Today's Manufacturing Pulse
Stellantis to pour $1.08B into next‑gen EV line at Mulhouse plant
President Emmanuel Macron announced Stellantis will invest more than €1 billion (about $1.08 billion) to build a next‑generation electric‑vehicle production line at its Mulhouse facility, slated to start in 2029. The investment is part of France’s push to electrify its auto fleet and boost domestic manufacturing capacity.
Also developing:
By the numbers: TIEA Connectors raises $8M Series A
Mitsubishi Materials Posts 19% Profit Rise as Revenue Slides 6% Amid Strong Metals Demand
Mitsubishi Materials Corp announced a full‑year net profit of JPY40.6 billion ($262 million), a 19% increase from the prior year, even as revenue slipped 6% to JPY1.84 trillion. The earnings boost highlights robust demand for specialty metals used in high‑tech manufacturing, offset by a softer overall sales environment.
Humanoid Secures Landmark Deal with Schaeffler to Deploy Thousands of Humanoid Robots
UK‑based Humanoid has signed a phased deployment and supply agreement with Schaeffler to roll out thousands of wheeled humanoid robots across the German supplier’s global sites, with the first units operating by end‑2026. The deal, structured as Robot‑as‑a‑Service, includes a...
Additional Metal Work Pneumatic and New Potable Water Components
AutomationDirect announced an expanded Metal Work pneumatic line and new potable‑water components under its BIT series. The portfolio now includes compact filters, coalescing filters, regulators, lubricators, filter‑regulators and full FRL units with 1/8" and 1/4" NPT ports, some featuring clear...
Autonomous Robots Run Human-Speed 8‑Hour Livestream
Figure is going live around 11am PT today with an 8-hour livestream of our robots running at human speeds This will be fully autonomous on Helix-02 w/ zero human intervention The robots will work together to keep operations running nonstop I’ll share the...
Reliability-Centered Maintenance: The Heartbeat of Modern Industry
The Ghost in the Machine: Why Reliability-Centered Maintenance is the Soul of Modern Industry https://t.co/aUH7UY6oD7 https://t.co/7sP7xnZpmO
Nissan Narrows FY25 Loss to ¥533bn, Eyes Modest Recovery
Nissan Motor Co. posted a FY25 net loss of ¥533.1 billion, down from ¥670.9 billion a year earlier, while operating income fell 16.9% to ¥58 billion. The automaker forecasts a modest ¥20 billion profit in FY26 and lifted its share price 4.3% to ¥364.
Samsung Labor Talks Stall, Threat of 50,000‑worker Strike Could Halt AI Memory Chip Output
Samsung Electronics' wage negotiations with its labor union have broken down, prompting threats of a strike involving more than 50,000 workers from May 21 for up to 18 days. The dispute could cripple production of advanced AI memory chips, a...
Foxconn Ransomware Attack Highlights Global Manufacturing Supply Chain Vulnerability
Foxconn, the world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer, was hit this week by the Nitrogen ransomware group, forcing the company to confront a breach that could ripple through the supply chains of Apple and dozens of other tech firms. The incident...
Energy, Minerals, and the Physical Stack Behind AI
In this episode, Turner Caldwell of Mariana Minerals and Drew Begalino of Heron Power discuss how America’s AI and industrial future depends on revamping the physical stack of critical minerals, energy generation, and grid infrastructure. They explain their Tesla‑inspired, software‑first...
Plasma Tech Targets PFAS-Free Outdoor Gear
Swiss research institute Empa, in partnership with textile manufacturers, is developing a plasma‑based coating under the EC0Tex project to create PFAS‑free, water‑repellent yarns for outdoor apparel. The technology uses fluorine‑free substances, delivering durable repellency while cutting chemical consumption. Backed by...
Agentic AI Could Make Robots Affordable for Small Businesses
Siemens unveiled Eigen, an agentic AI software platform, at the Hannover Messe automation fair. The technology claims to automate the reprogramming of PLCs, DCS and robots, cutting the engineering and reconfiguration phase that accounts for roughly 70% of a robot’s lifecycle...
