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
Inventory Accuracy in Manufacturing
Manufacturers relying on handwritten counts and spreadsheets face frequent stockouts and excess inventory, disrupting production schedules and cash flow. The article argues that manual inventory is a self‑inflicted liability that hampers scaling and compliance. Switching to an ERP‑driven, real‑time inventory system automates ordering, tracks parts job‑to‑job, and can achieve 99% accuracy. Real‑world examples from Hi‑Vac, Martin Wood, Precision Edge, and Richard Manufacturing illustrate how ERP eliminates guesswork, reduces overbuying, and improves delivery reliability.
X-Rite Pantone Launches Series of New Events
X‑Rite Pantone is launching a global textile industry road show that combines live conferences and virtual webinars to promote data‑driven color workflows. The series includes events in Vietnam, a virtual WTIN webinar, a Frankfurt summit, and a four‑part online series...
AI Is Raising the Bar. HR and Supply Chain Must Raise the Workforce
The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Lighthouse Network report flags talent as a fourth pillar of manufacturing excellence, alongside productivity, resilience, and sustainability. Leading factories are moving from AI pilots to "cognitive networks" that require a workforce capable of real‑time...
CIBF 2026 Opens Visitor Registration, Targets 350,000 Attendees in Shenzhen
The China International Battery Fair (CIBF) 2026 has opened visitor registration for its May 13‑15 show in Shenzhen. Organisers project more than 3,000 exhibitors across 280,000 sqm and 350,000 professional visitors from over 50 countries, underscoring the event’s role as a...
Anduril: New Factory Will Start Making Drone Wingman in Just ‘Days’
Anduril announced that its new Arsenal-1 manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, will start producing the YFQ-44A Fury drone wingman within days, ahead of the originally slated July 2026 start. The 5‑million‑square‑foot facility, adjacent to a dual 12,000‑foot runway airport, enables...
Intellicheck Inc (IDN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Intellicheck Inc. reported Q4 2025 revenue of $6.2 million, down from $6.7 million, as the company exited lower‑margin legacy businesses. The shift of all RFID and label production to a new Thailand facility lifted GAAP gross margin to 18.1% and non‑GAAP margin to...
AI-Driven Memory Chip Surge Threatens Semiconductor Climate Impact
A rush to boost to production of memory chips to meet accelerating demand from sectors like AI risks adding to climate cost of the semiconductor industry https://t.co/i5aUfKotIc
Free Robotic Learning Event in Northern Nevada
OnRobot is hosting a free, in‑person “Build Your Automation Roadmap” event in Reno on April 9, 2026, showcasing FANUC robots and end‑of‑arm tooling for manufacturers. The session targets metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food & beverage, and industrial equipment firms...
Akọ AI Ltd Launches in the United Kingdom to Bring AI-Powered Decision Intelligence to Manufacturing SMEs
Akọ AI Ltd, a newly incorporated UK AI firm, has launched a decision‑intelligence platform aimed at small and medium‑sized manufacturing firms. The platform applies industrial‑engineering analysis to determine whether automation is the right solution before recommending any technology. Targeting manufacturers...
Yale Lift Truck to Share Automation Experience at MODEX
Yale Lift Truck Technologies will showcase a suite of automated lift trucks and operator‑assist solutions at the MODEX supply‑chain exhibition in Atlanta. The booth features an interactive Automated Lift Truck Portal that lets visitors map routes without coding, the Reliant...
STRATCOM Boss: Pentagon Eyes Second B-21 Production Line
The Pentagon has approved a $4.5 billion deal to lift B‑21 production capacity by 25 percent and is now weighing a second manufacturing line to accelerate deliveries. Strategic Command chief Adm. Richard Correll urged Congress to expand the fleet to 145 aircraft,...
Automation May Replicate Offshoring’s Regional Divide
We definitely saw this hollowing out with the offshoring and outsourcing that began in the 1970s and 1980s. Mainly in the Midwest, while the coasts prospered. Will the current drive to automation lead to regional disparities as well?
Dematic Redefines Warehouse Intelligence with Launch of Command Center
Dematic announced Command Center, a vendor‑agnostic, cloud‑based intelligence platform that unifies real‑time monitoring, AI‑driven decision support, and analytics for warehouse operations. Unveiled at LogiMAT 2026 and showcased at MODEX 2026, it aggregates data from automation, software, and manual processes into a single...
