Metal Gathering Machines

Global Metal Gathering Machines Market to Reach US$572.5 Million by 2030

The global market for Metal Gathering Machines estimated at US$479.7 Million in the year 2024, is expected to reach US$572.5 Million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 3.0% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Welding Robots, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is expected to record a 3.2% CAGR and reach US$250.8 Million by the end of the analysis period. Growth in the Soldering Robots segment is estimated at 1.9% CAGR over the analysis period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at US$130.7 Million While China is Forecast to Grow at 5.7% CAGR

The Metal Gathering Machines market in the U.S. is estimated at US$130.7 Million in the year 2024. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$112.2 Million by the year 2030 trailing a CAGR of 5.7% over the analysis period 2024-2030. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at a CAGR of 1.1% and 2.3% respectively over the analysis period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 1.7% CAGR.

Global Metal Gathering Machines Market - Key Trends & Drivers Summarized

What Roles Do Metal Gathering Machines Play in Industrial Forming Processes Today?
Metal gathering machines serve as integral components in hot and warm forging operations, particularly where volume accumulation and pre-forming of heated metal blanks are required before shaping. These machines use hydraulic or mechanical force to gather molten or softened metal into a compact form, optimizing it for subsequent forming stages such as upsetting, heading, or extrusion. Typically used with materials such as aluminum, steel, brass, and copper alloys, metal gathering machines enable precise control over mass distribution, critical for ensuring part uniformity and structural integrity in automotive, aerospace, and heavy equipment components.

Their relevance has grown in line with the manufacturing sector`s pursuit of energy-efficient and waste-minimizing forming techniques. In industries where structural parts require high strength-to-weight ratios and minimal post-processing, the controlled deformation enabled by gathering operations becomes foundational. Metal gathering machines play a vital preparatory role in the production of shafts, rods, fasteners, valves, and precision-engineered components where billet preparation affects downstream productivity and dimensional consistency.

How Are Technological Advancements Reshaping the Capabilities of Metal Gathering Machines?
Modern metal gathering machines are evolving through the integration of CNC-based process controls, closed-loop feedback systems, and improved thermal management mechanisms. These upgrades allow operators to monitor material flow, billet temperature, stroke timing, and tool wear with unprecedented precision. Hydraulic variants are now equipped with proportional control valves, real-time temperature sensors, and servo-motor-driven actuators for more consistent force application and smoother stroke transitions.

In terms of design, recent machines feature quick-change tooling systems, water-cooled dies, and integrated billet shearing stations that reduce setup times and increase throughput. Some high-end models offer automatic billet feeding and ejection systems, facilitating continuous production cycles in high-volume settings. Additionally, the advent of Industry 4.0 practices is enabling real-time data acquisition from gathering systems, aiding in predictive maintenance and energy optimization.

The emphasis on advanced materials such as high-strength steel and lightweight alloys has also prompted the development of machines with greater force capabilities and multi-directional gathering options. Innovations in die materials-such as tungsten-carbide composites or ceramic-coated surfaces-are improving tool life and heat resistance, making metal gathering suitable for complex geometries and tight-tolerance applications.

Which End-Use Sectors and Regional Markets Are Driving Demand for Metal Gathering Machines?
The automotive sector remains a dominant user of metal gathering machines, especially for forging crankshafts, steering knuckles, suspension components, transmission gears, and valve parts. As internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles continue to be replaced or complemented by electric vehicles (EVs), new forging needs are emerging for lightweight, high-durability components such as motor housings and drive train elements-many of which rely on precision pre-forming using gathering operations.

The aerospace industry also leverages metal gathering to manufacture landing gear, actuator housings, turbine shafts, and structural linkages, where grain flow orientation and fatigue resistance are paramount. In industrial machinery, construction equipment, and energy sectors (including oil & gas and wind turbine components), the use of large-diameter forgings necessitates accurate billet preparation using gathering systems.

Geographically, Asia-Pacific leads the global market, driven by robust manufacturing bases in China, Japan, South Korea, and India. Europe follows closely, with Germany, Italy, and Eastern European nations investing in high-precision forming technologies to serve automotive and defense exports. North America continues to witness upgrades in legacy forging facilities, often incorporating digitalized gathering machines as part of broader modernization efforts. Latin America and the Middle East are witnessing gradual uptake as infrastructure and metal forming capacities expand.

What Is Fueling Growth in the Metal Gathering Machines Market Globally?
The growth in the global metal gathering machines market is driven by several factors, including rising demand for high-strength forged components in transportation, energy, and machinery sectors, along with a renewed push toward process automation and thermal efficiency in forging lines. The trend toward lightweighting in automotive and aerospace industries-while maintaining structural integrity-requires precisely gathered billets, making gathering systems indispensable to upstream forming stages.

Technological advancements in sensor integration, process modeling, and tool material science are also enhancing the appeal of these machines by improving yield rates, cycle times, and reliability. Moreover, increasing adoption of hybrid forming systems-combining gathering, upsetting, and extrusion in single-cell configurations-is boosting equipment utilization rates and making operations more compact and energy-efficient.

Environmental regulations and cost pressures are pushing metal formers to reduce scrap generation and improve input material efficiency. Metal gathering machines support these objectives by delivering billet consistency and optimized volume distribution, thereby reducing downstream trimming and machining waste. As global infrastructure investments rebound and mobility paradigms shift, the need for sophisticated, high-throughput forging setups is expected to sustain long-term demand for next-generation metal gathering machines.

SCOPE OF STUDY:

The report analyzes the Metal Gathering Machines market in terms of units by the following Segments, and Geographic Regions/Countries:

Segments:
Type (Welding Robots, Soldering Robots, Brazing Robots, Cutting Robots, Other Types); Lifting Capacity (Below 3 Tons Capacity, 4 - 6 Tons Capacity, 7 - 9 Tons Capacity, Above 10 Tons Capacity); Application (Assembly Application, Welding Application, Cutting Application, Material Handling Application, Inspection Application, Other Applications); End-Use (Automotive End-Use, Aerospace End-Use, Electronics End-Use, Construction End-Use, Metal Fabrication End-Use, Other End-Uses)

Geographic Regions/Countries:
World; United States; Canada; Japan; China; Europe (France; Germany; Italy; United Kingdom; Spain; Russia; and Rest of Europe); Asia-Pacific (Australia; India; South Korea; and Rest of Asia-Pacific); Latin America (Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; and Rest of Latin America); Middle East (Iran; Israel; Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates; and Rest of Middle East); and Africa.

Select Competitors (Total 36 Featured) -

• ABB
• AMADA HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
• AP&T
• Comau S.p.A.
• Daihen Corporation
• DENSO Corporation
• ESAB (Colfax Corporation)
• ETA Technology
• Fanuc Corporation
• Fronius International GmbH
• Harris (Sierra Int`l Machinery)
• KUKA AG
• Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
• Metso Outotec
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Murata Machinery, Ltd.
• Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation
• Panasonic Corporation
• Primetals Technologies
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation

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