GMG Leases New Site as Part of Expansion Plan
Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has signed a three‑year lease for a new site in Richlands, Brisbane, to support its Gen 2.0 graphene production project and provide additional office space. The Gen 2.0 plant aims to deliver at least 10 tonnes of graphene per...
‘Mammoth but Possible’: Mutapa Lays Out Realistic Zisco Revival Blueprint as Integrated Steel Ecosystem Takes Shape
Mutapa Investment Fund deputy CIO Ernest Denhere outlined a pragmatic plan to revive Zimbabwe's defunct steelmaker Zisco, acknowledging the old plant must be replaced but emphasizing abundant iron ore, limestone and coal resources. He highlighted that parts of Zisco are...
Bridgestone to Close Its Taiwanese Tyre Plant
Bridgestone announced the closure of its Hsinchu County tyre plant, which has operated since 1982. The decision aligns with a global operational overhaul and a shift toward a sales‑and‑service‑centric model in Taiwan. Over 500 employees will receive transition assistance under...
Plymouth Factory Could Unlock £4.6bn UK EV Opportunity
A Plymouth-based factory could be the key to unlocking a £4.6 billion opportunity for the UK EV sector - and reducing reliance on international partners. My latest for @IMechE's Professional Engineering https://t.co/uYBo3VIAh8
Paragraf Launches PMF2000 GFET
Paragraf has unveiled the PMF2000 graphene field‑effect transistor, the company’s first device fabricated on six‑inch silicon wafers. The launch is backed by a new large‑wafer facility in Huntingdon, billed as the world’s first graphene foundry, which boosts yield and consistency...
Morningstar CAM Solutions Partners With HCL CAMWorks
Morningstar CAM Solutions has entered a reseller partnership with HCL CAMWorks to deliver a turnkey CAD/CAM offering that merges SOLIDWORKS 3D modeling with CAMWorks feature‑based CNC programming. The collaboration leverages Morningstar’s 35‑year manufacturing experience and its own machine shop to...
QALogger Launches ‘Vending Machine’ Simple Digital Logbooks
QALogger.com unveiled a cloud‑based digital logbook platform designed for small manufacturers (1‑100 employees) to close the ISO 9001 compliance gap. The “vending‑machine” style interface requires no specialized training and automates record‑keeping, email reminders, and audit‑ready documentation. In‑browser processing safeguards data privacy...
Quality Management in Times of Acceleration
Digital transformation has shifted from a trend to a competitive necessity, with generative AI and analytics now within reach of companies of all sizes. Regulatory pressure is intensifying, exemplified by the FTC’s 2025 crackdown on “Made in USA” claims and...
KLINGELNBERG Unveils Smart Tracing To Bring Data-Driven Transparency To CNC Manufacturing
Klingelnberg introduced Smart Tracing, a web‑based analytics platform that captures high‑frequency CNC servo data and creates a “machine fingerprint” for any tool regardless of brand. The solution stores, visualizes and compares trace data against tolerances, enabling manufacturers to move from...
Edge Cloud and AI Integration Transform Audi’s Production Quality and Inspection Systems
Audi is deploying its Edge Cloud 4 Production (EC4P) platform across German plants, merging cloud flexibility with traditional automation. The rollout has removed more than 1,000 industrial PCs and introduced virtual PLCs that synchronize around 100 robots with millisecond precision....
Big Data and Analytics in Vision Metrology: Turning Optical Measurement Into Actionable Insight
Manufacturers are turning vision‑based metrology from a post‑process checkpoint into a real‑time, data‑driven function. High‑resolution imaging now produces full‑field, high‑density data streams that can be analyzed on the shop floor. L.S. Starrett highlights AI, trend analysis and continuous monitoring as ways...
3 Principles to Achieve Test Cuts Worth Trusting
A test cut should only be used when it addresses a specific, unquantified risk in a machine purchase, not as a generic demo. The author outlines three principles: when the cut is justified, how to design a simple, representative test...
AI-Powered ERP Introduced for Australian Batch Manufacturing Sector
ECI Software Solutions has launched its Deacom ERP platform in Australia, targeting batch and process manufacturers in food, beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and specialty production. The AI‑enhanced system consolidates finance, production, inventory, quality and compliance into a single database, replacing spreadsheets...
