Gardner Intelligence has introduced its new business activity tracking tool which allows subscribers to monitor industry changes by material types and machines used. This means glass fibre and carbon fibre fabricators can now see independent trends in the composites industry by material type as opposed to composites industry activity overall.

This new product will also monitor metalworking shops by specific equipment utilised including five axis machines, EDMs, and grinding among others. In total Gardner will now be able to track 17 additional materials or specialised processes.

Gardner Intelligence is the preeminent source of economic information for anyone concerned with durable goods manufacturing.

Michael Guckes, chief economist and director of analytics, Gardner Intelligence, said: “Gardner Intelligence is very pleased to announce that our Advanced Materials Business Index products have launched! This new system allows Gardner to track business activity by the type of equipment or materials used in facilities across the country.”

“Moving forward we will now be able to separately monitor business activity among glass fibre and carbon fibre fabricators. We will also have the ability to evaluate business activity among shops specialise in using five axis machines, EDMs or grinding equipment. In total Gardner will now be able to track 17 additional materials or specialised processes,” Guckes said.

The full list includes electroplating, electrocoating, blow molding, carbon fibre fabricating, glass fibre fabricating, EDMs, grinding, powdercoating, thermoplastics, thermosets, and thermoforming. “We will also be tracking several additional end-markets beyond our current 24. New end-markets will include consumer products manufacturing and wind energy manufacturing,” Guckes said.