Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Japan launches $6.3B push to capture 30% of global physical AI robotics market
Japan is committing roughly $6.3 billion to accelerate AI‑powered robotics, targeting a 30% share of the global physical AI market by 2040. The initiative responds to a 14‑year population decline and a shrinking workforce, positioning robots as essential for factories, warehouses and critical infrastructure.
Also developing:
By the numbers: BlackRock acquires 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
AOC, the Swiss‑based supplier of specialty formulations, announced price increases of up to €450 (US $521.83) per tonne for its unsaturated polyester, vinyl‑ester and Neoxil® products. The hikes affect customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India and will take effect on 1 April 2026, or when individual contracts allow. AOC attributes the rise to sharply higher raw‑material costs, transport disruptions and fuel price spikes caused by the ongoing Middle East crisis. The company pledged to monitor the situation and keep supply chains stable.
Northshore Apparel is constructing a large garment factory in Savelugu, northern Ghana, to showcase the town as a sourcing destination. The plant will produce both knitted and woven apparel—including T‑shirts, polos, hoodies, children’s wear and sportswear—for export markets. The investment...
Johnson & Johnson has allocated up to $40 million a year since 2005 to a carbon‑relief fund that finances low‑carbon retrofits, including a 2023 geothermal plant that slashed heating and cooling emissions at a Belgian site by roughly 30%. The company...
Liebherr Chile has supplied and commissioned two PR 776 G8 mining dozers equipped with its LiReCon teleoperation system for SQM's Nueva Victoria iodine mine in northern Chile. The dozers, the largest hydrostatic models on the market, have demonstrated strong pushing...
Key players from the French and UK aerospace composites sectors gathered at the British Embassy in Paris during JEC World for a networking reception organized by Composites UK and the Department for Business and Trade. Deputy Trade Commissioner Jo Hawley...
Heidelberg Materials UK completed a pilot at its Criggion plant using hydrogen to heat asphalt production, generating over 1,300 tonnes of asphalt without quality loss. The trial cut direct (Scope 1) emissions by 76 % and lowered the overall carbon footprint by 23%,...
SAIC Motor’s MG brand has begun local assembly of the S5 battery‑electric vehicle in Malaysia through a partnership with EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB). The Alor Gajah plant will assemble up to 2,000 units this year from imported CKD kits, leveraging...
Researchers have introduced digital‑twin models that ingest printer settings and sensor data to predict resin cure states and dynamically adjust exposures in vat photopolymerization. The approach combines optics, cure kinetics, thermal and oxygen transport models, enabling pixel‑level compensation, heat‑management scheduling,...
The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) has installed the world’s first AMCM M 8K metal 3D printing system, a large‑format laser powder‑bed fusion (LPBF) machine with an 800 × 800 × 1,200 mm build volume. The platform uses eight 1.2 kW nLIGHT lasers, the AirSword...
GELITA and Black Drop have signed an R&D agreement to develop methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) bioinks for 3D bioprinting applications. The partnership will leverage GELITA’s ultra‑low endotoxin gelatin (MEDELLAPRO) and Black Drop’s custom bioprinting platforms to create clinically usable, scalable bioinks....
In this episode, Kevin interviews Michelle Harris of Our Service Works (OSW), a Dallas‑based 3PL that evolved from outsourced customer care to a full‑service fulfillment operation. They discuss how OSW carefully selects carriers—evaluating performance data, technology integration, and support—to enhance...
Researchers have created a transparent, PFAS‑free dual‑layer sol‑gel coating that renders solar panels superhydrophobic while preserving high light transmission. Laboratory tests showed the coating raises photovoltaic efficiency from 13.90 % to 14.56 %, a 0.66‑point gain, and demonstrates strong abrasion, chemical and...
Airbus delivered 793 aircraft in 2025, topping its revised target as supply chain constraints eased. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/airbus-delivered-793-aircraft-in-2025.html
NanoMalaysia Berhad unveiled a sodium‑ion battery prototype that delivers over 300 Wh/kg, placing it among the world’s most advanced sodium‑ion systems. Developed under the NanoMalaysia Energy Storage Technology Initiative in partnership with International Battery Centre Sdn Bhd, the prototype demonstrates performance...