Recycled Materials Are Strengthening US Supply Chains
Recycled materials now represent a $183.6 billion economic engine and support 600,000 U.S. jobs, positioning them as a cornerstone of domestic supply chains. Advanced sorting technologies such as AI and laser‑induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) are dramatically improving material recovery and quality....
MAXOLUTION® Introduces a Standardized Mobile Robotic Platform with Contactless Charging
MAXOLUTION, an SEW‑EURODRIVE company, launched the Mobile Robot Platform 1600 (MR P1600), a standardized, modular robot designed for pallet transport in factories and warehouses. The platform offers up to 1 600 kg payload, 1.6 m/s speed, and optional contactless inductive charging via MOVITRANS solutions....
10 Steel Marvels of Aviation
During World War II and the early post‑war period, aircraft designers turned to steel when aluminium was scarce or when extra protection was essential. Notable examples include the German Henschel Hs 129 and Soviet Ilyushin Il‑2, both featuring steel “armoured tubs” that...
Mentor Zoom Inspection Camera Enables Enhanced Industrial Environment Inspections
Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, launched Mentor Zoom, a new pan‑tilt‑zoom camera system for industrial inspections. The solution includes two HD camera heads—10× and 30× optical zoom—with a 4,000‑lumen light source and a removable touchscreen‑joystick controller that works with gloved...
Press Release: Greenpoint Delivers VVIP BBJ 787-9 Interior Completion
Greenpoint Technologies, a Safran company, has delivered a VVIP Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 787‑9 interior completion to an undisclosed client, reinforcing its leadership on the 787 platform. The project showcases Greenpoint’s vertically integrated execution model that combines design, engineering, manufacturing,...
Seamless Products Depend on Robust Supply Chain Coordination
Every product has a journey—raw materials ➝ factory ➝ customer. It looks simple, but behind it are constant adjustments, coordination, and problem-solving. When it works, it feels seamless. That’s the power of a strong supply chain. 🚚 https://t.co/CVEBanvR6l
Warehouse Inefficiencies Drain Margins Hidden From Procurement Focus
Most supply chain leaders obsess over procurement savings and demand planning accuracy. Meanwhile, their warehouse quietly bleeds margin — through poor layout, undertrained staff, outdated tech, and safety shortcuts nobody wants to talk about. This edition changes that. https://t.co/abRK9zzCJN via @LinkedIn
UNFI Will Close Racine, Wis., Plant, Laying Off 443 Workers
United Natural Foods (UNFI) announced the closure of its 425,000‑square‑foot Racine, Wisconsin distribution center, eliminating 443 positions. Operations will shift to a newer facility in Joliet, Illinois, where the company is installing modern technology to boost capacity. The move coincides...
Trump Admin Waives Jones Act for 60 Days
The White House has temporarily waived the Jones Act for 60 days, easing U.S. vessel restrictions amid heightened geopolitical tension. Simultaneously, the war in Iran and a Greek tanker attack in the Black Sea have driven up container rates and...
Factory III Moves iCOMAT Capabilities Into the U.S.
iCOMAT has opened a 41,000‑square‑foot Factory III in Dayton, Ohio, bringing its patented Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) technology and end‑to‑end composites capabilities to the U.S. defense and aerospace market. At the same time, Austrian aerospace supplier FACC is investing £120 million in...
Prepare for Tariff Shock: Actionable Strategies for Leaders
Lisa Anderson will be a panelist on a Tacto Technology webinar: Tariff Shock: What Procurement and Supply Chain Leaders Must Do Now — Wed 3/25/26 at 1pm ET (10am PT). Register today: https://t.co/LRxNSF4jW5 #Tariffs #Procurement #SupplyChain #Manufacturing https://t.co/tYXsBEPIez
Coexpair to Fabricate, Demonstrate and Test Lockheed F-35 Composite Parts Using SQRTM 4.0
Coexpair and Lockheed Martin have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop, demonstrate, and test composite parts for the F‑35 using Coexpair’s SQRTM 4.0 technology. The partnership will follow a phased approach, with Lockheed providing process‑qualification support while Coexpair builds and...
