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
Visual Intelligence Powering Next-Generation Robotics
Machine vision has transitioned from simple part detection to a measurement‑grade sensory core for industrial robots. Advances in high‑resolution cameras, 3D imaging, edge AI and deep‑learning enable sub‑millimeter positioning, real‑time defect recognition and adaptive path correction. This vision‑driven intelligence lets robots operate in high‑mix, low‑volume environments across automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical device sectors. The technology now supports inline metrology, process control and safe human‑robot collaboration, blurring the line between robotics, vision and precision measurement.
All-in-One SLAM LiDAR, RTK and 360° Imagery Scanner Launched
Emesent has launched the GX1, an all‑in‑one SLAM LiDAR, RTK and 360° imaging scanner that delivers 5‑10 mm global accuracy. The system can cut survey time by up to 95 %, turning weeks of work into a single day. It integrates LiDAR,...
Driving Automotive Quality with Automation
Ajin Industrial, a long‑standing Tier‑1 supplier to Hyundai and Kia, replaced its manual fixture‑based inspection with Creaform’s CUBE‑R robotic 3D scanning cell and Metrology Suite. The automated system delivers higher dimensional accuracy, repeatable measurements, and real‑time feedback, cutting inspection time...
AI Boosts Productivity but Amplifies Workload and Burnout
A provocative new Harvard Business Review article is challenging everything we thought we knew about #AI in the workplace. “AI Doesn’t Reduce Work—It Intensifies It” shares findings from an eight-month study that reveal a counterintuitive truth: instead of lightening workloads, AI...
SemiQ Partners with Distributor NAC Semi Across North America
SemiQ Inc., a designer of silicon‑carbide (SiC) power semiconductors and 150 mm epitaxial wafers, has signed a distribution agreement with NAC Semi, a North‑American component distributor. The deal gives NAC Semi direct access to SemiQ’s high‑efficiency MOSFETs, power modules and Schottky diodes, targeting...
POSSIBLE Project Finds Success in Mechanical Recycling of Rigid PU, GFRP
The Cannon Group, together with MAP S.p.A. and the University of Bergamo, has proved that rigid polyurethane (PU) foam and glass‑fiber‑reinforced PU (GFRP) can be mechanically recycled within existing high‑pressure mixing lines. Two complementary routes were demonstrated: micron‑sized PU powders...
When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Control System?
Control system upgrades are back on plant executives' agendas as new capital budgets roll out for the year. The article highlights three primary risks of aging automation: hardware failure, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and the erosion of tribal knowledge. It urges decision‑makers...
When Is It Time to Upgrade Your Control System?
Plant managers face pressure to refresh aging control systems as new capital budgets roll out. Older PLCs and DCS platforms expose facilities to hardware failures, heightened cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and loss of tribal knowledge. Experts recommend a ten‑year upgrade cadence to...
EU Mandates 25% Low‑carbon Steel in Public Contracts
EU's climate policymaking continues. "Governments will be required to ensure that 25% of steel used under public procurement and subsidy programs is low-carbon. The bloc will apply similar rules for aluminum and cement." https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-16/eu-will-pitch-green-steel-as-key-pillar-of-industrial-revival
Yaskawa Expands Proven Robotic Warehouse Solutions to North America
Yaskawa America announced the North American launch of its robotic warehouse solutions, extending technologies proven in Europe and early U.S. pilots. The offering centers on the PackMaster palletizing cell, delivering 800‑1,200 cases per hour, and a layer picker capable of...
MD&M West 2026 Recap
MD&M West 2026 convened over 1,700 exhibitors and more than 13,000 attendees in Anaheim, showcasing the latest in medical device manufacturing. Thirteen on‑site interviews highlighted digital transformation, smart manufacturing, advanced materials, and precision tooling across a spectrum of companies. Notable...
Aftershock Ready: Fueling New Madrid
A new MIT Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab thesis analyzes fuel distribution vulnerabilities in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), identifying Memphis and nearby terminals as critical bottlenecks for emergency response. Using Operational Flow Capacity (OFC) modeling, the study quantifies baseline...
