Machine Tool Orders Fall Sharply: The orders,...

Machine Tool Orders Fall Sharply: The orders, a key indicator of the nation’s economic health, fell a hefty 22.7% last month from March of 1990, the Assn. for Manufacturing Technology said. The $205.45 million in orders was down 16.2% from the month before. For the first quarter, tool orders totaled $650.45 million, compared to $661.70 million in last year’s first quarter. Machine tools, which cut or shape metal, are used in the manufacture of goods ranging from weapons and aircraft to consumer items such as refrigerators and cars. Thus statistics on them are used to forecast U.S. production in months to come.