New at Mouser: Digi Connect Sensor XRT-M for IoT, Industrial, Sensor, and Gateway Applications
Mouser Electronics has begun shipping Digi International’s new Digi Connect Sensor XRT‑M, a rugged LTE‑M cellular gateway designed for zero‑infrastructure IoT monitoring. The battery‑or‑solar powered device offers edge processing, cloud connectivity via Digi Axess, and IP68 protection for harsh environments. It...
LEGO to Install Over 40,000 Solar Panels at Its First U.S. Factory
LEGO announced plans to build an 80‑acre solar park at its new $1.5 billion Virginia manufacturing complex, its first U.S. factory. The project will install over 30,700 ground‑mounted panels (22 MWp) and 10,080 rooftop panels (6.11 MWp), aiming to meet 100 % of the...
ENCY Partners with Factory of the Future to Expand Connected Manufacturing
ENCY Software has become a partner in the Dutch Factory of the Future initiative, joining 21 other technology firms to showcase a connected manufacturing ecosystem. The collaboration emphasizes linking engineering data, CAM post‑processing, and CNC automation into a continuous digital...
MANUFACTURING & AUTOMATION eXCHANGE (MAX) DEBUTS NEXT WEEK IN NASHVILLE, SPOTLIGHTING THE FUTURE OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING IN THE SOUTHEAST
The Manufacturing & Automation eXchange (MAX) launches March 24‑26 in Nashville, bringing together the full manufacturing ecosystem to spotlight AI, robotics, and digital transformation in the fast‑growing Southeast. Produced by BNP Media, the event features six pre‑conference workshops, a two‑day...
FedEx to Shutter 9 New York Parcel Centers
FedEx announced the closure of nine parcel centers in New York and one in Pennsylvania as the final phase of its Network 2.0 integration. The program consolidates legacy express and ground operations into a single surface network, aiming to cut excess...
HarborLab, Danaos Collaborate on Fully Integrated Port Cost Management Solution
HarborLab has partnered with Danaos Management Consultants to launch the first fully automated port cost management solution, linking HarborLab’s platform directly with Danaos’ Port Expenses, Voyage Estimation and Protocol modules. The integration replaces manual XML file exchanges with real‑time bi‑directional...
CAR T Production Bottlenecks Best Tackled with AI, Automation, and Skilled Staff
Patient‑specific CAR‑T therapies face a global production bottleneck due to centralized facilities, manual processes, and high variability in patient cell quality. Researchers highlight that decentralizing manufacturing, eliminating cryopreservation, and accelerating in‑process monitoring can cut vein‑to‑vein times. Automation and artificial intelligence...
Why Apple’s LiTo Research Could Matter To 3D Printing
Apple researchers introduced LiTo, a latent 3D representation that jointly models object geometry and view‑dependent appearance. The method captures surface points, color, and viewing direction, improving reconstruction of glossy and reflective objects that challenge existing image‑to‑3D pipelines. While LiTo is...
Mars Canada Invests $180M in Ontario Manufacturing
Mars Canada completed a $180 million multi‑year investment across its Ontario manufacturing network, spanning 2022‑2026. The funding upgrades packaging lines and expands capacity at four sites—Bolton, Newmarket, Guelph—boosting production for snacking, pet nutrition and food brands. Sustainability measures cut water, electricity...
Ericsson Welcomes US Economic Affairs Under-Secretary to 5G Manufacturing Base
Ericsson hosted U.S. Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg at its 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas, showcasing a domestic manufacturing hub for next‑generation network equipment. The tour, attended by the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, the Swedish ambassador, CEO...
Black Swan Graphene Completes Production Capacity Expansion at Its United Kingdom Facility
Black Swan Graphene has completed a major capacity expansion at its Consett, UK plant, tripling annual output to over 140 tonnes of graphene nanoplatelets. The upgrade centers on a custom‑built GEA 3160 Ariete homogenizer, delivering flow rates up to 22,000 litres per...
Teradyne Launches Photon 100 Opto-Electric Automated Test Platform
Teradyne announced the Photon 100, an opto‑electric automated test platform designed for high‑volume silicon photonics (SiPh) and co‑packaged optics (CPO) manufacturing. The system merges optical and electrical instrumentation on the UltraFLEXplus chassis, covering wafer, optical‑engine and module‑insertion testing. By delivering scalable,...
