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It’s hard to discern a definite trend in the results from our latest half-year survey of custom injection molders. In both 2010 and 2011, the data show molders’ ����ý stronger in the first half and weaker in the second half.

Returns from 72 custom plants at the end of 2011 showed average capacity utilization of just under 56%, down almost three points from mid-year and the lowest since the end of 2009.

The proportion of respondents who increased their utilization in the second half was only 25%, down from 52% in the first half. And 46% of molders saw lower utilization in the second half, vs.
20% in the first half. (A very similar pattern characterized 2010.)

Returns from 90 molders showed no change, or a tiny decrease, in mold orders, the weakest performance since the end of 2009. And the custom molding machine-hour rate index rose only
0.7%—again, the lowest increase since the end of 2009 and about half the rate in three half-yearly surveys since then.

Molders remain optimistic, however. About 58% see improving ����ý conditions ahead, up from 49% at mid-year. However, the pessimists who see worsening conditions also rose to 32% from
17%. The ratio of optimists to pessimists was the lowest in three years.