NEWS
Major automotive crash forecast for 2020
LMC Automotive, a global automotive forecasting company, has said that it expects the decline in the industry as result of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic to be “substan- tial”. The percentage decline in unit sales could be “significantly worse than that experienced during the Great Recession” of 2007- 09, LMC said.
Against the backdrop of
rapid economic deteriora- tion and the lockdown of normal consumer and business activity in most major markets, many OEMs shut down production lines and rising unemployment is bound to hit sales, LMC noted. Global GDP growth is expected to be nil in 2020. LMC’s current forecast is for global light vehicle sales to fall below 77 million units in 2020, 15% below 2019. By comparison, sales in 2007-09 fell by 8.7%, a compound annual growth rate of 4.5%. However, in an alternative scenario where the impact of Covid-19 continues into or
Above: Global sales of cars could fall by 15% in 2020, according to LMC Automotive
relapses during the second half of 2020, the fall could be by 20% to 69 million units. “Such a scenario would put 2021 and the longer- term recovery pattern at further risk,” LMC said. That said, “the industry is far better prepared to weather this, and is in a healthier position”, having absorbed the shock of 2007-09. Moreover, the much more rapid action by policymak- ers this time has put the means in place to facilitate a
faster recovery. While no regional market will escape the immediate impact, LMC added, two thirds of the volume reduction will come from China, North America and Western Europe. Each of these will see a fall in sales of about 3 million units. LMC’s report in March showed Western European car sales in the month were down by 53% year-on-year to 774,280 units. �
https://lmc-auto.com
GW expands in silicones
US contract manufactur- ing and injection mould- ing company GW Plastics has announced a fourth expansion of its affiliate, GW Silicones. Based at Royalton near Bethel, Vermont, GW Silicones is active in liquid silicone rubber for healthcare applications, for which demand is said to be growing rapidly. GW Plastics plans to invest about $2m in construction, new technology and equip- ment to create space for multiple new pro- grammes. This includes an additional 275 m2 Class 8 cleanroom space capable of housing up to ten new injection moulding machines, giving it about 1,115 m2 of total cleanroom space. It all follows on shortly from the completion of a 2,800 m2
expansion at
GW Plastics’ manufactur- ing and technology centre at the same site. �
www.gwplastics.com
Leading journalist dies aged 58
Veteren plastics industry journalist Bill Bregar has died of an apparent heart attack at age 58. He worked for 31 years at Plastics News, which published an obituary on its website and in its 13 April edition. Bregar became well known among machinery suppliers for his years of
6 INJECTION WORLD | April 2020
experience covering plastics machinery, particularly injection moulding. He wrote extensively about developments in the North American plastics market but he also reported from Europe, particularly at numerous K exhibitions, where he showed a marked professionalism in his
pursuit of stories at press conferences and during interviews with executives. His knowledge, dedica- tion and humour will be remembered by colleagues – including former col- leagues now at AMI Maga- zines – and industry execu- tives who he made contact with during his career.
www.injectionworld.com
IMAGE: CAROLINE SEIDEL, PLASTICS NEWS
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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