, and ease of coping with labour shortages. The manufacturing and machinery operations will witness a paradigm shift from conventional methods towards intelligent, connected, and streamlined machine systems. Through Industry 4.0 solutions, manufacturers are able to benefit in operational savings, efficient energy usage, enhanced and automatic virtual metrology, and enhanced human-machine interfaces.

Several companies are concentrated on automating their manufacturing processes; however this involves high purchasing, training, and maintenance cost of machines. Also, one of the major factors affecting the growth of the market is fluctuating raw material prices. Furthermore, amid the ongoing pandemic, companies face trouble adjusting to the changing needs of the hour. The companies are currently going through a severe cash crunch, as a result of which they are required to downsize and reduce work force. This is expected to affect companies´ revenue in the coming years based on the severity of the current economic situation because of the pandemic.

Based on the product, the global market is segmented into machining centers, lathe machines, boring machines, grinding machines, milling machines, etc. The lathe machine segment is expected to be the fastest growing type of metal cutting tools. This is attributed to the increasing demand from the automotive sector. Moreover, the high popularity of CNC lathe machines will drive the market. The benefits offered by CNC lathes, including high efficiency, production of complex details, efficient mass production, and low maintenance, are resulting in the growth of the metal cutting tools market.

Furthermore, machining centers hold the major market share and are expected to dominate during the forecast period. This is attributable to the increasing need for mass production from various industries including automotive. The advancements in precise cutting have resulted in increased demand for milling and boring machines. The grinding machines are gaining popularity in the machine tools industry owing to the increasing application of surface grinders, cylindrical machine grinders, tool and cutter grinders.
Asia Pacific holds the major market share and is expected to remain dominant during the forecast period. Europe and North America are expected to exhibit lucrative growth during the forecast period as a result of increasing demand for prefabricated metals.

Major players in SEE

Alfa Metal Machinery. Romania´s Alfa Metal Machinery is among the biggest sales and service companies for high precision machine tools in Eastern Europe. Its main activity is sales and service works for all customers in the metal cutting industry and metal mass production business. The company´s portfolio includes chamfering machines, CNC metal sheet laser cutting machines, CNC shears-guillotines, thread cutting machines, horizontal and vertical machining centers, lathes, cylindrical grinding machines, etc.
Durma. Turkish company Durma is a global manufacturer operating in the field of metal sheet processing machinery with an expert staff team of 1500 people, a wide production line equipped with the latest technology and facilities with the closed space of 150 thousand square meters. Today, Durma exports to 120 countries together with 80 distributors as business partners, and approximately 80% of the machinery manufactured arrive to the buyers in developed industrial countries like the USA, EU members, and Australia. The remaining 20% consists of companies in developing countries or companies thereof that establish partnerships with foreign investors.

Ermaksan. Turkish company Ermaksan is a leading industrial organization that shapes the sheet metal processing machines sector with its strong R&D, that produces high-quality machines with high technology with more than its 800 qualified staff in its modern production facilities. It continues to carry out future oriented R&D works such as fiber laser technologies, new machine models; Industry 4.0 applications and 3D printer (additive manufacturing) machines. The machines produced by Ermaksan now operate in 110 countries.

Continuously following the new trends and customer expectations, and designing and producing machines with advanced technology, high added value, that are environment friendly and energy saving, Ermaksan takes firm steps forward on the way of sustainable growth by using resources efficiently.

Ileri Teknik. Turkey´s Ileri Teknik is a manufacturer of heavy duty manual and semi-automatic cut off machines. After 10 years of supplying services to the metal and automotive industry, Ileri Teknik joined the designing and manufacturing side of the industry and for the last 20 years it has been building up to be one of the major manufacturers of circular sawing machinery.

In 1995 Ileri Teknik began its expansion into the development of circular saws and has ever since been at the forefront of the industry. Starting with the production of manual machines they have worked their way through to semi and fully automatic models. Ileri Teknik´s machines are now largely exported to many of the major exports markets.
Nukon. Nukon Bulgaria offers a chance to every manufacturer to add to his production base a boutique designed machine. The company provides a 24-month warranty for its machines and fast technical service. Nukon´s main production is fiber laser cutting machines, also plasma cutting machines, oxy-flame cutting and water jet machine tools.
Polymeta C. Bulgarian company Polymeta C is one of the leading suppliers of metal processing machines, tools and equipment. It offers a large range of products designed for optimal metal processing, cutting, bending, etc. The company has established itself on the Bulgarian and Balkan machine market as trustworthy, accurate and precise. Polymeta C is an official dealer for Bulgaria of DMG MORI, Durmazlar Makina, Karmetal, Matrix, CBC, FIAC Compressors and more. The company´s team consists of highly qualified engineers and experts. Its head office is based in Sofia, with showrooms located in Sofia, Veliko Tarnovo and in Stara Zagora.

RAIS. For more than 25 years, Bulgaria´s RAIS has been the leading company in the Balkans and Europe for the production of CNC machines, tools and equipment for various sectors of the industry. The company´s portfolio includes different types of CNC milling and turning machines, 3-axis centers, 5-axis centers, horizontal machining centers, single-spindle and twin-spindle lathes.

RAIS offers not just machines and equipment, but complete solutions to its customers. They get a fully customized machine based on their needs and their job. RAIS provides complex solutions through estimates of production time, tooling, commissioning, training and after-sales service of all types of CNC metal cutting machines.
Manufacturers from various industrial sectors from more than 20 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa have trusted RAIS. RAIS has offices and dealers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Russia, North Macedonia, Greece, Spain, Italy, Romania, the Middle East and others.

REM Machine Tools. Romania´s REM Machine Tools is specialized in vertical turning lathes. The REM vertical lathes are designed for high machining accuracy, very good rigidity and stability, in conditions of heavy machining of metal, including asymmetrical pieces. The company uses a personalized ERP software solution and design specialists work with tools such as Solidworks, Eplan and Visio. The Machine Tools Division of REM has a key role in the company and is considered one of the most important. The extended knowledge of the company´s specialists and the continuous acquiring of new technology helps REM build reliable and high quality products. Its heavy machine tools, including the vertical turning lathes, execute specific operations like turning and milling.

Stournaras Machine Tools. Greece´s Stournaras Machine Tools was founded in 1983, with main interest in import and selling of metal cutting and forming machinery. The company claims that the long experience of its personnel in the field of selling and support of the machine tools, can be confirmed by the quality of the provided machinery. Stournaras Machine Tools´s partners include Ermaksan, Karmetal, Akyapak, Bendmak, Arsenal, Gecam, Rolleri, etc. It is able to supply a wide variety of advanced technology machine tools, like sheet metal forming machines both conventional and CNC, as well as metal cutting machines. They can either be on stock or specially ordered.