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
How CPOs Can Protect Their Supply Chains Against Tariff Risk—Without Overreacting
Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) are shifting from headline tariff figures to category‑level exposure mapping, allowing precise risk assessment and targeted mitigation. By integrating total cost of ownership into tariff response, they avoid costly over‑reactions and focus on long‑term spend efficiency. AI‑driven monitoring and scenario modeling now enable continuous, data‑backed decisions, while contract redesign and supplier segmentation complement price renegotiations for a balanced, resilient supply chain strategy.
Supreme Court Destroys Trump Tariffs, Supply Chains Reset
With the Supreme Court striking down Trump’s tariffs, how will supply chains and logistics reset?
Averitt Announces Expansion Plans to Terminal Network
Averitt, a leading less‑than‑truckload carrier, announced a multiyear expansion that will add nearly 900,000 square feet of warehouse space, 379 dock doors, and about 2,000 truck‑parking spots by 2027. The plan includes new or expanded terminals in Ocala, FL; Oklahoma...
RECREATE Project Conference Connects Industry to Viable Circular Composites
The EU‑funded RECREATE project will host a free conference on April 23, 2026 in Brussels, bringing together industry, policymakers, and investors to showcase circular‑composite technologies. RECREATE aims to transform end‑of‑life carbon and glass‑fiber composites into profitable feedstock through AI‑driven sorting,...
FedEx ‘Highly Confident’ Grounded MD-11s Will Return to Service
FedEx announced it remains "highly confident" that its fleet of 28 MD‑11 freighters will be cleared to fly by the end of May, despite an FAA grounding triggered by fatigue cracks discovered after UPS Flight 2976. The airline has already...
Telemeter Launches 3D Printable Electromagnetic Absorber Filament for Automotive Radar
Telemeter Electronic introduced a 1.75 mm FFF filament engineered to absorb electromagnetic energy in the 76‑81 GHz automotive radar band and broader 50‑100 GHz millimeter‑wave spectrum. The PLA‑based material prints on standard desktop printers using typical PLA temperatures, yet its dielectric loss enables...
A3 Presents ‘Age of Automation,’ Global Film Series Produced by BBC StoryWorks
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) launched “Age of Automation,” a global film series produced by BBC StoryWorks that showcases how automation is reshaping industries and daily life. The series combines short films and articles that highlight real‑world applications in...
CEO Interview with Aftkhar Aslam of yieldWerx
YieldWerx, led by semiconductor veteran Aftkhar Aslam, offers a data‑centric yield‑analytics platform that consolidates fragmented fab, test, and packaging information into a single, actionable environment. The solution tackles extreme data volumes and multi‑domain complexity, supporting advanced packaging, silicon photonics, MicroLED,...
‘Targeted Injection of Capacity’ Into Vietnam, Thailand Reshapes Ocean Networks
Ocean Alliance is injecting targeted capacity into Vietnam and Thailand in its Day 10 network update, turning ports like Haiphong and Laem Chabang into core deep‑sea origins. The shift adds four trans‑Pacific services to Haiphong and doubles West‑Coast sailings from Laem Chabang, while...
Preserving the American Edge: Revitalizing the Defense Industrial Base
Episode 147 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast argues that America’s defense industrial base has been the engine of military advantage from Roosevelt’s World War II mobilization to Cold‑War stealth breakthroughs. The hosts warn that China’s rapid expansion of defense manufacturing is...
Future‑Focused Supply Chains Need Flexibility, Not Past Data
Supply chains are measured by what happened last month, the year—the past. The last six years have shown unpredictability. From Covid to Trump & trade. A lesson not learned: Firms must look forward not backwards. And that also requires supply...
Insight Works Releases Quality Inspector v7.25 for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Insight Works announced Quality Inspector version 7.25 for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, adding several workflow‑centric enhancements. Inspectors can now log test results directly from Microsoft Teams via adaptive cards, and grade‑based blocking rules tighten control over sales order releases and outbound...
Origis Completes 500-MW Swift Air Solar Project in Texas
Origis Energy has brought three Swift Air Solar facilities online in West Texas, delivering a combined 500 MWdc of renewable power. The projects, completed in three phases with the final stage slated for late 2025, represent more than $650 million in capital...
