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
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 and better performance. By leveraging Knightec’s automotive engineering expertise, BAE aims to build local capability and create a scalable supply chain for future defence programmes. The programme also seeks to establish processes for more complex designs and increased production capacity.
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...
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...
MODEX 2026 Preview: AI, Robotics & Supply Chain Innovation Take Center Stage
MODEX 2026, scheduled for April 13‑16 at Atlanta’s Georgia World Congress Center, will host over 1,000 exhibitors and more than 200 free educational sessions focused on AI, robotics, and supply‑chain digital transformation. The agenda features high‑profile keynote speakers such as...
China Cuts Solar Export Rebates, Raising Africa's Panel Costs
China announced the termination of value‑added tax rebates on solar panel exports and the gradual phase‑out of incentives for battery storage equipment. The policy shift, effective April 1 for panels and beginning next year for batteries, is set to increase...
Electronic Skin Gives Robots Real‑Time Touch Sensitivity
Electronic skin is starting to change how machines interact with the physical world. This material combines dense fibers with integrated sensors that can detect pressure, touch, deformation, and subtle changes in contact in real time. For humanoid robots, especially hands, this is...
Bio.3DGREEN Project: Creating a New Way to Produce Bio-Based Components Using Graphene Foam
The EU‑funded Bio.3DGREEN project, launched in May 2025, will run for 42 months and unites 14 partners from nine European nations. It aims to create bio‑based components using vegetable‑oil‑derived graphene foam that mimics natural sponge‑like structures. By combining biomimetic engineering...
AI Capex Boosts US GDP,
AI macro: capex adds ~0.4pp to US GDP; supply-chain winners: Taiwan, Korea, Mexico. US leads models; China scales manufacture. Risks: skills gap, geopolitics. Trade: buy Taiwan semiconductors. — Viktor Kopylov, PhD, CFA More insights: t.me/si14Kopylov
USA Rare Earth Launches French REE Plant with Caremag Partnership
USA Rare Earth to build REE plant in France, co-located with Caremag oxide output and backed by C31V credits. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/usa-rare-earth-to-build-ree-plant-in.html
Musk Says Tesla, SpaceX, xAI Chip Project to Kick Off in Texas
Elon Musk announced the Terafab project, a Texas‑based semiconductor venture that will initially operate an advanced technology fab in Austin capable of producing and testing any chip type. The facility will be jointly managed by Tesla and SpaceX and is...
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
China's AI Car Inspection Checks 1,000 Functions in 3 Hours
🇨🇳 China's AI powered car inspection system scans through over 1,000 functions in just 3 hours #carinspection #artificialintelligence #AI #AIautomation #automation @PawlowskiMario @chidambara09 @Ym78200 @CurieuxExplorer @efipm @bigfundu @sayedflah @Ronald_vanLoon @cyngn @belindabeibi @odisseiaalfa @DigitalColmer @MyCompanionsAI @KirkDBorne @patricegorissen @jeffkagan @EdwardKens50830 @enilev @insom_ai333 @ChrisCCrowley @sallyeaves...
Nissan Torture-Tested This Engine For 100 Hours And The Results Are Impressive
Nissan's Decherd Powertrain Assembly Plant subjected its production VQ38 3.8‑liter V6, paired with a 9‑speed transmission, to a 100‑hour full‑throttle endurance test on a dynamometer. The trial, equivalent to more than 130,000 miles of heavy‑load driving, included X‑ray scans that...
Stanford Robot Handles Fragile Items Using Minimalist Control
Stanford’s Minimalist Control Lets #Robots Handle Fragile Objects Without Sensors by @lukas_m_ziegler #Robotics #Engineering #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/L4Jb9a6A9a
Robots Could Replace Hazardous Hydro Line Workers
#WhosNext? Hydro line workers? Another potentially dangerous job that #Robots could take over and save humans from danger. (New China TV) #Robotics #Automation https://t.co/Fu5jwbx2W8
EPropelled Unveils Expansion at Global Innovation Centre in Coventry
ePropelled inaugurated its Global Innovation Centre in Coventry on March 20, marking a major expansion aimed at scaling production to over one million electric and hybrid propulsion systems annually by 2027. The facility consolidates propulsion design, software development, and testing,...
SortiPack Automates Produce Grading, Sorting, Packing
#WhosNext? Produce graders, sorters and packers? SortiPack by Crux Agribotics looks to automate these processes. (Wevolver) #Automation #FoodHandling #AgriTech https://t.co/zYwxcHaIW4
SAP Integrates Internally Better than with External Systems
SAP's integration within its own product suite (Concur, SuccessFactors, Ariba) often surpasses its ability to connect S/4HANA to third-party manufacturing or WMS systems. Connecting external systems can be more complex. #SAP #EnterpriseSoftware #Integration https://t.co/HG0QdQlN6i
Low-Tension Piston Rings Provide Serious Benefits For Automakers
Low‑tension piston rings have become standard in most new cars since the early 2000s, delivering notable friction reductions and efficiency gains. Internal friction from rings can consume up to 15% of brake horsepower, and a Hot Rod test showed a 6.8 hp...