The Perfect Order Needs to Include the Right Data
Norman Katz expands the classic Perfect Order framework by adding a ninth right—"with the right data"—to address growing regulatory and digital‑supply‑chain demands. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 rule now requires lot‑level traceability, manufacturing and expiration dates for...
Manufacturer Revives De-Commissioned System to Advance Production
A de‑commissioned seal‑coating system was recertified and now produces 500,000 tablets per hour, matching the output of brand‑new equipment. The revival required a modern HMI, a upgraded Allen‑Bradley PLC, and enhanced cybersecurity hardware. Surveys show 48% of North American manufacturers...
Rockwell Automation Digital Twin Technology Accelerates Project Delivery and Cuts Costs for Brazil-Based Falcare Industrial Equipment
Rockwell Automation’s Emulate3D digital twin helped Brazil’s Falcare Industrial Equipment accelerate project delivery and cut costs. By simulating mechanical behavior and control logic before hardware construction, Falcare reduced project execution time by 60% and eliminated costly rework. The technology also...
AI Wins, Workforce Burns: Address Fear Separately
You can “win” your AI rollout and still lose your workforce. A recent study of 430 manufacturing employees found that even successful AI transformations increase emotional exhaustion. Translation? Your KPIs can trend up, 📈 while motivation trends down. 📉 The...
Dry Graphene Transfer at Scale Enabled by a Ferroelectric Polymer that Switches Its Grip on Command
Researchers at NUS and partners have introduced a fully dry graphene transfer technique that uses a ferroelectric polymer, P(VDF‑TrFE), to reversibly switch adhesion. By polarizing the polymer, its grip on graphene overtakes the copper substrate, enabling clean delamination and >99%...
Zhonggu Spreads Its Wings to Meet Manufacturing Shift
Zhonggu Logistics, China’s largest coastal container carrier, announced an order for six 6,000 TEU vessels, with options for two more, to support a strategic pivot toward intra‑Asia shipping as Chinese manufacturing relocates across the region. The mid‑size ships address port constraints...
How Do We Test Our Winning Logic?
The article introduces the "Value Stick" as a pragmatic framework for testing a company’s winning logic, blending operational excellence (OpEx/Lean) with digital growth methods. It focuses on four levers—Willingness to Pay, Price, Cost, and Quantity—to assess whether a strategy can...
OM in the News: The Memory-Chip Shortage
A seven‑fold surge in DRAM and NAND flash prices is straining the consumer‑tech supply chain. AI‑driven data‑center expansion is the primary catalyst, leaving smartphones, PCs and gaming consoles with higher component costs. OEMs are responding by raising retail prices, trimming...
Nearshoring and Logistics Upgrades Position the Caribbean as a New Regional Hub
The Caribbean is repositioning as a regional supply‑chain hub as nearshoring gains traction and governments fund logistics upgrades. High logistics costs—16 to 25 percent of GDP—have spurred port expansions in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana and Belize, backed by investors such as DP World...
DARPA Launches Biomass-to-Chemicals Fleetwood Program
DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office has issued a special notice to start the Fleetwood program, a 24‑month effort aimed at creating novel catalysts that transform lignocellulosic biomass, especially lignin, into carbon‑based industrial chemicals. The initiative will fund multidisciplinary teams to develop...
Yard Automation and the Future of the Yard
In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, host Kevin interviews Darin Brannan, CEO of Terminal Industries, about the emerging importance of yard automation in modern supply chains. Brannan explains how yards have traditionally lagged behind warehouses in technology adoption...
Nitride Global, USLLC and Axiom Space Awarded NASA SBIR Grant
Nitride Global, United Semiconductors LLC, and Axiom Space have won a NASA SBIR grant to develop a physical vapor deposition reactor that can grow high‑purity aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals in micro‑gravity. The Phase I prototype achieved temperatures of 2,800‑3,200 °C while consuming...
Shared Knowledge Multiplies Value in Industrial Collaboration
What truly defines great collaboration? 👉 Sharing knowledge. That’s exactly what we live in our cooperation between Indu-Sol GmbH and GROLLMUS . 🔌 Indu-Sol contributes deep expertise in industrial communication and fieldbus systems like PROFINET and PROFIBUS. 🧠 At Grollmus,...
