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APPENDIX C QUESTIONNAIRE SENT TO . - CHINE CAL INDUSTRY ENS As part of a study of the U.S. machine tool industry and defense preparedness, the National Research Council is examining technological and economic trends that affect the industry. ice would like your reac- t ions to our list of trends, which follows. Please use fine scales to indicate how sued the factors affect your firm and the industry as ~ whole ( i.e., now much change you expect these trends to require) . we would appreciate any comments on the impact of ~ nese trends, how you plan to or currently respond to them, and expectations for the future. There is room at the end of each section to suggest other factors that we may Have missed. I f you have any questions, call Miss Janice Greene at ( 202) /334-2570 . Please respond by March 18. Thank you for your a as istance . Tecnnoloqical Trends 1. Material substitution (composites, plastic., ceramics ) a . in des ign of product to be Machined b. Comments: Importance to Importance to your firm en. industry ( ) ( ) ( ) in design of machine tools ( ) ( ) ( ) high ( ) medium ( ) low ( ) high ( ) medium ( ) low ( ) Comments: New forming techniques to reduce metal~cuttinq and labor-intensive f inishing (near net shape, powder metallurgy, precision casting ) ( ) t~:gn ( ) ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) 118
119 Importance to your f ire 3. New cutting cecnniques ( ) nigh ( ) ( lasers, electro~depos~t~on, ( ) medium ( ) chemical milling, advanced ( ) low ( ) 9 ringing technology) Comments: Importance to the indust: y 4. Increasing use of automation a. Small batch fabrication t ) high ( ) ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) b. Assembly ( ) sign ( ) ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) c. Group Necrology ( ) high ( ) ( ) Bedim ( ) ( ) low ( ) d. Adaptive controls & ( ) sign ( ) systems ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) e. Computer-integrated ( ) high ( ) design and manufac- ( ) medium ( ) tuning t ) low ( ) Comments: 5. Increased procurement of systems frog. full-line and systems houses Comments: ( ) high ( ) ( ) ~6dl~ ( ) ( ) low ( )
20 Importance co your f ire 6 . Increas ing demand for ( ) nign precision machine t~1 ( ) medium ( ) perfor~ce and repeatability ( ) low ( ) Comments: Counts: Impair mange ~ 0 che industr y Increasing de_d for high pressure bigh temperature, at high s-- capabilities in equipment ( ) hign { ) ( ) ~~ { ) ( ) low { ) 8. other: Economic Trends 1. Increasing ~tition from foreign ~ufactu:er. in ate drastic and foreign markets Co_nts :_ # I~r~- cO Our f irm ( ) bign ( ) ~i~ ( ) low Iamb_. to =. industry ( ) ( ) ( )
121 Impor tance to you: f ire 2. Increasing concentration of ( ) nigh the industry through ( ) medium mergers, takeovers, and ( ) low ~ allures Components: Importance to the industr y ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) 3. Increasing relations with foreign fire - , through 1 icens~ng, joint ventures, and acquisitions Comments: . Diver~if ication and integration with r elated industr ies Comments: ( ) high (. ) ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) ( ) Sign ( ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) 5. Current low liquidity and f flexibility of the industry, leading to reduced ~ ~ D and a shortage of working capital Com~nts:- ( ) hign ( ) medium ( ) low ( ) ( ) ( ) .
22 Importance to your firm 6. High cost of capital over ( J hign ( ) a prolonged period ( ) medium ( ) ( ) low ( ) Comments: Comments: Unprecedented unpredictabil- ( ) ity of economic conditions t ) (regarding growth, inflation. ( ) interest rates, currency exchange rates) high ( medium ( ) low ( ) 8. Factory utilization ( ) (lengthy decline, followed ( ) by recent upturn) ( ) Comments:_ 9. other: Name and Address: Importance to the industry high ( ) medium ( ) 10. ( )