Shared Radar: Maritime Supply Chain Visibility in a Weaponized World
The article presents the Virtual Watch Tower (VWT) as a new, federated model for maritime and intermodal supply‑chain visibility, positioning it against proprietary control towers, state‑run platforms, and defence‑only networks. VWT treats situational awareness as a public good, using the...
HHLA TK Estonia to Deploy Battery-Powered RTG Cranes
HHLA TK Estonia will become Europe’s first container terminal to run fully battery‑powered rubber‑tired gantry (RTG) cranes. The Konecranes‑built units, each with a 296 kWh battery, can operate up to eight hours on a single charge, allowing a complete shift without...
Tesla Confronts New Humanoid Robot Rival as Manufacturing Race Heats Up
A robotics startup introduced a humanoid robot that mirrors Tesla's aesthetic, sparking a direct challenge to the electric‑car maker's push for fully automated factories. While specifics of the robot were not disclosed, analysts note that Tesla's manufacturing strategy is already...
Gokaldas Exports Bolsters Manufacturing Strategy with Senior Leadership Appointment
Gokaldas Exports has appointed Sreeja Balachandra as Associate Vice President to lead a manufacturing transformation agenda. Her mandate includes embedding lean systems, process optimisation, and capability building across the company's export‑focused factories. The move comes as Indian apparel exporters grapple with...
Super Micro Co‑Founder Charged in $2.5 B Nvidia AI Server Export Violation
Federal prosecutors have indicted Super Micro Computer co‑founder Yih‑Shyan “Wally” Liaw and two associates for illegally diverting billions of dollars in Nvidia‑powered AI servers to China. The indictment, which cites $2.5 billion in sales, sent SMCI shares tumbling more than 27%...
Designing Operations for Robots Drives Million‑Robot Growth
In 2012, Amazon acquired Kiva. One year later, it had around 1,000 robots. Today, that number exceeds 1 million. This kind of growth didn’t happen by simply adding more machines. Amazon reorganized its warehouses around automation. Robots handle movement, positioning, and flow of goods,...
![[Webinar] From System of Record to System of Action: Rethinking ERP and AI in Food & Beverage and Consumer Products...](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/2cc5d7b0b267499cdedb3314c93568ff.webp)
[Webinar] From System of Record to System of Action: Rethinking ERP and AI in Food & Beverage and Consumer Products...
The upcoming webinar spotlights a paradigm shift from traditional ERP as a passive system of record to an AI‑driven system of action for food‑and‑beverage and consumer‑products manufacturers. It showcases QAD Adaptive ERP and Champion AI’s ability to turn real‑time operational...
Kannauj’s Agarbatti (Incense Sticks) & Dhoopbatti (Incense Cones) Industry: Scaling Everyday Demand Through Efficient Production
Kannauj’s agarbatti and dhoopbatti sector, highlighted under India’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, has moved from largely manual workshops to machine‑assisted production lines. This transition has lifted output capacity, expanded the workforce from roughly 30 to 150 employees, and...
Perciva 5D Camera: Occlusion-Free 3D Vision for Industrial, Retail, and Robotic Imaging
Teledyne e2v introduced the Perciva 5D camera, a short‑range 3D vision system that combines 2D imaging and depth mapping in a single CMOS sensor. The device uses angular‑sensitive pixel technology and an on‑board neural‑processing unit to deliver real‑time, occlusion‑free depth maps...
InnovMetric Enables Data Acquisition From FARO CREAFORM 3D Scanners
InnovMetric and FARO CREAFORM have fully integrated data acquisition from FARO’s auto‑referencing multiline 3D scanners into PolyWorks | Inspector. The integration lets users capture and visualize scan data in real time within the same inspection software, preserving existing workflows and templates. It responds...
Choosing the Right Metal Shaping Method
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology show that the choice of metal‑shaping method directly influences material integrity, yet many firms still rely on intuition. Mechanical processes such as stamping and CNC machining introduce residual stress, burrs, and micro‑structural changes. Thermal...
Data Bottleneck Threatens Future Semiconductor Development
#Technology #Thread #Semiconductor #Manufacturing #Data The Semiconductor Let Us Learn About Data Bottleneck: 1/ - The Semiconductor Data Bottleneck Is Emerging As A Critical Constraint In Modern Chip Development And Manufacturing. - As Data Volumes Explode Across The Silicon Lifecycle, The Ability To...
Iran War's End Triggers Global Supply Chain Chaos
When the Iran war ends. How the Iran war ends. Will firms around the world be dealing with their own circles of supply chain hell? All the products. Their applications. How and how long to fix? And the cost? https://t.co/ViUVhryJZY
Inspection Equipment Trends Rebound as Machinery Orders Surge in 2025
U.S. metalworking machinery orders rebounded in 2025, reaching $5.74 billion—a 22.5% increase over 2024—and added roughly 1,700 units, up 8.5%. While overall machinery spending recovered, inspection equipment displayed a persistent value‑unit divergence, with prices climbing even as unit orders fell. 2025...