Brightpick Advances Logistics While Others Dream of Humanoids
Everyone: humanoids will accelerate logistics. Meanwhile Brightpick …
Covestro Materials Feature in SUE Autonomous Minibus
UE | STUDIOS unveiled the SUE autonomous electric minibus, a self‑driving urban shuttle built with Covestro’s Makrolon polycarbonate glazing and recyclable interior monomaterials. The vehicle features a 381 cm panoramic windshield, sensor‑transparent Makrolon AX ST, and Arfinio‑based interior components designed for durability and circularity. Funded...
EACON Auto BEV Fleet Delivers Cost & Emissions Reduction for Shougang
EACON’s autonomous battery‑electric haul trucks have been operating at Shougang Group’s Shuichang iron‑ore mine for a year, logging over 350,000 km and moving more than 11 million tonnes of material. The fleet’s regenerative‑braking system recovered 386,000 kWh of energy, equating to roughly 185 tonnes...
Who Qualifies for the New FDA PreCheck Pilot Program?
The FDA has opened submissions for its PreCheck Pilot Program, targeting new U.S. drug‑manufacturing facilities that will begin construction by the March 1 2026 deadline. Eligible sites must be stand‑alone plants, located in the United States or its territories, and commit to...
Fujifilm Biotechnologies Opens Largest Single-Use CDMO Facility in the UK
Fujifilm Biotechnologies has opened an expanded UK site in Teesside, marking the launch of the country’s largest single‑use biopharmaceutical CDMO facility. The £400 million investment adds 2,000 L and 5,000 L single‑use bioreactors, delivering up to 19,000 L of small‑ and mid‑scale antibody manufacturing...
LogiQ-On Tech Tapped for Apex Steel’s Digital Transformation
Reseller LogiQ-On Tech has been engaged to digitize Apex Steel’s warehouse and shop‑floor operations, replacing a legacy paper‑based system with a connected solution. The rollout combines Zebra Technologies’ rugged mobile computers, printers and barcode scanners with Boyum IT’s Produmex WMS,...
The Role of Rail in a Future-Proof Supply Chain
The eBook "The Role of Rail in a Future‑Proof Supply Chain" argues that integrating rail with trucking creates a more resilient, scalable, and sustainable logistics network. It outlines three pillars—sustainability, scalability, and resilience—showing how rail delivers pricing stability, capacity efficiency,...
How Deutsche Aircraft Is Differentiating with Its D328eco Strategy
Deutsche Aircraft is pushing its D328eco 40‑seat turboprop toward a first test flight in the second half of 2026, with certification and deliveries slated for the fourth quarter of 2027—about a year later than originally planned. The company is using...
US Fixation on the Hard-Hat Economy and Making Manufacturing Great Again Makes Little Sense
The article argues that U.S. political focus on reviving the “hard‑hat” economy is misplaced. Manufacturing now comprises under 8% of employment, and recent tariff and subsidy policies have raised input costs without restoring jobs. Federal initiatives like the Inflation Reduction...
Manifest 2026 Recap
In episode 230 of The Robot Report podcast, hosts Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre recap the Manifest 2026 supply‑chain trade show in Las Vegas and interview eight robotics CEOs, including leaders from Gather AI, Robust.AI, Slamcore, Slip Robotics, Ambi Robotics, Corvus Robotics, Glid Technologies and AutoPallet. The episode...
Enemy Weapons Detector in the Hands of Soldiers Five Years Early
The British Army will field Leonardo UK’s SONUS acoustic weapon‑locating system five years ahead of schedule, with a rollout to frontline units within the next 12 months. Weighing 70% less than its predecessor, SONUS can be deployed in under three...
Manifest 2026 Recap
Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre recap their experience at the Manifest 2026 tradeshow, highlighting cutting‑edge developments in warehouse and supply‑chain robotics. The episode features rapid‑fire news, a Zoox autonomous‑taxi demo, and in‑depth interviews with CEOs and executives from Gather AI,...