Boeing Adds Production Line to Boost Space Force’s Missile Warning Push
Boeing has inaugurated a 9,000‑square‑foot electro‑optical infrared (EO/IR) production line at its El Segundo satellite facility to support the Space Force’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) program. The line will help Millennium Space Systems deliver 12 medium‑Earth‑orbit satellites by 2027,...
Boeing to Boost Production of Missile-Tracking Sensors for Military Satellites
Boeing has opened a 9,000‑square‑foot production facility at its El Segundo campus to manufacture electro‑optical infrared (EO/IR) sensors for U.S. military satellites. The plant will support Millennium Space Systems’ near‑$1 billion contract portfolio, including 12 missile‑warning satellites and a $414 million award...
Israel Considers Updating 50-Year-Old Building Codes to Enable 3D Concrete Printing
Israel is reviewing its 50‑year‑old building construction regulations to accommodate 3‑D concrete printing (3DCP). The push follows exposure to advanced construction tech at the World of Concrete expo and a severe labor shortage caused by the Gaza conflict. Officials argue...
Stratasys Introduces 3D-Printed Dental Training Preset
Stratasys unveiled a new dental anatomical model preset that leverages its multi‑material 3D printing platform to produce highly detailed, biomechanically accurate replicas for dental education and device training. The preset standardizes material ratios and printing parameters, enabling on‑demand, repeatable models...
University of Nottingham Researchers Examine Interface Orientation in Multi-Material LPBF of IN718 and GRCop-42
University of Nottingham researchers, together with the Manufacturing Technology Centre and Autodesk, examined how interface orientation influences defect formation and microstructure in multi‑material laser powder bed fusion of Inconel 718 and GRCop‑42. They printed horizontal, vertical and 45° angled interfaces using...
Hapag-Lloyd, WiseTech Global in Container Visibility Initiative
WiseTech Global and Hapag-Lloyd have launched a trial that equips the carrier’s more than two million containers with IoT smart devices, delivering real‑time location updates to WiseTech’s CargoWise platforms. The pilot processes millions of data points daily and introduces a...
Modern Mill Evolves Its Composite ACRE Into New Construction Applications
Modern Mill’s ACRE composite, launched in 2020, blends 50 % up‑cycled rice hulls with PVC resin to create wood‑like profiles for siding, decking, trim and other non‑structural applications. The material cuts, feels and stains like wood while offering water resistance, rot...
Andhra Pradesh Secures ₹8,175 Crore Battery Gigafactory, Boosting Clean Energy Ambitions
Waaree Energies announced a ₹8,175 crore investment to build India’s largest lithium‑ion battery gigafactory in Andhra Pradesh. The greenfield plant will have a 16 GWh annual capacity, covering cell production, battery packs and large‑scale energy storage systems, and is projected to generate...
OpenBOM, AMC Bridge Expand Integration Partnership
OpenBOM and AMC Bridge have deepened their integration partnership to create a seamless digital thread linking CAD, PLM, ERP and supply‑chain systems with OpenBOM’s cloud‑based product data platform. The collaboration, highlighted at Autodesk University 2025, leverages Autodesk Platform Services to...
CONTACT Software Joins IPAI Platform in Heilbronn
CONTACT Software has become a member of the Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence (IPAI) platform in Heilbronn, Germany. The move gives the company access to IPAI’s training programs, ethical AI standards development, and a network of business, academic, and public‑sector partners....
Orange Marine Orders Two More Cable Laying and Repair Vessels From Vard
VARD has secured an order from Orange Marine for two additional VARD 9 03 cable‑laying and repair vessels, to be constructed at Colombo Dockyard in Sri Lanka. The ships will follow the CS Sophie Germain design delivered in July 2023, emphasizing sea‑keeping, low fuel consumption...
Roland DGA Launches UV Direct-to-Film System with New Media
Roland DGA unveiled a UV Direct‑to‑Film (DTF) system that pairs new UV‑DTFA print sheets with UV‑DTFB transfer film. The media delivers up to twice the adhesion of competing solutions while eliminating residue and boosting dimensional stability. Designed for VersaOBJECT MO,...