Automation Revolutionizes Road Cleaning Truck Operations
#WhosNext? Road cleaning crews? The latest #Innovation in cleaning truck #Technology has used #Automation to eliminate more laborious cleaning tasks. (GiGadgets) https://t.co/TBdM7aaSgS
California Clean‑Air Rule Forces New Logistics Strategies
Lisa Anderson was quoted in the Press-Enterprise on Southern California’s clean-air rule aimed at warehouses and what it is changing for logistics and supply chain decisions. https://t.co/gQskCnYPRh #SupplyChain #Logistics #Warehousing https://t.co/3jG0CxCSRS
Super Micro Co‑founder Indicted for $2.5 Bn Illegal AI Server Exports to China, Stock Slides 27%
Federal prosecutors have indicted Super Micro Computer co‑founder Yih‑Shyan “Wally” Liaw, along with two associates, for diverting billions of dollars in Nvidia‑powered AI servers to China in violation of export controls. The announcement sent SMCI shares tumbling more than 27%...
23‑Year‑Old Leads Innovative Machine Shop, Shares Success Secrets
𝐑𝐲𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐜𝐆𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐞, a 23-year-old legend who is running an innovative machine shop as part of a larger company. He shares some insights on how he's managed to get where he is at 23. Stream now 🔗 https://t.co/iF2u1anbBd 📽️ https://t.co/JDCjWExpS3 🔗 https://t.co/DmYp21NDA3 https://t.co/MzmMMoMTEr
Scaling Microreactor Production Could Slash Energy Costs
Microreactors produce very expensive power today but if we can manufacture them at a rate of 100 a year you could see the costs come way down.
Warehouse Leasers Seek Cheaper Properties Away From Ports
Industrial tenants are moving large‑scale distribution from coastal port markets to cheaper inland logistics hubs, according to Cushman & Wakefield. Port‑proximate markets captured only 19% of U.S. industrial net absorption in 2025, the lowest share in 15 years, while overall...
TIAGo Pro Enables Mobile Manipulation in Industry and Healthcare
TIAGo Pro: Advanced Mobile Manipulation #Robot for Manufacturing and #Healthcare by @PALRobotics #Robotics #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #EmergingTech #TechForGood https://t.co/7MyX5Ohctu
Chinese Automakers Target 2026 Overseas Sales to Counter Domestic Slump
Caixin: "Major Chinese carmakers are setting ambitious overseas sales and localized production targets for 2026 to offset a cooling domestic market." https://t.co/P0EUxL3lEN
US Resin Shippers Look to Tap New Customers Amid Iran War
U.S. resin exporters are seeing a surge in container bookings as the Iran‑Israel conflict disrupts the Middle East’s dominant plastics supply chain. On March 16, Vizion recorded 6,191 daily export bookings, nearly double the 3,500‑4,500 range typical for 2026. The first...
Huge Supply Shock Triggers Market Overreaction, Says BlackRock
Rick Rieder of BlackRock told Unhedged. 👉 “This is one of the largest supply shocks we’ve seen in a generation, 👉markets have had to react quickly, 💥 when markets move quickly, they overreact.” https://t.co/RRf6LgSI91
Indian Fertilizer, Specialty Chemical Industries Hit by US-Iran War
The United States‑Iran conflict has shut the Strait of Hormuz, choking the flow of liquefied natural gas that underpins India’s ammonia imports. Ammonia shortages forced Alkyl Amines Chemicals and Balaji Amines to suspend production of key amines, while fertilizer makers...
Stop Fulfillment Delays: The ROI of Automation Spare Parts
E‑commerce fulfillment centers that own automation hardware face severe risk from equipment failures, especially during peak seasons. The article outlines a practical framework for conducting a component criticality audit, prioritizing single‑point‑of‑failure parts, and building a targeted spare‑parts inventory costing $5,000‑$25,000....
MISUMI, Oishii Farm Corporation Announce Strategic Partnership
MISUMI Group Inc. has signed a strategic partnership with U.S. vertical farming pioneer Oishii Farm Corporation. Through its recently acquired subsidiary Fictiv, MISUMI will provide mechanical components for Oishii’s Ametalas Farm, leveraging AI and robotics to fine‑tune temperature, humidity, lighting...
Ferrari Is Recalling the 12Cilindri Because the Window Tint Is Too Dark
Ferrari announced a recall of 80 12Cilindri models sold in the United States because the rear and side window tint is too dark to meet federal safety standards. NHTSA documents show the glass fails to provide the required 70 percent...
C&C Marine Expands 24 Acres, Builds Automated Spool Shop
C&C Marine & Repair announced a 24‑acre expansion of its Belle Chasse facility and the construction of a fully automated spool shop, touted as the most advanced in the United States. The shop will house CNC bending, plasma cutting, blasting,...