J.B. Hunt Says Fuel Spike Not yet Driving Intermodal Conversion
J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division reported strong margin improvement despite a 30% surge in diesel prices since the Iran conflict, yet shippers have not begun shifting freight from truckload to rail. Intermodal still delivers roughly 22.8% cost savings versus truckload, well...
Engel Fully Automates the Production of Composite Rotor Blades for Drones
Engel Austria unveiled a fully automated production line for composite drone rotor blades at JEC World, merging reinforcement placement, core injection, and final trimming in a single injection‑moulding cycle. The process uses carbon‑fibre‑reinforced thermoplastic tapes as load‑bearing skins and a...
Inside Modern Humanoid Robots' Cutting‑Edge Assembly Process
Inside the Assembly of Modern Humanoid #Robots by @CyberRobooo #AI #Robotics #EmergingTech #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/fK4zOXQMRj
MVTec at HANNOVER MESSE: Securing Competitive Advantages with the MVTec Software Portfolio
Munich‑based MVTec Software GmbH will exhibit its machine‑vision suite at Hannover Messe from April 20‑24, 2026, highlighting HALCON, MERLIC and its Deep Learning Tool. The company will demonstrate MERLIC 5.8, which adds robust error handling and streamlined configuration for faster deployment. MVTec experts...
Thermwood Gear Pump Patent Optimizes Large Format Extrusions
Thermwood’s new patent tackles bead‑size inconsistency in large‑format pellet extrusion by inserting a gear pump between the screw extruder and nozzle. The pump’s fixed displacement, synchronized with screw speed and guided by pressure feedback, decouples melt flow from rapid gantry...
Piraeus Declines 6% for Second Year, Cosco Ports Results Show
Cosco‑controlled Piraeus port reported a 6% drop in 2025 throughput, handling 3.97 million TEU, marking the second consecutive year of decline. Analysts attribute the loss to Red Sea disruptions that rerouted cargo to Spain and northern Europe rather than pure demand...
Interpack 26: COPA-DATA Presents Automation Software for Transformation
COPA‑DATA will showcase its zenon automation platform at interpack 26 in Düsseldorf from May 7‑13, 2026, highlighting smart manufacturing solutions for the packaging sector. The no‑code/low‑code system supports standards such as MTP, PackML and OMAC, enabling flexible, data‑driven production. Live...
Shipping Lines Offer Nearest‑Port Drop‑Off Amid Iran Conflict
Container lines have told customers they can leave containers at nearest port. Iran war and the Wild West.
Nvidia GTC 2026: Solidigm Introduces Luceta AI Software Suite AI Vision Platform
Solidigm unveiled the Luceta AI software suite, an end‑to‑end vision platform that lets enterprises build, deploy and continuously improve visual models for manufacturing, logistics, retail and more. The suite bundles a Data Agent, Model Agent, Pipeline Manager and Adaptive Agent,...
Tariffs Intended to Save Factories Are Actually Crushing Them
"Allen’s experience embodies a growing body of evidence that the tariffs that Trump said would help American factories are, in fact, squashing many of them" https://t.co/IknBPtkn62 https://t.co/mRRcMfRLIv
India’s PV Module Manufacturing Capacity Tops 210 GW
India added 119 GW of solar module capacity and over 9 GW of cell capacity in 2025, pushing cumulative module capacity to roughly 210 GW and cell capacity to 27 GW, according to Mercom India. The surge was driven by robust utility‑scale pipelines, the...
RenewSys Commissions 3GW Module Plant in Maharashtra
RenewSys, the ENPEE Group’s PV encapsulant and backsheet arm, has commissioned a 3 GW AI‑powered solar‑module plant in Raigad, Maharashtra. The fully automated 16‑acre facility raises the company’s total module capacity to 5.6 GW and will produce TOPCon glass‑to‑glass modules. RenewSys recently...
Understanding the Current State of Module Quality – Key Takeaways From PVRW 2026
At PVRW 2026, experts highlighted a surge in photovoltaic module quality problems, from rear‑glass hail breakage to wind‑induced fractures. Field data showed module failure rates of 1‑5 % under normal conditions and degradation averaging 0.7 % annually, outpacing warranty assumptions. The conference...