Page 42 - MetalForming April 2015

Navigating the New Normal
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given the flexing automotive industry. Beyond just consumer passenger vehicles, the industry is humming in many sectors. Consider heavy trucks. A recent report from IHS Automotive, which will present at APSC, notes strong North American commercial-vehicle demand. With more than 7.7 million commercial vehicles on U.S. roads, the market is at its high- est levels since the 2008-09 recession, according to the report, as relayed in “Transportation Industry A Robust Tar- get for Fabricating Technologies,” by Ray Chalmers in the March/April issue of MetalForming’s sister publication, Fab- ricating Product News (www.fabricatingproductnews.com).
Specifically, the Class 8 truck market, comprising tractor- trailers, is very strong right now, according to Don Ake of FTR Transportation Intelligence. At APSC, Ake will provide a forecast for Class 8 truck and trailer demand along with analysis and commentary on the commercial-transportation- equipment industry.
“Class 8 orders in 2014 were the second-highest year in his- tory and the fourth quarter of 2014 was the highest-order quarter ever,” Ake tells MetalForming in previewing his pres- entation. “OEMs were running into production capacity constraints late in 2014 and are expected to be running full- out for some periods this year. These production constraints have prompted large fleets to place their expected require- ments for the year earlier than normal. This has boosted back- logs, especially in the second half of 2015.
“Demand is being driven by a strengthening freight mar- ket that is growing faster than the general economy,” Ake con- tinues. “This is causing truck utilization percentages to grow and fleet capacity to tighten. Carriers managed their fleet size conservatively early in the economic recovery, creating pent- up demand. This has contributed to the robust conditions in the current market.”
Conference Covers Gamut of Supply-Chain Issues
Overall, the 2015 APSC program will feature thoroughly researched vehicle sales and production forecasts, and the lat- est on warranties, recalls, terms and conditions. Speakers and panels will take questions about the forecasts as well as supply-chain relationships, contracts and other legal issues.
General sessions focus on the global industry outlook as a means to foster innovation and position companies for long-term profitability. Educational sessions cover tooling, design, terms and conditions, and attracting and retaining tal- ent. Roundtable lunch discussions explore key industry issues while panel-discussion topics include supplier require- ments and materials selection. APSC also offers high-level networking sessions. The event also will include the 4th annual Women in Automotive luncheon sponsored by Women in Manufacturing (www.womeninmanufactur- ing.org) and the Automotive Women’s Alliance Foundation.
To register or learn more about APSC, visit www.pma.org/apsc or contact PMA’s Rosemary David at rdavid@pma.org. MF
40 MetalForming/April 2015
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