Hyundai Motor Group Restructures to Accelerate Production‑Robot Adoption in Smart Factories
Hyundai Motor Group announced a corporate overhaul on May 12, 2026, establishing a Robot Manufacturing Solutions Strategy Team to drive large‑scale deployment of production robots. The move places robotics at the core of its manufacturing organization and ties the effort...
EU’s $235 Billion EV Push Faces 2035 Phase‑out Policy Test
European governments and industry have pledged roughly €200 bn ($235 bn) to electric‑vehicle manufacturing, batteries and charging infrastructure. A pending EU decision to ease the 2035 ban on internal‑combustion cars could undermine that capital, putting the continent’s clean‑tech supply chain at a...
Tesla Adds $250 Million to Giga Berlin Battery Line, Boosting Capacity to 18 GWh
Tesla announced a $250 million injection into its Grünheide plant, more than doubling planned battery cell capacity to 18 GWh and adding 1,500 battery‑related jobs. The move follows a contentious works‑council election and signals a push for full vertical integration of EV...
Google Donates $10 Million to Manufacturing Institute for AI Upskilling of 40,000 Workers
Google.org announced a $10 million grant to the Manufacturing Institute to create two AI‑focused training tracks for 40,000 current and future manufacturing workers. The funding expands the institute’s FAME USA apprenticeship network and adds free AI certificates, aiming to narrow a...
For 250 Years, America Didn’t Just Invent the Future—It Built It. That Connection Is Breaking. Here’s How to Restore It
The piece reflects on America’s 250‑year legacy of not just inventing but also building the future, highlighting how that synergy between innovation and execution is now fraying. Declining manufacturing share, widening skills gaps, and misaligned policy incentives have eroded the...
Nidec Shares Tumble After Scandal Spreads to Product Quality
Nidec Corp., the world’s largest precision‑motor maker, disclosed a quality‑control scandal involving unauthorized changes to materials, processes and designs. The revelation sent the company’s Tokyo‑listed shares plunging up to 18% in morning trading, the sharpest decline in six months. The...
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Wire Association International’s biennial Wire Expo 2026 returned to Milwaukee, drawing 1,045 visitors from 44 U.S. states and 21 countries. The event, co‑located with the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo, featured 150 exhibiting companies, 24 speakers, and new attractions such...
Dürr AG Q1 Profit Falls 16% as Industrial Automation Orders Slump
Dürr AG posted first‑quarter earnings of €20.23 million, a 16% decline from the same period a year earlier, while revenue slipped 6.6% to €940.21 million. The German automation specialist said the drop mirrors a slowdown in industrial‑automation orders across Europe and Asia,...
EEWOC: Wheeled Orb Robot Scales Steel Using Extendable Limbs
Meet EEWOC: A Wheeled Orb #Robot That Climbs Steel with Extendable Limbs via @WevolverApp #AI #Robotics #Innovation #TechForGood #EmergingTech https://t.co/brryYXDb05
TSMC Arizona Fab Posts $514 M Profit Amid Water and Labour Hurdles
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a NT$16.14 billion ($514 million) profit from its Arizona fab in 2025, the first full year of mass production. The gain comes as the company wrestles with water shortages, power constraints and a tight labor market, while...
Stevia‑Based Hydrogel Boosts Transparent, Stretchable Electronics
Professor Kyungwho Choi at Sungkyunkwan University and Professor Jinsoo Kim at Kyung Hee University unveiled a stevia‑enhanced PVA hydrogel triboelectric nanogenerator that delivers up to five times the mechanical strength and eight times the electrical output of conventional designs, while...
Sandia Deploys AI-Assisted Inspection Workflow for Nuclear Deterrence Ceramics
Sandia National Laboratories is installing optical and acoustic imaging systems paired with an AI‑augmented review tool to inspect ceramic billets used in nuclear deterrence weapons. The workflow shifts defect detection from manual microscope checks of final parts to high‑throughput digital...
