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) in a next‑generation electric‑vehicle production line at its Mulhouse facility, slated to start in 2029 as part of France’s push to electrify two‑thirds of new cars by 2030.
Also developing:
By the numbers: TIEA Connectors raises $8M Series A
Finding a Home for Excess 3PL Inventory
In this episode, Kevin Lawton talks with Abby Naraki, CEO and founder of Stock, about the growing problem of excess inventory in the 3PL and e‑commerce space and how Stock connects that surplus to a vast network of nonprofits. Abby shares her background in supply chain, the inspiration from her work at Zara and Deliver, and explains Stock’s SaaS‑plus‑marketplace model that lets 3PLs off‑load unwanted stock while nonprofits gain needed goods. She highlights the scale of the issue—90% of Shopify brands fail within three years, leaving massive waste—and how Stock’s platform matches specific inventory types with niche charities, creating a win‑win for both parties. The conversation also touches on the for‑profit nature of Stock, its revenue streams, and the broader impact on sustainability and social good.
Scanology Launches SIMSCAN-S Gen2 Wireless 3D Scanner
Scanology unveiled the SIMSCAN‑S Gen2, a palm‑sized wireless 3D scanner aimed at manufacturers needing micron‑level inspection. The device delivers metrology‑grade accuracy of up to 0.015 mm and captures up to 8.1 million measurements per second at 180 FPS. Weighing only 560 g, its magnesium‑alloy...
Raytron Debuts Three Thermal Imaging Modules at MWC
Raytron Microelectronics unveiled three thermal imaging modules—WN2T, DVS256, and ECOT—at MWC Barcelona 2026. The WN2T adds high‑resolution, real‑time temperature overlay for predictive maintenance and drone inspections. DVS256 merges infrared and visible imaging for consumer handheld cameras and smartphone accessories. ECOT...
Infineon Partners with Zenergize on India Power Tech
Infineon Technologies has formed a strategic technology partnership with Indian power‑electronics firm Zenergize, announced at the Bharat Electricity Summit 2026. Infineon will supply its wide‑bandgap silicon‑carbide (SiC) semiconductors and engineering support to integrate them into solar inverters, EV chargers and...
GM: A Once Global Giant Is Retrenching to Its Domestic Core
General Motors has trimmed its global footprint, now concentrating production of roughly five million vehicles a year in North America and Asia. The company divested its European operations to PSA in 2017 and has shuttered plants in Australia, India and...
Mind Robotics Raises $500 Million to Build AI-Powered Industrial Robots for Real-World Deployment
Mind Robotics announced a $500 million Series A round, co‑led by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, to accelerate its AI‑powered industrial robot platform. The financing follows a $115 million seed round and adds Accel partner Sameer Gandhi to the board. Leveraging Rivian’s manufacturing data...
True Protein Automates Manufacturing Processes with NetSuite
Sydney‑based wellness brand True Protein has upgraded its operations by implementing Oracle NetSuite’s AI‑powered cloud ERP. The new system replaces spreadsheets and siloed tools, automating finance, inventory, manufacturing, warehousing and sales functions. NetSuite’s deployment, managed by Fusion5, has cut the...
Hexxabotics to Unveil Honeycomb-Based AS/RS with Shuttle-Style AMRs at LogiMAT
Hexxabotics will debut a honeycomb‑based automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) at LogiMAT 2026, merging autonomous mobile robots (Hexxabots) with a modular hexagonal grid. The design eliminates fixed rails and in‑rack electrification, promising higher cubic storage density and lower energy use....
Construction Automation Delivers Consistent, Predictable Paving Results
Construction is becoming more automated and more precise. The Optimas S19 paving machine is a good example of that shift. Designed for large-scale projects, it automates the placement of paving stones, handling tasks that traditionally required significant manual labor. What stands out...
The Price of Uncertainty: How Trade Volatility Is Breaking Chemical Supply Chains
Trade policy volatility is reshaping chemical supply chains, with U.S. chemical imports spiking to over $20 billion in March 2025 before plunging in April, leaving firms with excess inventory. The February 28 Iran‑Israel conflict triggered a 62% jump in Brent crude...