Allison Transmission and Daimler Truck North America have broadened their collaboration by adding two fully automatic gearbox options to the Freightliner M2 106 Plus medium‑duty truck. The 3414 Regional Haul Series transmission, paired with a Cummins X10 diesel, will start production in...
Continental announced that its original‑equipment tyres equipped all ten of the highest‑volume electric‑vehicle manufacturers in the EMEA region for 2025, extending its reach to 17 of the top 20 global EV makers. The company credits early investment in low rolling...
MISUTECH and Hottinger Brüel & Kjær have linked MISULAB machining simulation with nCode DesignLife fatigue analysis, enabling three‑dimensional residual‑stress predictions to flow directly into fatigue life calculations. The integrated workflow lets engineers evaluate machining strategies virtually, reducing reliance on costly physical testing. A case...
Honda announced that seven of its U.S. manufacturing facilities earned the EPA ENERGY STAR certification for 2025, recognizing superior energy efficiency. The Marysville and East Liberty Ohio plants marked their 20th consecutive year of certification, while other sites in Indiana,...
EV Group has launched the EVG120, an automated resist processing system that upgrades its flagship coater/developer line. The new platform offers a 40% capacity boost on a 200 mm footprint while shrinking its overall size by more than 20%. It adds...
eChem Expo 2026 has released its full two‑day program, scheduled for April 8‑9 at the MeadowView Resort in Kingsport, Tennessee. The agenda features eight focused technical tracks—from Capital Effectiveness and Operational Excellence to Industrial AI and Workforce Development—delivering over 20 hours of...
The U.S. CNC machining sector faces a deep talent gap, with hundreds of thousands of open positions despite a workforce of roughly 12.7 million manufacturing employees. Median machinist age is 46.9, and retirements are outpacing new talent, risking up to 2.1 million...
𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗜 𝗔𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻? In this episode 87 of The Supply Chain Show™, we dive deep into how AI agents are actually transforming logistics and supply chain operations. Our guest Nick Douglas (VP, Product & Network Design, project44) We discuss...
Visy has inaugurated an 8,500‑square‑metre packaging hub in Devonport, Tasmania, to supply cardboard solutions to the state’s food, beverage and agricultural producers. The facility, opened by Minister Julie Collins, aims to bolster local manufacturing capacity and create jobs within an...
DroneShield has opened its first European Union manufacturing line to produce counter‑UAS systems, with deliveries slated for mid‑2026. The move partners with an established EU contract manufacturer to handle turnkey assembly, PCB production, precision machining and testing. It aligns with...
Widebody freighter capacity remains constrained in 2026 as manufacturers grapple with lingering supply‑chain disruptions. IATA’s director general Willie Walsh warned that OEMs are still struggling to stabilize production, pushing the Boeing 777‑8F launch to 2028 and delaying Airbus’s A350F entry...
Siam Cement Group (SCG) has temporarily shut its Rayong olefins plant after the Strait of Hormuz closure disrupted shipments of naphtha and propane, essential feedstocks. The subsidiary Rayong Olefins declared force majeure, estimating a cost hit of about 150 million baht...
Broadwind Inc. posted Q4 2025 revenue of $44.2 million, a 25% year‑over‑year increase, driven by strong heavy‑fabrication shipments and a surge in power‑generation orders. Total orders jumped 90% YoY to $44 million, with gearing orders up 260% and industrial‑solutions backlog reaching a...
Wan Hai deepens newbuild push with LNG & methanol-ready boxships. Newbuilds vs Iraq war & questions on supply chain design & operation. And the critical logistics. A takeaway from 6 years is how to build unpredictability into supply chains. More...
Canada’s battery supply chain is hampered by a lack of domestic graphite refining, with 90% of battery‑grade graphite processed in China. Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) is launching a Phase‑2 mine and battery material plant in Bécancour, Quebec, backed by federal...
Add aluminum to the Hormuz choke point. Restarting supply chain trade flows and maritime will not be like turning on a light switch.
CLP Power Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong have signed an MOU to explore metal 3D‑printing for power‑generation equipment. The collaboration targets on‑demand production of turbine, heat‑exchanger and other critical components, focusing on high‑temperature alloys and microstructure control....
Cisco’s 2026 State of Industrial AI report, based on 350+ manufacturing leaders across 19 countries, reveals that infrastructure shortfalls are throttling AI rollout in factories. While 96% view reliable wireless connectivity as essential, 56% cite frequent outages that disrupt operations....