Supply‑chain Stress Resurges After COVID Peak
Supply-Chain Stress That Peaked in Covid Heads Higher Again. If and when we hit supply constraints… https://t.co/CrUgwLc19S
Sandvik Coromant to Highlight End-to-End Machining Solutions and Expertise at IMTS 2026
Sandvik Coromant will spotlight its end‑to‑end machining solutions at IMTS 2026 in Chicago, inviting shop floor teams to bring their toughest production challenges to a collaborative booth. Attendees can consult with a roster of experts on everything from tool selection...
Seegrid Surpasses 20 Million Autonomous Miles in Industrial Facilities
Seegrid's autonomous mobile robots have logged over 20 million miles in active industrial facilities, equivalent to circling the Earth more than 800 times. The mileage was accumulated across 24/7 manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics sites in North America, with no recordable safety...
Quantum Space to Build Spacecraft in Tulsa
Quantum Space announced it will establish a manufacturing line for its Ranger series spacecraft in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with production slated to begin in early 2027. The 25,000‑to‑40,000‑square‑foot facility will initially create about 50 high‑skill jobs and will be housed in...
Why P&ID Drawings Matter and How Outsourcing Helps
Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) are the technical backbone of process engineering, detailing every piece of equipment, pipe, valve and control loop. They are essential throughout a plant’s lifecycle—from design and FEED, through HAZOP studies, construction, commissioning, operations, and modifications....
Build Engineers Own Engine Modules From Concept To Test
Traditionally, engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain are siloed. Engineering throws drawings over the wall to mfg/supply chain. At Boom our Build Engineers are empowered—and own whole engine modules from concept through test stand.
I/O's Evolution From Massive Relay Panels to Distributed Intelligence
The article traces the shift from bulky, centrally wired relay panels to modern distributed I/O architectures in factory automation. Early PLCs relied on massive panels and proprietary serial links, driving high material costs and limited flexibility. The adoption of Ethernet‑based...
Festo Introduces GripperAI, an AI-Based Solution for Mixed-Product Robotic Handling
Festo unveiled GripperAI, an AI‑driven software that enables robots to handle mixed‑product streams without custom programming or template loading. The solution runs on a standard industrial PC paired with any compatible 3D camera, automatically calculating grip points and selecting the...
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VisionNav Robotics unveiled its VNE40-66 Autonomous Precision Stacking Solution at Modex 2026, marking the industry’s first system able to stack cages up to 8.8 feet wide and 22 feet high. The robot handles loads of up to 6,150 pounds with millimeter‑level accuracy, thanks...
Peraso's Q1 Revenue Plummets to $1M as Asian Supplier Delays Hit Shipments
Peraso Inc. reported first‑quarter 2026 net revenue of $1 million, a 66% decline from the prior quarter, after an Asia‑based supplier disrupted shipments of its millimeter‑wave and legacy memory chips. The company said it has now secured alternative sources and expects...
TMC and Allseas Sign First Commercial Deep‑Sea Nodule Mining Deal, 3 Mtpa Capacity
The Metals Company (TMC) and offshore contractor Allseas have signed a development and commercial production agreement to build the world’s first large‑scale deep‑sea polymetallic nodule recovery system. The system will target 3 million wet tonnes per year, using two collector vehicles...
Okuma Corp Posts 31% Profit Jump as CNC Demand Surges
Okuma Corporation reported a 31% rise in net profit to ¥12.55 billion ($81 million) for the fiscal year, with revenue climbing 14.1% to ¥235.9 billion ($1.52 billion). The results underscore robust demand for its CNC machine tools as manufacturers seek higher precision and automation.
Harvard Engineers Create Shape‑Shifting 3D‑Printed Filaments for Soft Robotics
Researchers at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering have introduced a rotational multimaterial 3D‑printing process that produces soft filaments capable of bending, twisting and contracting when heated. The breakthrough blends an active liquid‑crystal elastomer with a passive elastomer, enabling...
Coal-Based Steelmaking Outpaces the Industry’s Low-Emissions Transition
Global steelmakers are adding 319 million tonnes per year of new coal‑based blast‑furnace capacity, a 5 % rise that outpaces the modest growth of low‑emission electric‑arc furnace (EAF) and direct‑reduced iron (DRI) projects. Blast furnaces still account for roughly two‑thirds of worldwide...