Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Goodyear launches $320 million expansion of its Lawton plant
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company announced a $320 million, four‑year expansion of its Lawton, Oklahoma facility, boosting capacity by nearly 30 % and adding the ability to produce an extra 10 million tires annually (about 120,000 per day). The upgrade targets higher‑margin, larger‑rim tires for electric vehicles.
Also developing:
By the numbers: BlackRock acquires 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
TechRepublic’s 2026 roundup identifies the top inventory management platforms for businesses of all sizes, from enterprise‑grade NetSuite to free‑tier Zoho and Odoo. The guide highlights pricing structures, core features such as demand planning, multi‑location tracking, and API/webhook support, and rates each solution on a five‑point scale. NetSuite leads for complex, scaling operations with extensive WMS and custom scripting, while Square for Retail offers the quickest on‑ramp for small stores. The analysis also details implementation costs, add‑on pricing, and suitability for manufacturing, wholesale, and multichannel e‑commerce use cases.
Indian steel producers are preparing for another price increase as U.S. attacks on Iran lift coking coal, ferro‑alloy and shipping costs. Domestic hot‑rolled coil prices have risen 23 percent to roughly $650‑$700 per tonne, up from about $566 a month earlier....
SMW Autoblok has expanded its MOTIACT line with the MX‑L 335 and MX‑L 520 long‑stroke mechatronic grippers, delivering up to 40 kN of gripping force and jaw strokes of 55 mm and 99 mm respectively. The grippers feature aluminium housings, integrated absolute position sensors, and...
Acutec Precision Aerospace equipped three DMG MORI NZX 2000 nine‑axis mill‑turn centers with an inline metrology cell that combines a Mitutoyo MiSTAR 555 CMM and a FANUC robotic arm. The system moves parts directly from machining to measurement, delivering inspection results...
#Technology #Thread #Semiconductor #Manufacturing #AI The Semiconductor AI Crossroads: 1/ - AI Adoption Starts As A Software Problem, But Quickly Becomes A Silicon Question. - Performance, Power, And Cost Targets Expose The Limits Of Generic Compute.
Global composite activity PMIs for March universality dropped for the latest month's activity. Australia took the biggest hit. Japan and US still holding up the best relatively speaking. Overall, the US-Iran conflict's energy crisis is spilling over https://t.co/viZdRPVFN9
Ford Motor Co. announced a recall of 254,640 Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Nautilus, Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer SUVs because an image‑processing software module can reset and shut down the rear‑view camera and key driver‑assist systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety...
Eric Chewning, executive vice president of maritime systems and corporate strategy at Huntington Ingalls Industries, says the shipbuilder’s AI pilots with C3 AI and Path Robotics are delivering schedule gains and cultural change, offering a playbook for consultants tackling legacy‑heavy...
Nintendo announced it will cut Switch 2 manufacturing by roughly 33% following weaker-than‑expected holiday sales. The move comes amid lingering tariff costs, price hikes on accessories and a competitive market, putting pressure on the company’s 2026 console strategy.
Eurozone private‑sector activity slipped to a ten‑month low in March, with the flash composite output index dropping to 50.5, below expectations. At the same time, input‑cost inflation accelerated to its strongest level in over three years, underscoring weakening domestic demand...
Valero Energy's Port Arthur, Texas refinery suffered a massive explosion that ignited a fire and forced an immediate shutdown of the plant. The incident sent a thick smoke plume over the Gulf Coast, prompting emergency response teams and sparking worries...
Amazon has completed the acquisition of Fauna Robotics, the New York startup behind the $50,000 Sprout humanoid robot. The deal, whose financial terms were not disclosed, brings a consumer‑focused robot into Amazon’s already massive warehouse‑robot fleet of over one million...
A joint event by Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) and the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation (NRFC) highlighted manufacturing investment pathways in Melbourne’s south‑east. The region accounts for about $89 billion Australian (≈$59 billion USD) in annual manufacturing output, hosts over 3,800 firms...
Michigan‑based Bark River Knives announced it is closing after confirming that several recent models were produced with imported Chinese steel while being marketed as U.S.–made CPM‑154. Owner Mike Stewart said the decision was a cost‑cutting measure and took full responsibility....