China Wafer Prices Fall for Fourth Week as Discounting Deepens Under Inventory Pressure
Chinese photovoltaic wafer prices fell for a fourth consecutive week, with n‑type M10 wafers dropping 2.38% to $0.164 per piece and n‑type G12 falling 4.98% to $0.191. Operating rates at major wafer producers have slipped below 50%, while inventory levels...
How Medical Device Manufacturers Can Overcome Recruitment Gaps and Accelerate Innovation Hiring with Rapid Prototyping
Medical device makers face a perfect storm of innovation pressure and a severe talent shortage, causing development cycles to stretch 18‑24 months. Rapid prototyping technologies can compress these cycles by up to 40%, enabling faster design iteration and ISO 13485‑compliant...
Pella Workers Talk to Machines, Errors Plummet
Window and door maker Pella has deployed a proprietary voice‑activated connected‑worker platform built on Honeywell software. The system guides operators through tasks, slashing error rates and shortening the time needed to reach full productivity. By standardizing on a scalable solution...
Maximum Efficiency for Metal-Plastic Composite Parts
Swoboda CZ in the Czech Republic has installed a fully automatic production cell to manufacture metal‑plastic switchbox housing components. The new cell, built around a 270‑ton Wittmann vertical injection‑moulding machine with a two‑station rotary table, has doubled the plant’s capacity...
France Launches Tender for 300 Double-Deck EMUs
SNCF Voyageurs and Île‑de‑France Mobilités have issued a joint tender for more than 300 Z2N NG double‑deck EMUs under a framework worth over €8 billion. The 23‑year agreement, running to December 2052, includes a firm order for 52 trains valued at €1.5 billion and optional tranches...
Sunoyster Offers Lightweight 440 W Glass-Covered TOPCon PV Panel
German solar tracker developer Sunoyster Systems has launched the G440, a 440‑watt TOPCon photovoltaic module that weighs just 12 kg and features a 2 mm tempered‑glass cover. The panel delivers 22.2 % efficiency using 108 half‑cut monocrystalline cells and can be glued directly...
Gitana 18, a Racing Trimaran Sailboat Featuring Future Fibres’ Latest Rigging
The Gitana Team unveiled the 104‑foot Gitana 18 Maxi Edmond de Rothschild in Lorient on 14 February. Designed with Guillaume Verdier, the trimaran features fully foiling hulls, retractable Y‑foils and a rotating diamond mast. North Sails, Southern Spars and Future Fibres supplied...
Researchers Test SLS of PHB With Biocarbon
Researchers evaluated selective laser sintering of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) blended with a biocarbon filler to assess its viability as a greener powder‑bed material. By varying bed temperature, laser power, scan speed and hatch spacing, they identified a narrower yet manageable sintering...
Application Spotlight: AI-Designed Patient-Specific Spinal Implants Set for First In-Human Procedures in 2026
Nivalon, founded by Todd Hodrinsky and Marcel Janse, is preparing to launch its AI‑designed, patient‑specific spinal implant system, EvoFlex, in first‑in‑human trials slated for 2026. The implants are generated through machine‑learning algorithms that model each patient’s vertebral geometry, aiming to...
Austal Lands Massive $4 Billion Deal to Build Eight LCH Vessels for Australia
Austal Defence Australia secured a $4 billion Strategic Shipbuilding Agreement to build eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels for the Australian Defence Force. The 100‑metre, 4,000‑ton ships, based on the Damen LST100 design, can carry over 200 personnel, six M1A2 Abrams tanks...
The Value of Circular Steel in Modern Construction
7 Steel UK is scaling a fully domestic, circular steel model that turns the UK’s 8 Mt of annual scrap into low‑carbon billets using an electric arc furnace. By keeping scrap in‑country, the company shortens supply chains, boosts material traceability and cuts embodied...
INSPECTIS Launches New Ring Light With Dual White & UV Light
INSPECTIS AB introduced the HD‑124‑WUV Dual White & UV Ring Light, featuring 32 white and 8 UV LEDs for high‑intensity, interchangeable illumination. The product will debut at the IPC/APEX Expo in March 2026 and integrates directly with INSPECTIS digital microscopes,...
