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
Australia’s $2.1B Battery Recycling Sector Pushes for National Stewardship Framework
Australia’s battery recycling industry contributes about $2.1 billion annually and supports nearly 20 000 jobs across 45 facilities. The Battery Stewardship Council projects the sector could grow to $6.9 billion and 34 600 jobs by 2050, highlighting its strategic role in domestic critical‑minerals supply. Council chief Libby Chaplin urged the federal government to adopt a mandatory, nationally aligned stewardship framework to avoid regulatory fragmentation and unlock further investment. The push aligns with the Future Made in Australia agenda and broader energy‑transition goals.
AI Gains Arms and Hands in Smart Factories
Delivering the opening keynote for the Association for Manufacturing Technology. Great connecting with @Bill AI is about to get arms and hands — connecting with robotics, IoT, APIs, and 3D manufacturing. Factories are entering a fascinating new chapter. #Manufacturing #AI #Robotics #Industry40 #Innovation
Empowering Engineers With Greater Design Flexibility and Integrated Steam System Performance
Emerson will unveil its latest fuel‑gas and fuel‑oil safety shut‑off valve solutions at the 2026 ABMA Boiler Expo, emphasizing greater design flexibility, installation freedom, and lower total cost of ownership. The new configurations combine pressure regulation, high‑flow capability, and alternative‑fuel...
Groninger to Debut Lifecycle Solutions Program and RTU Processing Equipment at INTERPHEX NYC 2026
Groninger will unveil its Lifecycle Solutions program and the UFVN ready‑to‑use processing platform at INTERPHEX NYC from April 21‑23. The Lifecycle Solutions service bundles commissioning, optimization, modernization and retrofit into a single framework for pharma manufacturers and CDMOs. The launch coincides...
Despite ‘Economic Bullying,’ Xinjiang’s Textile Industry Is Growing
Chinese officials announced that Xinjiang’s textile sector added 46,800 jobs and saw yarn output rise over 20% and fabric production jump 36% in 2025, despite U.S. sanctions targeting the region’s cotton. Investment in the industry climbed 35%, and value‑added output...
Supply Chain Leadership Has Become Essential to the CIO Role
Manufacturers facing supply‑chain volatility and rising costs are redefining the CIO role to combine traditional IT oversight with direct responsibility for supply‑chain transformation. Modern supply‑chain CIOs must master emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, digital twins, and analytics while aligning...
Femtum Thinks Its Semiconductor Cutting Lasers Are Better than Yours
Quebec‑based startup Femtum announced an oversubscribed CAD 16 million Series A round, led by BDC Capital and joined by FTQ, Cathay Venture and other backers. The company’s flagship laser cleaning and trimming system claims to cut chip power consumption by 20‑40 % while boosting...
Design And Production Challenges Loom For C-5M, C-17 Replacement
U.S. Air Force leaders warned that a prospective stealthy strategic airlifter to replace the aging C‑5M and C‑17 faces significant design and production hurdles. Gen. Randall Reed told the Senate Armed Services Committee that while strategic airlift remains a top...
Why Your Tooling Library Is the First Step to Real Manufacturing Automation
Hexagon argues that a modern cutting‑tool library is the essential first step toward manufacturing automation and AI‑assisted machining. By centralizing, standardizing, and enriching tool data—including 2D/3D assemblies and ISO 13399 imports—shops eliminate duplicate definitions and capture shop‑specific knowledge. Clean, consistent tool...
New Advanced Tangential Flow Filtration Systems for Efficient Bioprocessing
Intech‑Hanbon has unveiled a new line of advanced tangential flow filtration (TFF) systems aimed at biopharmaceutical, biotech and life‑science manufacturers. The platforms deliver high filtration efficiency, low shear stress and precise pressure control, while supporting a broad spectrum of applications...
Nikon’s New ECLIPSE LV and MA Microscopes
Nikon Metrology unveiled three new ECLIPSE microscopes—the LV150NA LED and LV150N LED upright models and the MA200 LED inverted model. All three replace halogen illumination with a high‑color‑rendering LED, extending lamp life to 50,000 hours. The MA200 integrates the LED into its stand, shaving...