Build with Ukraine: Wingcopter and TAF Industries Establish Joint Venture to Scale Production of Reconnaissance Drones in Germany for Ukraine
Wingcopter and Ukraine’s TAF Industries signed an MoU at the Munich Security Conference to create a joint venture that will produce reconnaissance drones in Germany for Ukraine. The partnership combines TAF’s licensed battlefield‑proven designs with Wingcopter’s manufacturing and engineering capabilities,...
Pod-Based, On-Demand Media and Buffer Manufacturing System
Nucleus Biologics introduced the Krakatoa K500, the first bioreactor‑scale, pod‑based system that manufactures sterile cell‑culture media and buffers on‑demand at point‑of‑use. The solution combines pre‑filled powder pods, a closed single‑use workflow and automated mixing, delivering up to 500 L in under three...
AI in Fulfillment: Separating the Hype From the Operational Reality
Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering warehouse fulfillment, but its impact is often overstated. Fidelity Fulfilment’s pilots show AI can increase picker efficiency, reduce errors, and improve exception handling when paired with human oversight. Modern AI solutions are modular, cloud‑based, and...
Guest: Lisa DeNight of Newmark on the Industrial Real Estate Market on the Rise; Thoughts on Improving Infrastructure; Striving for...
Lisa DeNight, Newmark’s North American Industrial Research head, discussed a rebound in industrial real estate as manufacturers seek new facilities. The National Association of Manufacturers highlighted chronic infrastructure underinvestment, linking highway congestion to higher freight costs. A recent Infios survey...
NUBURU Activates Q1 Production Ramp for 40 High-Power Blue Laser Systems
NUBURU Inc. has launched its Q1 2026 production ramp for 40 high‑power blue laser systems through its Italian subsidiary Lyocon, fulfilling an $850,000 contract with Dutch agritech firm Trabotyx. The order comprises 24 units of 100 W and 16 units of 200 W...
Electronics Exporters Can Grab a Greater Share of the US, EU Markets: Niti Aayog Report
India’s electronics sector can tap a $1.6 trillion US‑EU market after the India‑EU free trade deal and a modest 18 % U.S. tariff, giving it a cost edge over China, Vietnam, Mexico and Thailand. Currently, India holds only about 1 % of the...
Fincantieri Partners with Generative Bionics to Develop Humanoid Shipbuilding Robots
Fincantieri has entered a four‑year industrial partnership with Italian robotics firm Generative Bionics to develop a humanoid welding robot for its shipyards. The robot will incorporate AI‑driven perception, vision and manipulation to operate safely alongside human workers, targeting initial on‑site...
Clorox Completes SAP ERP Overhaul as Purell Acquisition Tests Integration Capacity
Clorox wrapped up a five‑year, multi‑plant SAP rollout, replacing a two‑decade‑old legacy system with a cloud‑based ERP that unifies finance, supply chain, sales and planning. The deployment spanned 21 U.S. and Canadian factories and required over 5,000 employees to complete...
Didero Raises $30M Series A for AI Procurement Platform
AI startup Didero announced a $30 million Series A round, co‑led by Chemistry and Headline with participation from Microsoft’s M12 venture fund. The financing will accelerate adoption of its AI‑driven procurement platform, which embeds autonomous agents into existing ERP and communication tools...
EFW Signs New A330 Freighter Conversion Contract with Hengqin Winglet
Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has secured a new passenger‑to‑freighter (P2F) conversion contract with Chinese lessor Hengqin Winglet Aircraft Technology. The A330‑P2F conversion will be performed at a partner facility in China, with work slated to begin in mid‑2026 and technical support...
SlipLift Automates Trailer Unloading for More Sites, Says Slip Robotics
Slip Robotics unveiled SlipLift, a new autonomous platform that separates the mobile robot from its payload, allowing it to load or unload any trailer in roughly five minutes. The system supports freight up to 20,000 lb and requires no Wi‑Fi or...
Backing Philly Mayor’s Manufacturing Push Amid NY Crisis
I’ve seen her positive words — If @PhillyMayor is serious about supporting manufacturing, shipbuilding, and the defense industrial base in Philadelphia, I will help her. New York is in a rapidly accelerating crisis of conscience.