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.
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By the numbers: BlackRock acquires 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
Hyundai Mobis has finished building a 50,000 sqm chassis‑modules plant near Kecskemét, Hungary. The facility will supply steering and braking systems to Mercedes‑Benz’s nearby assembly line, initially for the CLA, EQB and A‑Class electric and hybrid models. Production runs under a Just‑in‑Time/Just‑In‑Sequence system with flexible lines capable of mixed electric, hybrid and ICE component output. The new site expands Mobis’s European footprint and complements its upcoming EV‑battery plant in Spain.
Is "Environmental Maintenance" the missing link in robotics? We talk a lot about speed and precision. We don't talk enough about order. The Robostral WMa1 by Mistral is signaling a shift in how we build autonomous systems. It’s no longer just about executing a command;...
Researchers propose using six‑axis robotic arms for 3D food printing to bring true kitchen automation. Unlike traditional gantry printers that lay flat planes, a robot arm can plate directly, trace non‑planar paths, and navigate obstacles. The study highlights major hurdles...
Synopsys unveiled the Electronics Digital Twin (eDT) Platform, an open, cloud‑based environment for creating, managing and deploying electronic digital twins. The solution initially targets automotive OEMs, allowing software development and system integration to start before physical silicon is available. eDT...
Manufacturers are moving from occasional large‑scale upgrades to a continuous improvement model that targets small, incremental gains across production lines. By mapping processes, monitoring equipment performance, and leveraging predictive maintenance, firms can cut waste, lower costs, and boost throughput. Data...
SPEE3D’s deployable Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU) used cold‑spray additive manufacturing to design, print, heat‑treat and machine a replacement battle‑lock handle for a US Army combat support vehicle in under 10 hours, restoring the vehicle within a 24‑hour field exercise. The...
Specialty devices—including SiC and GaN power transistors, MEMS, photonics, and CIS—are shifting from traditional 150mm and 200mm wafers to larger 200mm and 300mm formats. GaN power is moving to 300mm, while SiC power advances to 200mm, and photonics, MEMS, and...
NVIDIA announced a multi‑year strategic agreement with Coherent Corp, investing $2 billion to fund research, capacity expansion, and US‑based manufacturing. The deal includes a non‑exclusive purchase commitment and future access rights to Coherent’s advanced laser and optical networking products. By scaling...
Advanced‑node semiconductor yield is increasingly eroded by subtle chemical variability in thin films, interfaces, and residues rather than obvious particle defects. This molecular variability manifests as parametric drift and margin erosion that only appear under workload or thermal stress, making...
The Queensland Manufacturing Advisory Council (QMAC) convened its first meeting of the year, bringing together industry leaders and government officials to shape the state’s manufacturing future. Discussions centered on the $79.1 million Transforming Queensland Manufacturing Grants Program, innovation, advanced technology, and...
Mainetti, the world’s largest hanger maker, has launched a new paper‑packaging production facility in Chennai’s SIPCOT Industrial Park. The plant, coupled with a Testing Centre of Excellence, will produce more than 250 recyclable paper packaging designs and serve both the...
Mitutoyo has launched the CRYSTA‑KM 565, a manual coordinate measuring machine that delivers high‑precision inspection without the need for CNC programming. Targeted at small manufacturers, workshops, educational labs and quality departments, the machine combines a granite base, FEM‑optimized rigidity and air‑bearing...
CSIRO and the Indian Institute of Science successfully trialed rice husk pellets as a partial coal substitute in steelmaking gasifiers at Jindal Steel’s Odisha plant. The world‑first test blended 5‑10% biomass‑derived syngas, delivering steady performance. Researchers estimate scaling the approach...
Metalysis, a South Yorkshire firm, secured nearly €1 million from the European Space Agency for a two‑year initiative to commercialise a continuous or quasi‑continuous titanium production method using its patented FFC process. The funding reflects ESA’s drive to create a greener,...
A nonprofit, the API Innovation Center (APIIC), is tackling the capital barrier that prevents U.S. drug makers from adopting continuous manufacturing. By pooling state, federal, philanthropic and private funds, APIIC installs equipment at manufacturers at no upfront cost, de‑risking the...
Apple boosted iPhone assembly in India by roughly 53% in 2025, reaching about 55 million units and accounting for a quarter of its global output. The shift helps the company sidestep escalating US tariffs on Chinese‑made devices and diversifies its supply...