Strohm has secured a contract to supply insulated thermoplastic composite pipe (TCP) production jumpers for a deep‑water field extension offshore Sabah, Malaysia. The order covers two 7‑inch carbon‑fiber‑reinforced PA12 jumpers destined for installation at roughly 1,350 m water depth, with delivery...
Tolomatic introduced the RSX50, a new electric linear actuator that delivers 50 tons of force while occupying nearly the same frame size as the 25‑ton RSX25. The RSX series offers a hydraulic‑free alternative, featuring planetary roller screws, up to 66,000 pounds‑force capacity,...
Pop Mart’s Labubu plush, a viral collectible, has driven sales past $4 billion in 2025, but a China Labor Watch investigation uncovered forced‑labor indicators at Shunjia Toys, the sole factory producing the doll. Workers reported excessive overtime—up to 145 hours a month—extremely...
Fenner Conveyors, a Michelin Group subsidiary, launched the INFINITYSERIES, a new conveyor‑belt line that incorporates 10% locally sourced recycled material. Unveiled at the K‑MIX Material Innovation Hub, the belts target heavy‑industry applications such as mining, ports, processing and agriculture while...
Exotec has launched the Skyfleet program, rolling out standardized robotic warehouse solutions to seven Decathlon logistics sites across five European countries. Each site features 150‑200 Skypod robots, up to 200,000 items processed daily, and full automation of inbound and outbound...
Geekplus unveiled the RoboShuttle V5 at LogiMAT 2026, upgrading its tote‑to‑person system with a native Robot Arm Picking Station for fully autonomous warehouse picking. The solution claims 99.99% accuracy, up to 700 units per hour, and a plug‑and‑play rollout in as...
Haad Thip Plc, the exclusive Coca‑Cola bottler for 14 southern Thai provinces, is targeting a rise in returnable glass bottle (RGB) revenue to 6‑7% of total sales this year, up from roughly 3% in FY2025. The move aims to offset...
Embodied artificial intelligence is reshaping robotics by applying large neural networks to perception, planning, and manipulation. Advances in data collection—through real‑world demos, simulation, and video mining—are addressing the historic shortage of training material for physical tasks. Coupled with cheaper, less...
FedEx announced FedEx SameDay Local, a new parcel service that lets shoppers choose two‑hour or end‑of‑day delivery at checkout. The offering is built on a partnership with Florida‑based last‑mile platform OneRail and taps a national network of more than 1,000...
Belt-shaped VO₂(B) single crystals synthesized from V₂O₅ nanofibers demonstrate high sensitivity and selectivity for ethanol detection at room temperature, offering a promising platform for low-power, next-generation gas sensors. materialsinnovation
Manz Asia and Seiko Epson have formed a strategic partnership to bring advanced inkjet printing to semiconductor manufacturing. The collaboration merges Manz’s equipment engineering and software with Epson’s high‑precision printhead technology to create a lab‑to‑fab inkjet platform spanning R&D, pilot,...
Physik Instrumente (PI) has launched the X‑365 Precision XY Gantry System, a modular Cartesian platform offering travel ranges from 200 × 200 mm up to 600 × 800 mm with nanometer‑class position feedback. The system combines high load capacity, rigid recirculating‑ball guides and thermally decoupled components...
U.S. Central Command said U.S. air strikes on March 6 destroyed Iran's Qom Turbine Engine Production Plant, a key source of gas turbine engines for IRGC drones and aircraft parts. The strike marks the most significant manufacturing blow to Iran's...
Toyota announced a $1 billion investment—$800 million for its Georgetown, Kentucky plant and $200 million for its Princeton, Indiana plant—to increase Camry, RAV4 and Grand Highlander output. The spend is a first step in a broader $10 billion U.S. expansion, while the automaker warns...
AtomBite.AI launched its first commercial robot, the M1 Takeout Packing Robot, to automate the chaotic "last meter" of food‑delivery fulfillment in restaurants. The system runs on a proprietary dual‑model AI brain that lets existing hardware manipulate unpredictable items like crushed...
Silicon Valley are really hyping up Humanoids, because you know, China is ahead. According to Morgan Stanley, the humanoid robot market is set to exceed $5 trillion by 2050. So the U.S. is throwing capital at it. New robotics companies...
