Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Goodyear launches $320M expansion of its Lawton plant, boosting capacity 30%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced a $320 million, four‑year expansion of its Lawton, Oklahoma facility. The upgrade will raise production capacity by nearly 30%, adding about 10 million tires a year—roughly 120,000 units per day—and positions the plant as the largest Goodyear site in North America, targeting higher‑margin, larger‑rim tires for electric vehicles.
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By the numbers: BlackRock takes 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
The Australian government has published 18 initial Consumer Energy Resource (CER) device requirements to steer design and manufacturing of solar inverters, battery storage and electric‑vehicle systems. The guidance focuses on interoperability, ensuring devices can communicate across manufacturers and energy providers before formal regulation arrives. By outlining standards now, the policy aims to harmonise product development and reduce market fragmentation. It also highlights gaps in existing standards, prompting further work under the National Consumer Energy Resources Roadmap.
CSIRO says Australia’s abundant graphite resources present a strategic chance to build domestic battery‑grade processing capability. While global demand for lithium‑ion anodes surges with electric‑vehicle growth, about 95% of refining is done in China, leaving a supply‑chain risk. The agency...
Corning and Meta have broken ground on a major expansion of Corning's optical‑fiber manufacturing in Hickory, North Carolina, under a multiyear agreement worth up to $6 billion. The new capacity is expected to lift Corning's North Carolina workforce by 15‑20 percent, creating...
Datalogic unveiled the AREX400 AF, a fiber‑laser marking system that adds software‑controlled Adjustable Focus, covering a ±20 mm to ±60 mm range. The technology eliminates manual refocusing, allowing instant focus changes via LIGHTER™ 9 software and supporting multi‑level parts in a single cycle. Weighing...
In this episode, Argus senior reporter Denise Cheng talks with ammonia market editor Roof Sharp about the launch of Argus' new China FOB ammonia price assessment and the shifting dynamics of China's ammonia trade. China, once a major importer, is...
St George Mining has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish engineering firm Tecnicas Reunidas to test its proprietary RARETECH rare‑earth processing technology on high‑grade material from the Araxá project in Brazil. The Araxá deposit is the largest hard‑rock rare‑earth...
Ocado Intelligent Automation will unveil Ocado IQ at MODEX 2026, a cloud‑based AI platform that directs every pick, path and priority from inbound to outbound. The software powers the Chuck autonomous mobile robot and the newly‑designed Porter pallet‑moving AMR, both...
AirKamuy, a Tokyo‑based startup founded in August 2022, designs and manufactures fixed‑wing VTOL aircraft and unmanned solutions. The company handles design and assembly in‑house, aiming to become the world’s leading fixed‑wing VTOL manufacturer. Its leadership combines telecom infrastructure, finance, and...
Mercedes‑Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain announced a $4 billion investment in the Alabama plant to lift production capacity as the company pursues a 28% increase in U.S. sales, aiming for 400,000 vehicles annually by 2030. Despite a tougher market marked by...
Brain Corp unveiled BrainOS Clean 2.0, integrating SelfPath AI into Tennant’s X‑series floor‑cleaning robots. The update lets machines autonomously generate and adjust routes, removing the need for manual training. Early deployments show 22% higher coverage, 55% greater autonomy, and deployment speeds more than...
Vertiv announced a roughly $50 million investment to expand its Ironton and Westerville, Ohio facilities, boosting manufacturing capacity for advanced liquid‑cooling and chilled‑water systems. The Ironton plant’s output is slated to increase about 45 % by Q2 2027, enabling faster response to AI‑driven,...
Reframe Systems has installed a 554‑square‑foot robotic‑built modular unit at The Bolt, a 180,000‑sq‑ft innovation campus under construction in Woburn, Massachusetts. The unit serves as a high‑end sales and leasing hub for developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes during the construction phase,...
My friend Thematic Markets gets this wrong -- US industrial production (using the series that leaves out chips, which is still benefitting from Biden era policies) is flat not way up 1.x https://t.co/pYA4LZEt8F
Toyota Material Handling Europe unveiled Swarm Automation Transport, an automated guided vehicle system that pairs its SAI125CB counter‑balance stacker with the T‑ONE control platform. The solution can move, stack and replenish pallets of various formats, from euro to bottom‑deck, across...