3D-Printing Platform Rapidly Produces Complex Electric Machines
MIT researchers have built a multimaterial extrusion 3‑D printer with four independent extruders that can handle conductive, magnetic and dielectric feedstocks. Using this platform they printed a fully functional linear electric motor in about three hours, employing five different materials...
Clean Cement Startup Sublime Cuts Jobs After Trump Pulled Funding
Sublime Systems, an MIT‑spun low‑carbon cement startup, announced layoffs affecting roughly two‑thirds of its 90‑person staff after the Trump administration rescinded an $87 million Department of Energy grant. The funding pull forced the company to pause construction of its Holyoke, Massachusetts,...
DCE Solar, Axial Bring New Single-Axis Tracker to US Market
DCE Solar has installed the first Tracker Twin single‑axis solar tracker in the United States, a product co‑engineered with Spain’s Axial Structural Solutions. The dual‑row system is manufactured domestically and aims to improve structural stability while reducing the number of...
US Says China Is Not Pricing Out American Battery Anode Makers ITC Votes Negative in Lithium Battery AD/CVD Investigation.
The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a final negative determination in its antidumping and countervailing duty investigation of active anode material (AAM) imports from China. The 2‑1 vote blocks the Department of Commerce from imposing tariffs on Chinese AAM, overturning...
New Insights Into Battery Failure
Engineers at NJIT and partners in the U.S. and Singapore have shown that lithium dendrites inside batteries are not soft but brittle, snapping like dry spaghetti. The team harvested dendrites from operating cells, measured their mechanical strength, and paired the...
Subscriber Update – Boeing 737 Production and Deliveries
Boeing recorded 16 first flights of the 737 MAX through March 11, showing the assembly line is still operating at a normal rate. However, only three MAX aircraft were delivered in March, leaving thirteen completed jets in inventory awaiting a wiring repair....
Electrified Materials Adds Processing Capacity
American Resources Corp.'s subsidiary Electrified Materials Corp. (EMCO) has added a new preprocessing line at its Indiana plant, expanding capacity to aggregate and condition magnet, copper, aluminum, ferrous metals and rare‑earth/critical‑mineral feedstocks. The conditioned materials are shipped to sister company...
NIDEC MACHINE TOOL AMERICA Expands Advanced Manufacturing Portfolio, Rebrands Division to Reflect Broader Capabilities
NIDEC MACHINE TOOL AMERICA rebranded its Additive Manufacturing division as Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, consolidating the LAMDA metal additive system, ABLASER laser micromachining, and BOND MEISTER wafer bonding under one brand. LAMDA’s AI‑driven DED printers feature a local shield nozzle for reactive...
EOSYS' Chase Davis Explains Optimized Motion System Footprints
EOSYS director of technology Chase Davis explains that decentralized drives relocate motor controllers onto the machine, dramatically cutting wiring length and control‑panel footprint. Pre‑fabricated cordsets and daisy‑chained networking enable faster installation, modular expansion, and rapid component replacement. Modern frequency inverters...
Oil Price Spike Won’t Slash Consumer Goods Volume
We've been looking at scenarios on the total volume of goods pumped through the economy, based on current geopolitical developments: Our general view is that the impact of high oil prices isn't as dramatic as one would initially fear in...
Truss Assembly Takes More Hammering Than LEGO
Truss 2 is done. These things take a lot more hammering than LEGO. You’d think the holes would just align but nah, they need encouragement https://t.co/0wucX75RHg
America Makes Awards UDRI $450K for AACAMS Project Call
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining selected the University of Dayton Research Institute to receive a $450,000 award from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. The funding supports the Affordable and Agile...
Slime Robots Poised to Transform MedTech and Manufacturing
#WhatsNext? Slime #Robots. Could be responsible for advances in #MedTech #Healthcare and #Manufacturing and more. #Robotics https://t.co/kuuATvv0Bo
Rio Tinto Produces Low-Carbon Aluminum Rod in Partnership with Prysmian
Rio Tinto and Prysmian have completed an industrial trial producing low‑carbon aluminum rod by blending hydro‑powered metal from the Alma smelter in Quebec with aluminum made using Rio Tinto’s ELYSIS technology, which eliminates direct CO₂ emissions. The trial is part...