Milne AgriGroup has doubled its production capacity to 300,000 tonnes, creating Australia’s largest pelletised ruminant‑feed mill in Welshpool. The expansion, supported by a $5 million WA grant, enables the company to export formulated pellets across Asia and to supply 6,000 tonnes to South...
Volvo Construction Equipment unveiled a suite of safety and productivity upgrades for its entire wheel‑loader lineup at ConExpo‑Con/Agg. The large L350 now uses a D17 engine delivering up to 5% better fuel efficiency and Smart Control integration, while the midsize...
Orora has completed the first year of operation for its G3 oxy‑fuel glass furnace at the Gawler plant in South Australia. The $130 million upgrade, funded in part by a $12.5 million government grant, has cut natural‑gas use by 32% and eliminated...
Wipro Enterprises is exploring entry into semiconductor manufacturing, focusing on outsourced assembly and test (OSAT) operations. The company is in early talks and is actively scouting a credible technology partner to enable the move. This initiative follows similar investments by...
Xiaomi’s humanoid robot is now testing in a real car factory. It ran autonomously for 3 hours straight with a 90%+ success rate on installing self-tapping nuts,fully keeping up with the production line’s 76-second beat https://t.co/Fm8tj3EKp2 #factory #xiaomi #humanoidtech #humanoid #robot #Robotics...
Asian chipmakers, from giants to smaller players, are raising prices as AI‑driven demand fuels a record $136 billion capex plan for 2026, a 25% increase over last year. Companies such as Vanguard, Unimicron and Winbond announced price hikes ranging from 5%...
Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are pushing energy prices higher, threatening the profit margins of Thailand's consumer‑goods conglomerate Osotspa Plc. Energy accounts for roughly 20% of the company's costs, and a rise in LNG to $140‑150 per unit could...
Custom Truck One Source (CTOS) reported Q4 2025 revenue of $2.7 billion, a 3.5% year‑over‑year increase, and full‑year adjusted EPS of $10.79. Adjusted operating margin slipped to 8.4% as higher manufacturing overhead and an unfavorable product mix offset pricing gains. The...
Chinese steel exporters are confronting steep anti‑dumping duties in Brazil, ranging from $285 to $710 per tonne, which could render Chinese imports unviable for up to five years. The duties target pre‑painted, cold‑rolled, and coated steel, prompting Chinese firms to...
Governed high‑speed air‑driven live tools transform Swiss‑type lathes by delivering steady 60,000‑80,000 RPM under load, far surpassing conventional geared or electric tools limited to 6,000‑12,000 RPM. The patented governor regulates airflow, maintaining torque, eliminating heat, and keeping spindle runout within 2 µm. This...
Wire Expo 2026 will convene May 5‑7 at Milwaukee’s Baird Center, uniting wire and cable manufacturers, suppliers, and industry leaders under the theme “Accelerating Progress Together ~ Where wire, innovation & industry connect.” The event features two high‑profile keynotes—John W. Mellowes on partnership‑driven steel strategy...
Rabobank’s Q1 Global Dairy Quarterly reports a modest rebound in dairy manufacturing prices, driven primarily by Australian and New Zealand products. Despite the rally, global milk supply remains abundant, with production growth projected to slow to just 0.2% in 2026 after...
Hai Robotics has upgraded its HaiPick Climb system to support double‑deep storage and sub‑120‑second delivery cycles, enabling up to 4,000 tote deliveries per hour. The compact design can hold 45,000 totes within 10,764 sq ft, boosting inventory density without expanding warehouse footprints....
Railroad operators Norfolk Southern and Watco are actively courting manufacturers by offering tailored industrial‑development services and financing support. Watco has poured more than $600 million into projects such as Bartlett’s 49 million‑bushel soybean plant and Charlotte Pipe’s $80 million PVC facility, while NS...
What does it actually take to bring a biological product to market? For more than 20 years, Ingenza Ltd has helped teams avoid the most common failure points in synthetic biology. Freedom to operate issues. Low productivity. Fragile processes. Late CMC...
The FDA issued Warning Letter #588155 to Health Pharma USA LLC after a May‑June 2019 inspection uncovered multiple CGMP violations at its Rahway, New Jersey facility. Major deficiencies included a dysfunctional quality‑control unit that released products before review, incomplete batch...
Additive manufacturing is gaining momentum in aerospace and defense, with 41% of industry leaders forecasting a rapid acceleration this year. GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion U.S. investment, including a $115 million spend to expand 3D metal‑printing capacity at its Cincinnati hub...