Additive Manufacturing Set to Drive $110B Market by 2034, Reports AM Research
Additive manufacturing is projected to generate $110 billion in market impact by 2034, up from $24.5 billion in 2025, according to AM Research. The forecast draws on more than ten years of historical data and covers metal and polymer parts across eight...
Hexagon Launches New Certified Marker-Free HYPERSCAN 3D Scanner
Swedish metrology firm Hexagon unveiled the HYPERSCAN 3D scanner, a portable, marker‑free system designed for large‑scale production inspection. Certified to VDI/VDE 2634‑3 and validated by an ISO 17025 lab, the scanner offers two models—Ultra (5.5 m range) and Super (7 m range) with up...
Top.E R1: 5-Axis 3D Printing as an Attack on the Support Structure
The episode examines the Top.E R1, the first desktop 5‑axis AI‑enabled FDM printer, which tilts its build platform up to 30° to print overhangs without traditional support structures. By reducing supports, the printer promises material savings, less post‑processing damage, and...
Cargo Elevator System Using XG5000 PLC Programming
The XG5000 PLC program implements a three‑floor cargo elevator that moves one floor at a time using up and down push‑buttons. Limit‑switch sensors on each floor provide position feedback, while a latched SYSTEM_ON memory bit keeps the controller active after...
Aussie Flash PMI Cools, RBA Still Hot
Australia’s flash PMI for February showed a deceleration, with output and new orders slipping across manufacturing and services after a vigorous start to the year. Despite the slowdown, business sentiment stayed upbeat, and employment rose sharply as firms added staff...
ESAB Corp (ESAB) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp reported Q4 2025 revenue of $2.97 billion, a 14.8% year‑over‑year increase, and adjusted EPS of $2.10, up 25%, while GAAP EPS fell 4.1% due to restructuring charges. The company expanded its multiyear backlog to $27 billion, up...
LR Verifies Performance Assessment Methodology for Jet Sail
GT Wings announced that Lloyd’s Register has verified the performance assessment methodology for its AirWing™ Jet Sail system after ten months of commercial operation on the 20‑metre installation aboard MV Vectis Progress. The sea‑trials covered Atlantic winter routes, Great Lakes passages and...
Incat Crowther Designing Fuel-Cell Ferry for New York
Incat Crowther, together with SWITCH Maritime, is advancing a 28‑metre hydrogen fuel‑cell electric ferry for New York waters. The vessel will carry 150 passengers at 25 knots, powered by 720 kg of compressed hydrogen, delivering a full‑day range without shore‑side charging. Backed...
ASPR Announces Investment to Increase Domestic Production of Essential Drugs
The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced its first Defense Production Act Title III investment to boost U.S. manufacturing of essential drugs. The funding targets the chronic shortage of oseltamivir, the antiviral known as Tamiflu, by supporting domestic production...
Thermography Helps Leading Bike Fitter Find Optimal Cyclist Position
Bikefit Van Staeyen in Antwerp has integrated FLIR’s E96 thermal imaging camera into its bike‑fitting process, creating the ‘Lava.flow’ system that visualizes real‑time heat and pressure distribution on cyclists. By merging thermography with motion tracking, force analysis and EMG, the...
Europe Promises Protection for Chemical Makers
European leaders announced a package of measures to rescue the ailing EU chemical sector at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp. The European Commission introduced antidumping duties on imported ABS (5.2%‑21.7%) and BDO (up to 142.5%), targeting South Korean, Taiwanese,...
Warehouse Post-Holiday Recovery: Maintaining Equipment and Staff
After the holiday rush, warehouses enter a post‑peak phase that is often ignored, yet it sets the stage for the next operational cycle. Prolonged equipment use and overtime work create hidden wear, while temporary layouts and staffing adjustments can become...
Heimatec Speed Increasers for Lathes and Swiss-Style Machines
Platinum Tooling Technologies, the exclusive U.S. importer of Heimatec live tools, announced a full line of speed increasers for turning centers and Swiss‑style CNC lathes. The devices offer 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 gear ratios, pushing spindle speeds to a maximum...