Addressing Planning and Forecasting Challenges in Business Central
A webinar on March 25, 2026 will tackle planning and forecasting hurdles in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, highlighting the platform’s native demand‑forecasting limits and complex vendor‑driven purchasing workflows. Attendees will see how to interpret supply‑demand data, adjust forecasting parameters, and leverage popular...
Introducing Robot-to-Robot Communication: How Chef Robots Coordinate to Maximize Throughput
Chef Robotics unveiled robot‑to‑robot (R2R) communication, allowing its Chef robots to exchange real‑time tray position data over built‑in wireless radios. The technology synchronizes multiple robots on a shared conveyor, letting downstream units know exactly when and where to deposit ingredients....
From Strategy to Speed, Modex 2026 Keynotes Set the Pace
Modex 2026, the premier manufacturing and supply‑chain conference, featured a high‑profile keynote lineup that blended corporate strategy with cutting‑edge technology. Home Depot CFO Richard McPhail discussed nearshoring and digitization as critical levers for supply‑chain resilience. Exponential strategist Salim Ismail illustrated...
Tom Hanson Shows AI‑Powered Rapid Retooling and Scalable Innovation
Contributor Spotlight: Tom Hanson (p. 16) - retooling at speed, AI-driven resilience and innovating at scale. #Manufacturing #AI #Resilience https://t.co/K6t5frl13c
USITC Probes USMCA Auto Rules’ Impact on Industry Competitiveness
The U.S. International Trade Commission has opened a fact‑finding investigation into how the United States‑Mexico‑Canada Agreement’s automotive rules of origin affect U.S. competitiveness, especially for advanced and electric vehicles. The probe follows two earlier biennial reports that highlighted mismatches between...
European Light Vehicle Production and Sales Decouple as Chinese Imports Take Off
European light‑vehicle production fell 3.9 % in 2024 while sales rose 4.6 %, breaking a decade‑long production‑sales alignment. Imports from China have surged, now accounting for 1.37 million vehicles in 2025 and projected to hit 1.53 million by 2030, especially in the economy segment....
LPG Shortage: Wadi Surgicals’ Operations Shut in Vizag
Wadi Surgicals’ Visakhapatnam plant has been idle for four days after Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited failed to deliver its daily 4,500 kg LPG requirement. The shortage halted production of nitrile examination gloves, a vital PPE item for hospitals and labs. Management...
Avianca Cargo Introduces A330F Link Between Bogota and Caracas
Avianca Cargo launched a weekly Airbus A330F freighter between Bogotá and Caracas on March 7, providing up to 60 tonnes of maindeck capacity. The service adds 7 tonnes of belly cargo on passenger flights, creating a combined 67‑tonne weekly offering. The airline also...
Hands On with Helio Additive and 3D-Fuel PCTG
Helio Additive provides a subscription‑based thermal‑optimization service for desktop 3D printers, automatically tweaking G‑code to improve layer adhesion and speed. In tests with 3D‑Fuel’s PCTG filament on a BambuLab P2S, the Enhance feature reduced print times between 8% and 66%...
Saudia Cargo Moves to Extend Sea – Air Options
Saudia Cargo has broadened its partnership with the Saudi Ports Authority and ZATCA to launch sea‑to‑air logistics corridors from the western‑coast ports, starting with Jeddah Islamic Port. The initiative enables containers to move under a single customs declaration, dramatically cutting...
Fairmat to Recover Carbon Composite Panels From Airbus and Work with Several Other Fields
Fairmat announced a contract with Airbus to recycle carbon‑composite panels from the A350, using its patented Infinity cold‑plasma technology that preserves mechanical performance. The process produces virgin‑quality fibers while dramatically lowering carbon emissions compared with new material production. At JEC...
Machines for The Moment At CONEXPO
The CONEXPO‑CON/AGG trade show in Las Vegas drew more than 140,000 construction professionals, underscoring strong demand for new equipment despite lingering tariff uncertainties. Caterpillar used the platform to launch its 19‑ton 319 excavator, creating a previously missing size class between...