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced continued momentum for the Data Center Excellence (DCE 9000) initiative, a first‑of‑its‑kind quality‑management system standard for modern data‑center infrastructure. Backed by hyperscalers, operators and equipment suppliers, the effort targets mechanical, power and cooling systems to...
HIN Feinmechanik, a German precision‑machining firm, replaced its legacy CAM system with ENCY to shift error detection from the machine to the preparation stage. The new software provides reusable templates, real‑time stock‑removal visualization, and integrated fixture simulation, dramatically speeding up...
Vention has commercially launched Rapid Operator AI, a turnkey system that automates deep‑bin picking for mid‑market and enterprise manufacturers. Built on the company’s Generalized Robotic Industrial Intelligence Pipeline (GRIIP) and NVIDIA Isaac models, the solution detects random parts, estimates 6‑DoF poses,...
Bambu Lab announced the retirement of its flagship X1 series, ending production effective immediately. The company will maintain feature updates through June 2027, security patches until June 2029, and spare‑part support until April 2031. Existing owners can still find X1, X1C, or X1E...
Argonne National Laboratory and Aclara Resources have signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to create an AI‑enabled digital twin for heavy rare earth separation. The partnership will feed data from Aclara’s pilot plant into Argonne’s advanced computing platform, aiming...
Coca‑Cola is allocating $650 million to expand its Fairlife dairy plant in Coopersville, Michigan, adding two high‑speed lines and 245,000 sq ft of space. The move aims to relieve capacity constraints as Fairlife sales surge, with production slated for 2028.
Industry analysts warn that a severe DRAM shortage—coined RAMageddon—is inflating memory‑chip prices by up to 90% and could choke production of laptops, smartphones and gaming consoles until at least 2028. The squeeze is traced to AI data‑center demand and the...
Fujitsu announced plans to develop a dedicated AI inference NPU using Rapidus' 1.4 nm process, with an estimated development cost of ¥58 billion (about $363 million). The project, funded roughly two‑thirds by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, will be designed...
Robotics installations surged to 542,000 units in 2024, a 9% year‑over‑year increase, with Asia accounting for 74% of the volume and China alone delivering 295,000 units. Global deal flow hit a record $107 billion in 2025, driven by a $50 billion US...
Robots are transforming warehouses by automating the retrieval of products. Whether moving items to a conveyor or delivering them directly, this tech streamlines the pick, pack, and ship process. #Robotics #Automation #Warehousing https://t.co/C8rw6DEz9O
Motion Industries announced the opening of two new sales branches in Mexico—Cuautlancingo, Puebla and Piedras Negras, Coahuila—officially launched in late 2025. The facilities add to Motion’s existing network, bringing the total to 16 locations across the country. Each branch provides industrial...
SAP is partnering with Swiss robot maker ANYbotics to embed four‑legged autonomous inspectors directly into its ERP platform. The robots act as mobile data‑gathering nodes, using edge AI to analyze thermal, acoustic and visual feeds and instantly push fault alerts...
SHD, a Cambium subsidiary, announced formal membership in the Slovenian Defence Cluster and an upgrade to Level 3 membership within Make UK Defence. The moves expand its collaborative footprint across Central Europe and the United Kingdom, reinforcing its role in supplying dual‑use...
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division released an upgraded version of its PULSE environmental monitoring system for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). The new hardware and software broaden sensor coverage to temperature, humidity, vibration, shock and probe deflection, extending monitoring beyond the CMM...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub have teamed up with Amazon to develop AI‑driven recycling of critical minerals from clothing and electronic waste. The DOE is allocating nearly $1 billion, with more than...
Senesco Marine has selected ABB to provide full propulsion and automation systems for a new 75‑car DRBA ferry replacing the 45‑year‑old Cape Henlopen. The diesel‑electric hybrid vessel, slated to begin construction in mid‑2026, will feature ABB’s onboard DC grid, PEMS...
Coherent’s datacenter bookings have surged, posting a book‑to‑bill ratio above 4× and securing most of 2026 revenue with visibility extending to 2028. The company’s new six‑inch indium phosphide (InP) production line is projected to deliver more than four times the...