Albanese Highlights Manufacturing in Speech on Food and Beverage Sector
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told food and beverage leaders in Melbourne that Australian manufacturing is vital for the sector’s quality and resilience. He warned that higher fuel costs and global supply‑chain disruptions are straining producers. The government will boost domestic...
Workroom Automation Raises Seed Funding Led by Equirus InnovateX Fund
Workroom Automation, a Hyderabad‑based connected‑factory platform, secured ₹6.2 crore in seed funding led by the Equirus InnovateX Fund, with participation from Astir Ventures, Venture Catalysts Group, and several angels. The capital will accelerate product development, especially its AI‑powered planning engine, and...
Hexagon Boosts Shopfloor Productivity with Advanced TubeInspect and BendingStudio XT
Hexagon has upgraded its TubeInspect inspection cell and BendingStudio XT software, delivering near‑instant, non‑contact measurement of tubes and wires directly on the shopfloor. The new release adds simultaneous multi‑part inspection, integrated support for handheld 3D scanners such as ATLASCAN Pro and HYPERSCAN,...
‘METROLOGY BREW’ News Bulletin – 23rd March
The latest Metrology Brew bulletin highlights a surge in smart manufacturing technologies that combine advanced 3‑D measurement, AI‑driven analytics, and high‑speed computed tomography. Companies such as Measur3D, ActionPlas, Lumafield, and Wagon Automotive are deploying new CMMs, inline metrology cells, and...
Flexco System Prevents Costly Conveyor Failure at Cemex
Flexco installed its Elevate belt‑rip detection system at Cemex UK’s Dove Holes Quarry, where it automatically shut down a conveyor after detecting a fallen steel plate in April 2025. The rapid shutdown within 12 metres averted a catastrophic belt rupture and prevented weeks...
South Korea’s ‘Pali-Pali’ Spirit Keeps Killing Its Workers
A fire at Anjun Industrial, a Daejeon car‑parts supplier, killed 14 workers on Friday, exposing a deadly mix of illegal building extensions, grease buildup, and flammable sandwich panels. The blaze originated in a makeshift, unregistered rest area lacking ventilation and...
India Coca‑Cola Bottler SLMG Beverages May Hike Prices Amid Rising Packaging Costs From West Asia War
India’s largest Coca‑Cola bottler, SLMG Beverages, is weighing selective price hikes as the Middle‑East war drives up costs for plastic bottles, caps, labels and cartons. The company, which posted a 49% sales jump to ₹6,773 crore and a 76% profit surge...
European Car Makers Facing Black Hole in Electrifying Family SUVs
European manufacturers are grappling with the electrification of the C‑segment SUV, a segment that now accounts for roughly one‑fifth of all vehicle sales across Europe. These family‑oriented SUVs require long‑range batteries, typically nickel‑manganese‑cobalt chemistries, which are far more expensive than...
Three‑Arm Clamp Extends Range Beyond Conventional Limits
💡How can the expanding and collapsing range of a three arm clamp be increased ❓ Most mechanisms have a limit on the maximum or minimum range they can handle. This mechanism provides us with a more suitable option. #mechanism #design...
Purus Adds to Samsung Heavy LNG Series
Singapore‑based gas owner Purus has exercised an option for an additional LNG carrier with Samsung Heavy Industries, pricing the contract at KRW 377.9 bn (about $252 m) and targeting delivery in Q2 2029. The newbuild follows a prior $503 m order for two 174,000‑cu m vessels...
U.S. Shipbuilding Needs Systemic Overhaul, Not Just Money
If you want to bring shipbuilding to the U.S. at the scale of China or South Korea or even Japan its not only going to take massive capital investment, but you also have to fundamentally change the way these businesses...
Linker Hand06 Delivers Human‑Scale Precision in Robotics
Next-Level #Robotics: Linker Hand06 Brings Human-Scale Precision by @CyberRobooo #Robots #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology #Tech https://t.co/Dm7ETe7t3d
Trainer Hiring Is Structured. Why Does Supervisor Selection Seem So Random?
Manufacturers rigorously certify trainers but often fill supervisor openings through ad‑hoc promotions, typically choosing the strongest operator rather than the strongest leader. This shortcut can mask leadership gaps, leading to inconsistent onboarding, varied shift standards, and rising turnover. Billups cites...
