Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] re: Smart box / Dumb box

dave engvall wrote:

> ballendo@... wrote:
>
> > Several years ago, a major player in the low-end CNC market told me
> > that "the entire CNC market was only ever going to be about 500
> > units/year!" It's laughable now, and it was to me then also, but he
> > believed it!
> > Ballendo
>
> Indeed: remember the IBM survey that concluded that there was only a need for about 5 large computers in the world.
>
> And the CEO of DEC that could not envision the 'home' use of a computer.

So, how many CNC machines (mills, lathes, routers) are there in the world? In the
US? What if we add pick and place, welding, painting, etc. robots?

How many manual milling machines and lathes are there in the world? And, how
many of them will be converted to CNC?

I'm guessing that these numbers are really pretty astounding, since at least 1/3
of the lathes, and probably somewhere near that for mills that were made by
WW II are STILL out there, in somebody's basement, barn, etc.
Plus, of course, new machines are still being cranked out every year.

Jon