A new Hallgarten note warns that Europe’s critical‑minerals strategy is misaligned, focusing on lithium and ESG while overlooking the war‑driven metals tungsten, antimony, tin, rare earths and helium. The report highlights substantial domestic resources in Spain, Portugal, Scandinavia, Cornwall and...
amsight, the Fraunhofer spin‑out specializing in data‑driven quality management for additive manufacturing, launched a new website (www.amsight.de) to highlight its production‑level QMS offering. The site organizes content by concrete use cases—traceable data, powder management, production monitoring, audit‑ready reporting, analytics, and...
US customs. China shifts vs content. The reality of the upstream supply chain. Its size, complexity, and tiers of suppliers’ suppliers.
Rising e‑grocery sales and aging U.S. cold‑storage facilities are driving a surge in demand for modern, temperature‑controlled warehouses. DHL Supply Chain teamed with real‑estate developer RLCold to build over 5 million square feet of new cold‑storage space across North America, emphasizing...
The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Index fell 4.9 points to 52.8 in March, marking the third consecutive month of expansion despite missing the 54.8 forecast. A reading above 50 signals growth, but the decline suggests weakening momentum. Historically, 52.8 is lower...
Mesabi Metallics secured a $520 million senior secured credit facility from Valor Mining Credit Partners II, a mining‑focused fund backed by Breakwall Capital and Vitol. The financing supports the final phases of its $2.5 billion direct‑reduction iron ore mine and pellet plant in...
China’s semiconductor fabs are entering a triage phase as helium supplies threaten to dry up by late April. The shortage stems from Qatar, which provides roughly one‑third of the world’s helium, halting output after Iranian drone attacks on the Ras...
Vecna Robotics announced CaseFlow Voice, embedding Lucas Systems’ Jennifer voice platform into its CaseFlow case‑picking automation. The hands‑free solution promises up to a 2× boost in throughput and cuts training time by as much as 50%. Designed for high‑mix, high‑volume...
Siemens has entered the European Space Agency’s EPIC commercialization program, offering its digital‑twin, simulation and mentoring services to startups in ESA’s Business Incubation Centres. The partnership gives access to Siemens Xcelerator, enabling virtual design, testing and validation of space‑related systems....
Siemens Smart Infrastructure has signed an agreement with Viakoo to integrate the Viakoo Action Platform into its service portfolio. The cloud‑based solution provides automated firmware updates, certificate management, password enforcement, and compliance tracking for OT and IoT device fleets. By...
Private 5G networks now embed precise indoor positioning, delivering meter‑level accuracy without separate hardware. This unified approach replaces fragmented Wi‑Fi, UWB, Bluetooth and RFID solutions, giving manufacturers real‑time visibility of assets, workers, and equipment. Integrated location services feed directly into...
The FDA issued a warning letter to Henan Lvyuan Pharmaceutical after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. Inspectors cited severe facility maintenance issues, including corrosion and water leaks that could compromise API potency and...
The FDA issued Warning Letter 320‑26‑53 to Microbiological Testing & Consulting, LLC after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. The firm failed to maintain adequate laboratory controls, documentation, media qualification, and a functional quality‑control unit,...
APA Solar, a ground‑mounted solar racking and foundations maker, opened a new 30,000‑sq‑ft headquarters in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, consolidating its business, engineering, customer service and manufacturing teams under one roof. The campus now hosts a Foundations Center of Excellence that...
Epson Robots has entered a strategic alliance with Clayton Controls to provide advanced automation solutions across the Southwest United States. Clayton, a 60‑year‑old integrator with ISO 9001:2015 certification and a UL508A panel shop, will distribute Epson’s full robot lineup, including SCARA,...
The FDA’s recent “green list” designation has cleared more than 50% of Chinese manufacturers of GLP‑1 obesity drugs, effectively handing China a dominant role in the U.S. supply chain. Critics warn the move could expose American patients to substandard products...
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will showcase its NXD tupH® surface‑treatment at Seafood Expo 2026 in Barcelona, demonstrating how the technology gives aluminium drive components stainless‑steel‑level corrosion resistance and food‑safe hygiene. The exhibit includes fanless IE5+ synchronous motors, the plug‑and‑play DuoDrive gear‑unit/motor concept, and...
MIT Professional Education launches a five‑day Enterprise Additive Manufacturing program, running April 13‑17, 2026, that blends MIT classroom instruction with hands‑on project work. Led by Professor John Hart, the course guides engineers, operations, and business leaders through the full adoption cycle—from...
