October U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $193.6 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report (CTMR) collaboration, was up 9.7% from September’s total and up 3.3% from October 2013.

These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals actually reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals represent about 80% of the U.S. market for cutting tools.

“October 2014 has given some indication that we have turned the proverbial corner in the cutting tool industry,” said Tom Haag, president of USCTI. “Sales volume has recorded the best month in over two years going back to March 2012 and four of the last five months have outperformed 2013. The increased sales immediately after IMTS in Chicago have created a momentum that has continued to swell into the fourth quarter.”

The Cutting Tool Market Report is jointly compiled by AMT and USCTI, two trade associations representing the development, production and distribution of cutting tool technology and products. It provides a monthly statement on U.S. manufacturers’ consumption of the primary consumable in the manufacturing process – the cutting tool. Analysis of cutting tool consumption is a leading indicator of both upturns and downturns in U.S. manufacturing activity, as it is a true measure of actual production levels. 

Historical data for the Cutting Tool Market Report is available dating back to January 2012. This collaboration of AMT and USCTI is the first step in the two associations working together to promote and support U.S.-based manufacturers of cutting tool technology.