September U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $407.21 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association and AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the USMTC program, was up 31.9% from August and up 43.1% from the total of $284.47 million reported for September 2005. With a year-to-date total of $2,815.34 million, 2006 was up 26.2% compared with 2005. These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals of actual data reported by companies participating in the USMTC program. "Strong sales at September's International Manufacturing Technology Show pushed year-to-date consumption to its largest lead over 2005," says John J. Healy, AMTDA President. ?It now looks likely that 2006 will post the best results for U.S. investment in advanced manufacturing equipment since 2000." The United States Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) report, jointly compiled by the two trade associations representing the production and distribution of manufacturing technology, provides regional and national U.S. consumption data of domestic and imported machine tools and related equipment. Analysis of manufacturing technology consumption provides a reliable leading economic indicator as manufacturing industries invest in capital metalworking equipment to increase capacity and improve productivity.