Perseus Materials, a Stanford spin‑out, has built a continuous composite‑manufacturing line that leverages self‑propagating high‑temperature synthesis (ROMP) to cure resin without heated tooling. By shrinking a pultrusion die to a centimetre and making it actuable, the system can pull laminates...
Lithoz will unveil three new ceramic additive‑manufacturing materials at Ceramitec in Munich. The LithaLox alumina variant supports printable wall thicknesses up to 12 mm, a 55 % solid loading, and delivers low, uniform shrinkage with high bend strength. LithaCon zirconia improves fracture...
Airbus delivered just 35 aircraft in February, a sharp drop from its annual target of 870 deliveries. The A320neo family made up 25 of those planes, while A220‑300 deliveries rose to eight and the A350 program added two jets, leaving...
Weaponise EU market against China or face manufacturing collapse: official think tank EUISS study urges bloc to “preserve and create technological chokepoints”, diversify markets away from China – in both instances mirroring long-term moves made by Beijing – to give it...
Due to the way that the military industrial complex works, manufacturing is a trucker's dream. Unlike other major manufacturing supply chains, like automotive, military production is highly distributed across the country. Suppliers are literally in all 50 states - so...
AXT Inc reported an 11% drop in full‑year 2025 revenue to $88.3 m, driven by an 8.4% Q4 decline caused by delayed Chinese export permits for indium phosphide. Gross margin fell to 13.1% while the company posted a $18 m net loss...
Japanese eyewear brand Kaneko Optical has unveiled UROKO, a limited‑edition 3D‑printed collection for Issey Miyake Men’s Spring‑Summer 2026 line. The frames feature an unconventional eight‑lens architecture inspired by Japanese ceramicist Shoji Kamoda, with each piece hand‑finished to retain subtle surface...
Stratasys announced a 22% year‑over‑year reliability increase for its F900 industrial 3D printer after targeted manufacturing upgrades rolled out in 2025. The boost translated into higher overall equipment effectiveness, better quality reporting, more repeatable processes, reduced carbon emissions and more...
The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) unveiled its next‑phase scaling strategy aimed at building a resilient global organic cotton supply chain by 2030. The plan broadens impact metrics to include climate, biodiversity, and labor outcomes while introducing a pilot Farm Fund...
Valmet has launched FlexBatch 8, its latest ISA‑88‑compliant batch automation and recipe management software, now fully integrated with both Valmet DNAe and D3 DCS platforms. The solution lets operators create and modify recipes using a drag‑and‑drop interface, removing the need for...
Panasonic Connect North America debuted a suite of smart‑manufacturing solutions at APEX EXPO 2026, including a new Auto‑Setting Feeder that cuts loading time by more than half. The showcase featured the NPM‑GP/L screen printer with 12‑second cycles and ±3.8 µm accuracy, the autonomous...
Anemoi Marine Technologies and Lloyd’s Register released a white paper urging alignment of three performance verification methodologies for wind‑assisted propulsion systems (WAPS). The study shows that ITTC sea‑trial guidelines, DNV’s in‑service testing practice, and Anemoi’s LR‑verified calibration model are complementary...
At the PDAC conference, Homerun Resources announced it is close to completing a bankable feasibility study for Latin America’s first antimony‑free solar‑glass manufacturing facility in Bahia, Brazil. The project leverages a high‑purity, low‑iron silica deposit that contains under 10 ppm iron,...
Nvidia partnering with ABB to build a new generation of AI-enabled industrial robots is a practical signal about where automation is actually heading. The Financial Times reports that Nvidia and ABB Robotics are collaborating on systems that combine Nvidia’s AI...
China is the undisputed leader in vertical integration, currently winning in actuators, electric cars, and hardware. We lost the EV revolution to China. @ericschmidt believes we CANNOT afford to lose the robotics revolution, too. We need the same system-level thinking...
Polysilicon prices in China plunged last week, with the steepest drop of 12.87% for n‑type granular material. High inventory—reaching 480,000 tons—combined with weak demand from downstream solar‑cell and module producers drove the decline. February output fell 17.3% to 84,400 tons,...
CipherX, a biotech start‑up specializing in microneedle platforms, partnered with Connect 2 Cleanrooms to install a 12 m² soft‑wall cleanroom for pilot production. The modular unit, validated to ISO 14644 class 7, was delivered and fully operational within 48 hours. Its PVC curtains, steel framing and...
