SPANISH MACHINE TOOLS, TRUST IS OUR BEST TOOL

Spain is the third largest manufacturer and exporter of Machine Tools in the European Union. This is the best demonstration of the extremely high level of trust our customers place in Spanish Machine Tools. A trust that has succeeded in Spanish Machine Tools playing a very important role in the most relevant industrial sectors of the economy, such as automotive, aeronautics and aerospace, energy generation, railways, capital goods, dies and moulds or electrical appliances, etc.

Spanish Machine Tools offer a series of big competitive advantages amongst which the following can be highlighted: great flexibility to adapt products to each customer's, sector's and application's specific needs, a better relationship between productivity and return on investments, a wide and complete range of more than 2,000 models and a decisive commitment to technological innovation, dedicating an average of 6% of the sector's turnover to R&D&i. Competitive advantages that have made it possible to export, on average, 60% of production to international markets.

In 2007, the sector's production in Spain reached 1.050 million euros, representing an increase of 7.3% compared to 2006 figures. Exports on their part increased 10.3%, standing at 615 million euros.

AFM, COMBINING ALL THE SECTOR'S POTENTIAL

The Spanish Association of Machine Tool Manufacturers, AFM, which nowadays holds the Presidency of Cecimo (European Committee for Cooperation of the Machine Tool Industries), represents almost a hundred companies that account 92% of the sector’s total production in Spain. From its head offices in the San Sebastian Technology Park and since its setting up in Tianjin (China), it has been working to facilitate its associates' access to international markets.

AFM is much more than an association, as it also has its technology unit, INVEMA, the Machine Tool Research Foundation. Its job is to promote technological development and improve the industrial management of the sector's companies, in close collaboration with its R&D&i, quality, and safety units.

BIEMH 2008, 25TH EDITION

Co-organised by AFM and BEC (Bilbao Exhibition Centre) the BIEMH 2008, in its 25th edition, is the largest industrial trade fair held in Spain and the Europe’s third largest exhibition in the sector as it is confirmed by the following data:

• More than 57.000 m² of occupied net exhibition space 
• More than 788 direct exhibitors, from Spain and 18 foreign countries
• More than 1.761 brands from 36 countries

Next meeting: 17 Machine Tool and Manufacturing Technologies Congress, 15-17 October 2008, San Sebastián, Spain