🌕@GRU_Space built the world's first Moon factory in just 6 weeks—patent-pending hardware turning lunar dirt into bricks and inflates habitats on the Moon. It's landing as early as next year to lay the foundation for lunar hotels and base infra. Congrats on...
Boring to some people, interesting to others. For some, hand-crafting a piece of glass is interesting. For others, monitoring, optimizing, and fixing a machine that makes a million pieces of glass is interesting. Two different kinds of nerds.
Policymakers and experts convened to examine how critical minerals shape the Brazil‑US economic partnership. Brazil’s abundant rare‑earth and battery‑grade mineral reserves are increasingly vital to the United States’ energy‑transition agenda. The discussion highlighted supply‑chain vulnerabilities, especially reliance on China, and...
Industrial policy FTW: "China's Tariff-Defying Export Boom Leaves Its Factory Workers Behind: Workers who powered a tariff-defying boom tell a grim story of falling wages and vanishing jobs." https://t.co/cIfJHANUgW https://t.co/ZIN1PXUzwE
A Connecticut‑based freight operator, Ameer Nasir, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for submitting more than $3 million in false invoices to Amazon Logistics. Between December 2019 and February 2021, he created 23 phantom trucking companies and used a manual override in...
South Korean ESS component supplier will build US factory in Indiana #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/IHTPPbh5vU
The article warns that attempting to improve every process simultaneously leads to sub‑optimization, where overall performance barely shifts despite local gains. It introduces the Theory of Constraints (TOC) as a disciplined alternative that focuses improvement on the single bottleneck limiting...
US Navy refusing to escort commercial ships thru the Strait. Saying the risk is too high. Is the end of the war not as close as some infer? Is supply chain risk escalating? Can a prolonged war fracture some of...
The SELF DRIVE Act (H.R. 7390) would create a federal framework allowing fully autonomous 80,000‑pound trucks to operate commercially while under testing permits, expanding NHTSA authority and preempting state rules. The bill requires manufacturers to submit a safety case but...
Group Ocean has placed a repeat order for four 12V175D‑MM high‑speed engines, each delivering 1,860 kW at 1,800 rpm and meeting IMO Tier III standards, to power two 24‑metre ASD harbour tugs for the Royal Canadian Navy. The tugs, based on Robert Allan...
Researchers at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station unveiled ChicGrasp, a dual‑jaw robotic gripper that learns to grasp, lift, and hang chicken carcasses by imitating human motions. The system employs a diffusion‑policy imitation‑learning algorithm and camera perception, achieving an 81% success...
Neuland Laboratories announced that the first module of its new commercial peptide manufacturing facility will be operational by summer on its 17‑acre Bonthapally campus in India. The module adds 6,370 L of solid‑phase and liquid‑phase peptide synthesis capacity, ranging from 250 L...
Synopsys unveiled its Electronics Digital Twin (eDT) Platform, a cloud‑based, open ecosystem that lets engineers create, deploy and manage digital twins of electronic systems. The platform is aimed at the automotive sector, promising up to 90% of software validation before...
Container Shipping Diversions Surge 360% Amid Hormuz Closure. And the inland logistics to move all the loaded and empty containers? Including customs https://t.co/xjirN7c7am
Smart factories rely on seamless industrial connectivity that links production equipment, PLCs, and sensor networks to centralized monitoring platforms. By transmitting high‑speed data via fiber‑optic infrastructure, manufacturers gain real‑time visibility into machine performance, output, and maintenance needs. Consolidating this data...
Freight carriers are now moving mission‑critical AI and semiconductor hardware, not just consumer electronics, turning each trailer into a multi‑million‑dollar asset. The dense, delicate nature of this cargo demands real‑time, sensor‑driven visibility that goes beyond standard GPS location data. Werner’s...
Sigmatex, a 40‑year‑old global carbon‑fibre textile maker, has signed a distribution agreement with India’s Link Composites at JEC World 2026. The deal makes Link Composites the official distributor of Sigmatex’s certified fabrics across India, covering aerospace, renewable energy, automotive, infrastructure...
Data is everywhere. Turning it into decisions is the differentiator. Read Lisa’s article, contact LMA to learn more about how to strengthen data-to-decision with SIOP. https://t.co/MMXjHddjOg #Data #SIOP #SupplyChain