Chinese Robot Makers Race to Replace Workers, Attract Western Buyers
“Last year, I visited 11 robotics companies in China across five cities…All of them were engaged, in different ways, in the race to…commercialise robots capable of replacing human workers—and some of them already have eager western buyers.” @Changxche https://t.co/jen93jcxA4
Blue Origin Advances New Glenn: Multiple Second Stages in Integration
"At least two New Glenn second stages (GS2) appear in final integration, complete with insulation blankets. Complete tank sections for at least four more stages await insulation, while bulkheads and barrel sections indicate yet another unit in the works." https://t.co/JPS90rT2WC...
Monash University Research Highlights Safer, Smarter Human-Robot Teamwork in Manufacturing
Monash University researchers published a review in the International Journal of Production Research showing that better prediction of human behaviour by robots can make manufacturing safer, more adaptive and efficient as Industry 5.0 evolves. The study compares mechanism‑based, data‑driven and hybrid...
Nvidia Warns U.S. Robotics Will Depend on China
Nvidia’s Huang calls China ‘formidable’ in robotics as firm bets on physical AI Huang says US robotics industry will have to rely on China’s supply chain despite US pioneering market... Yup...3D chess vice one dimensional game within Beltway.... https://t.co/rrFQq5IlpQ
Glitch Shuts Australia's Biggest Maker Of Vital Fertilizer Input For 2 Months At Worst Possible Time
Australia’s largest ammonia producer, Yara’s Pilbara plant, will be offline for roughly two months after a power outage damaged equipment. The facility accounts for about 5% of the world’s traded ammonia, a key feedstock for urea fertilizer and ammonium nitrate...
Elon Musk Announces "Terafab" Chip‑Manufacturing Initiative Linking Tesla, SpaceX and xAI
Elon Musk unveiled a plan to build the "Terafab" semiconductor fabrication facility in Texas, integrating Tesla, SpaceX and his new AI venture xAI. The project is billed as the largest U.S. chip fab, intended to strengthen domestic supply chains for...
Beyond the Lab: How to Know the Quality of Tires by Testing Them in Reality
The article argues that laboratory tire tests alone cannot capture real‑world performance, urging consumers to rely on on‑road testing and user feedback. It highlights how variables such as road surface, weather, load, and driving habits dramatically influence grip, wear and...
Port of Oakland: Exports Continue to Outperform Imports
The Port of Oakland handled 163,254 TEUs in February 2026, a 14.5% year‑over‑year decline and 16.7% drop from January as vessel activity slowed for Lunar New Year. Vessel calls fell to 72, reflecting planned blank sailings, yet export volumes remained...
Cirrus360 Introduces New Automation System to Help Small Meat Processors
Cirrus360 unveiled Edgware, a 5G‑enabled automation platform for small and medium‑sized meat processors, at the 2026 International Livestock Congress in Houston. Developed with Rail19 and Texas A&M’s meat‑science faculty, the system fuses edge sensors, cloud analytics, and real‑time incident reporting...
Manufacturing Boost as Vorwerk Relocates Australasian HQ to Victoria
Global home‑technology firm Vorwerk announced the relocation of its Australasian headquarters from Perth to Melbourne, consolidating operations and positioning leadership closer to its largest customer base. The move is expected to generate 55 new jobs and leverages Victoria’s robust manufacturing,...
China Creates First National Standards for Humanoid Robots to Support Industry Scale-Up
China unveiled its first national standard system for humanoid robots, the Humanoid Robot and Embodied Intelligence Standard System (2026 Edition), at a Beijing technical committee meeting. The framework, built by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology with input from...
Optimax Eyewear Group Lifts US Manufacturing Capacity 50% After 30% YoY Growth
Optimax Eyewear Group announced a 50% expansion of its Atlanta manufacturing plant, driven by a 30% year‑over‑year sales surge. The boost relies on new automation and an AI‑powered design ecosystem that underpins its growing brand portfolio.