I.S.T Introduces a New Class of Polyimide Composites at JEC World 2026
Industrial Summit Technology (I.S.T) unveiled Imidetex® Composites at JEC World 2026, expanding its polyimide‑based platform into a multifunctional material system. The new composites combine a negative coefficient of thermal expansion, zero outgassing, and high vibration damping, allowing engineers to achieve...
Samsung Reportedly to Use 2 Nm Process on HBM4E Base Die
Samsung is set to fabricate the base die of its next‑generation HBM4E memory using a 2 nm process, following the recent launch of the industry’s first commercial HBM4. The move coincides with a redesign of the HBM4E power‑delivery network, raising the...
Record Uptake for Family-Friendly Factory Project
The Ethical Supply Chain Program (ESCP) announced a record uptake of its Family‑Friendly Factory initiative. Participation surged among apparel and textile manufacturers in China and Vietnam. The 2025 Worker Well‑Being Impact Report links the program to efforts to mitigate labour...
How Mars, Meta, Patagonia and L’Oréal Are Tackling Scope 3 Emissions: GreenBiz26
At GreenBiz26, sustainability leaders from Mars, Meta, Patagonia and L’Oréal detailed how they are measuring and cutting scope 3 emissions, which account for up to 90% of corporate carbon footprints. Mars reported a 16.4% supply‑chain emissions reduction since 2015 and launched...
Huistone Patent Targets Large Area Resin Printing Economics
Fujian Huistone 3D Technology has filed Chinese patent CN121608383A describing a 3D printer that relocates a UV light source across the build area instead of using a fixed, full‑size array. The moving‑light engine is driven by dual servos and screw mechanisms,...
Taiwan's AI Supply Chain Covers End‑to‑End Hardware
2/ Taiwan’s AI supply chain includes companies specializing in: *AI servers *cooling systems *testing equipment *chip packaging *compute racks & trays *fab construction *contract manufacturing
How Additive Manufacturing Can Realise the Promise of AI at Production Scale
Additive manufacturing (AM) is poised to move from prototyping to high‑volume production, but fragmented workflows and data silos have limited scalability. Recent Wohlers Associates research highlights that industrial AI can unlock this potential, but only if AI is applied across...
UAVOS Utilizes In-House Manufactured Composite Curing Oven to Produce UAVRotor Blades with Extended Service Life
UAVOS announced the production of a new batch of high‑performance composite rotor blades for its unmanned helicopters, cured in the company’s proprietary OVEN‑500‑2000 composite curing oven. The blades, featuring a NACA 23012 airfoil and optional stainless‑steel leading‑edge insert, are rated for...
IATA Launches DG Digital
IATA unveiled DG Digital at its World Cargo Symposium in Lima, a fully electronic Dangerous Goods Declaration tool that integrates with the DG AutoCheck platform. The solution digitises creation and approval for more than 3,800 hazardous items, eliminating the 95%...
Leaked Documents Show Chinese Interest in Ka-52 Helicopters
Leaked internal documents from Russia’s Progress helicopter plant show that officials evaluated a production run of up to 48 Ka‑52M attack helicopters for an unnamed foreign client coded “156.” The paperwork details component sourcing, pricing, and a three‑stage financing scheme...
Best Buy Counters Memory Shortage with Inventory, Vendor Tweaks
Best Buy is confronting a sharp rise in memory‑chip costs driven by an AI‑fuelled data‑center boom. The retailer plans to load warehouses with extra stock, extend vendor forecasting windows, and tighten assortments in high‑pressure categories. It also encourages suppliers to highlight...
Inside Lalitpur’s Hosiery Products Manufacturing Trade
Under Uttar Pradesh’s One District One Product (ODOP) programme, Lalitpur has become a dedicated hosiery manufacturing hub. Small units like Deepak Chaurasia’s operate eight machines, cutting bulk fabric and stitching around 2,000 garments daily for wholesalers in Madhya Pradesh. ODOP...
Carriers Redefine Red Sea Disruption as Permanent Shift
Maersk. Treating the Strait as a long-term situation. The length of the war. How it ends? Iran’s position? Undoing the ship mess in the Strait and Persian Gulf?