#WhatsNext? Future wheels for the #AutoIndustry? Makes current wheel technology look rather 'tired'. (Mashable) https://t.co/Th9HXN2M6G
Fleet management has shifted from basic maintenance to a data‑driven strategic function, leveraging real‑time GPS, AI routing, and predictive analytics to cut costs and boost utilization. Modern platforms integrate telematics, driver safety, and fuel monitoring, turning vehicles into measurable business...
Do this. Much more of this. In fact, build more factories, don’t just convert existing ones. The Western world should never find itself in a munitions shortage again in our lifetimes. A gigantic mistake of the past 25+ years of...
incredible progress - Standard has expanded from one to three facilities in under twelve months. fueling the future, one triso particle at a time 🫡
Missile strikes in Qatar’s Ras Laffan industrial zone knocked 14% of the complex’s helium capacity offline, removing roughly 5% of global supply. Novartis agreed to pay $2 billion for Synnovation Therapeutics' PI3Kα inhibitor portfolio, bolstering its oncology pipeline. Ecolab announced a...
As a result of the US-Israeli war in Iran, ALUMINUM prices are UP 12-40% THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. The world’s biggest carmakers are reportedly “panic buying.” CARMAKERS SHOULD SEND A BILL FOR DAMAGES TO TRUMP & NETANYAHU. https://t.co/yRInvBpEdm
📘 My favorite leadership read this week. What’s on your list? 💡 The math of flow, variability, WIP, and cycle time—must-know laws. Helpful resource: 🔗 https://t.co/2wgrSzLcqG #FactoryPhysics #OperationsScience #Flow #MachineShopTechTalk #Manufacturing #MachineShop https://t.co/X3kAibF2OI
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Blue Star Limited to accelerate startup innovation in India’s manufacturing sector. The partnership targets emerging technology domains such as HVAC, digital solutions, advanced...
"Input prices for services rose to the highest since May, while those for manufacturers jumped to a seven-month high." https://t.co/NMR6KvBOzE https://t.co/DhoJ1m76qO
How Han’s #Robot Uses Vision #AI to Inspect #Automobile Chassis via @WevolverApp #Robotics #Engineering #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/Y77DaMYQ0a
L3Harris has launched high‑volume production of its VAMPIRE counter‑UAS system at a new Huntsville, Alabama facility to satisfy growing demand from the United States and allied forces. The system, combat‑proven since 2023 in European conflicts including Ukraine, detects, tracks and...
The freight data doesn't lie... It has been signaling incredibly strong manufacturing conditions for months. I am seeing some of the strongest freight volume charts tied to industrial activity I've seen since COVID. https://t.co/jJXPO8D1OQ
Digital Band‑Aids No More: AI Is Rewriting the Factory Floor Listen Live @ 1:15pm ET https://t.co/4E60azaCwW John Reed, and I discuss manufacturing of the future. Do manufacturers need to stop playing with digital AI and start embracing intelligent AI? https://t.co/qHMgN6kOcj
Signode will showcase its integrated automation and ASRS portfolio at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, highlighting how its packaging, robotics, and material‑handling technologies work together as a connected system. The exhibit features the Octopus Prestige stretch‑wrapping machine paired with an autonomous mobile...
Deployed Episode 1 is live. @jeffawilke scaled Amazon’s operations from a billion to a trillion dollars. We got into things he's rarely talked about publicly -- drones, lights-out factories, the future of Physical AI. Link below. https://t.co/BLWpc9TdvS
As a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, Japanese carmakers are looking to BUY ALUMINUM from RUSSIA. RUSSIA = THE BIG WINNER OF TRUMP & NETANYAHU'S WAR. https://t.co/JIiV9xOkFp
BLT announced that its eight‑laser BLT‑S400 powder‑bed fusion system has produced its 100,000th copper component, marking a milestone for industrial‑grade copper additive manufacturing. The machine leverages a combination of red and green lasers to overcome copper’s high reflectivity and thermal...
This Video Proves It: Shenzhen Is the World’s Robotics Hub by @Robo_Tuo #Robotics #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/eVaMjLTHMV
AI adoption in packaging is accelerating as costs drop and functionality expands, according to PMMI’s February 2026 report. Consumer packaged goods firms and equipment OEMs are moving beyond pilot projects toward plant‑wide AI orchestration, especially in machine vision, knowledge transfer,...