Dexterity Says Its Physical AI World Model ‘Unlocks Full Potential on Nvidia Hardware’
Dexterity.ai announced that its production‑proven world model, Foresight, now runs on Nvidia L4 GPUs with a 17× speedup, cutting perception cycles from 1,508 ms to 90 ms. The redesign also increased sensor data utilization from 3 percent to 100 percent, delivering 32× more information...
National Trucking Capacity Is About to Tighten Significantly
National dry‑van spot rates surged to $2.89 per mile, the highest level since 2022, after a $0.12 weekly jump. The rise reflects a 20‑25% year‑over‑year recovery on key lanes and volumes at multi‑year highs. Carrier attrition, driver regulations and tender...
AI Boom Threatened by Helium Shortage and Chip Cooling Limits
“Silicon Valley spent the last two years convincing everyone that AI is a pure software revolution, completely forgetting that the entire trillion-dollar capex cycle is dependent on a noble gas extracted in a Middle Eastern warzone. 🤡 You can raise all...
Electric Propulsion Innovator Arc Raises $50M in New Funding
Arc, a Los Angeles‑based electric boat and powertrain firm, closed a $50 million Series C round led by investors such as a16z, Menlo Ventures, and Eclipse. The capital will be used to accelerate production of electric tugboat powertrains and to expand the...
Vertical AI Beats Generic Tools for Industry Precision
𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗜. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄. Horizontal AI — ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini — is built for everyone. Broad, general-purpose, impressive. But it doesn't know your industry,...
TSMC to Depend Heavily on OSATs for Capacity
I do genuinely enjoy some of the company names on Asian exchanges that literally make clear what they do. Global Wafers is another one. That said, TSMC is going to lean heavily on OSATs for capacity support. Interesting times....
VinFast Hasn’t Given Up On Its US Ambitions — Despite Delays, Betting On Long-Term Strategy
VinFast announced it will resume construction of its North Carolina EV factory in April 2026, shifting the project to a phased, lower‑cost model. The plant’s footprint and workforce have been cut to roughly 780,000 square feet and 1,400 employees, with...
Elon’s 100k WPM
Still think he was better of JVing with Intel foundry. He will struggle to get ASML machines, even if @substrate is invlolved it is many years before this 100k WPM is remotely possible. I'm sure Elon is taking the...
Chinese PV Wafer Prices Drop Amid Weak Demand
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Wafer prices fall on weak demand #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/Lzcqrequzf
BAE Partners Brazil Firm on Vehicle Components
BAE Systems Hägglunds has launched a pilot partnership with Brazil’s Knightec Group to develop military vehicle components in Resende, Rio de Janeiro. The collaboration will initially produce conceptual designs for gear housings for the BvS10 all‑terrain vehicle, targeting lower costs...
Metrology-Driven Optical NDE for Screening ICT Probe-Induced Indentations on PCB Pads
In‑circuit testing (ICT) can leave micro‑indentations on PCB test pads, risking surface integrity and latent failures. Researchers introduced a non‑contact optical NDE method that combines high‑resolution microscopy with metrology‑driven feature extraction to quantify these indentations. Validation on a 2,000‑image dataset...
Brothers Sentenced for 3D‑printed Ghost Gun Factory
Two brothers convicted of running ghost gun factory that produced untraceable 3D printed firearms — used 3D printers to build gun frames while associates purchased other parts on eBay https://t.co/LACd1R0Pp5
Why H&M’s Sustainability Report Is So Unusual
H&M’s latest sustainability report stands out by foregrounding ambitious emissions targets at a time when many fast‑fashion players are scaling back ESG disclosures. The document not only details a roadmap for supply‑chain decarbonisation but also teases a preview of its...
Flickstop
Foxconn, the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, showcased AI‑driven robots at Nvidia’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in March 2026. The demonstration, called “Flickstop,” highlighted the integration of Nvidia H100 GPUs into Foxconn’s production lines to enable real‑time vision and decision‑making....
Iranian Strikes Cut Qatar Helium Output 14%, Sparking Semiconductor Supply Crunch
Iranian drone and missile strikes on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas complex forced a halt to helium production, trimming global supply by 14% and sending spot prices soaring. The shortage threatens chipmakers that rely on helium for wafer cooling, creating an...