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
South Africa's Mining Sector Urged to Collaborate, Develop and Own the Tech It Adopts
South Africa’s mining equipment manufacturers’ cluster (MEMSA) used its Mind Shift Conference 2026 to call for deeper collaboration, localisation and ownership of technology. Speakers warned the sector lags on AI maturity, citing gaps in infrastructure, skills and governance that hinder safety and productivity gains. They highlighted AI’s potential to shift safety from reactive to predictive, accelerate geological modelling, and reshape value chains for SMEs. The consensus was that innovation must be underpinned by clear business cases and robust IP protection to boost margins and export potential.
India's Steel Ministry Flags Met Coke Shortage, Seeks Withdrawal of Anti-Dumping Duty
India's Ministry of Steel has asked the Finance Ministry to withdraw the provisional anti‑dumping duty on low‑ash metallurgical coke (met‑coke) imposed in December. The ministry says domestic met‑coke supplies are insufficient and prices have surged, raising input costs for steelmakers....
Assembly Plant Trends: China Gains, NA Losses, India Rises
Automotive World’s 2026 assembly plant database shows Chinese automakers expanding 6.6% in 2024‑25, with BYD, Geely, Chery and SAIC posting double‑digit growth. The gains came at the expense of legacy foreign brands, as BMW and Mercedes‑Benz volumes in China fell...
AI Smart Glasses Saving CO2 at Bangladesh RMG Factories
Bangladesh's ready‑made garment (RMG) sector has begun deploying AI‑powered smart glasses that guide workers on stitching, cutting and quality checks. Early pilots in 120 factories reported a 12% drop in energy use and an estimated 180,000 metric tons of CO₂...
Why CMMs Are No Longer Enough: How 3D Scanning Is Closing the Metrology Gap in Automotive and Aviation
SHINING 3D’s dynamic‑tracking scanners are replacing traditional CMMs for large‑scale automotive and aviation parts. The FreeScan Trak Pro2 measured Bugatti‑Rimac’s 200 kg carbon‑fibre monocoque with 0.023 mm accuracy, eliminating spray and markers. Handheld FreeScan Nova cut Liuzhou Yinrui’s sheet‑metal gauge design time...
Dexory Upgrades the Tallest Robot in Warehousing
In this episode, Kevin Lawton interviews Chris Coot of Dexory at Modex 2026 about the company’s newest offering, Dexory View Adapt, which adds AI‑driven root‑cause analysis and proactive alerts to their warehouse‑intelligence platform. The discussion highlights how the platform’s tall...
Edge Innovate Supercharges Shredding with New High-Torque VS750s
Edge Innovate unveiled the VS750s shredder at ConExpo, positioning it as a flagship in slow‑speed, high‑torque waste processing. Weighing 43.6 tonnes, the machine pairs a 755‑hp Caterpillar C13 Tier 4 Final engine with a twin‑shaft chamber to tackle municipal, construction, green and...
Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database – 2026 Edition
The 2026 edition of the Global Vehicle Assembly Plant Database compiles production data for nearly 60 vehicle groups, 140 brands and about 1,100 models worldwide. It lists every automaker group with light‑vehicle output above 500,000 units per year and also...
April Shows Global Steel Output Retreat
Global steel production slipped in April 2026, with the World Steel Association reporting a 1.9% year‑on‑year decline to 153.4 million metric tons. Output also fell 4% month‑on‑month, driven largely by a 3.9% drop in China’s output. Six nations posted year‑on‑year gains,...
Changan Begins Brazilian Production of Uni-T SUV
Chinese automaker Changan, together with Brazil's Kawa Group, started production of the Uni‑T SUV at its Anápolis plant, kicking off a $950 million investment phase from 2026‑2028. The new phase brings Changan’s total committed capital in Brazil to $1.52 billion and supports...
Primary Aluminum Competing with Scrap in Asia
Secondary aluminum producers across Asia are grappling with soaring scrap prices and limited supply, prompting Chinese primary aluminum makers to market aluminum wire as a substitute feedstock. The wire, produced from primary metal, is being sold to melt‑shop operators in...
EU to Force Dual-Source Chip Rules on Carmakers, Mulls Sanctions Waiver for Nexperia
The European Commission is preparing a draft law that will obligate automakers such as Volkswagen, Stellantis and Renault to buy semiconductors from at least two suppliers, while simultaneously weighing a temporary suspension of sanctions on Chinese‑owned chipmaker Nexperia. The twin...
Humanoid Teams with Bosch and Schaeffler to Mass‑Produce HMND Robots in Europe
London‑based Humanoid announced a partnership with Robert Bosch GmbH and Schaeffler Technologies AG to scale production of its HMND humanoid robot across Europe. The deal moves the platform from a successful proof‑of‑concept to volume manufacturing, with plans to deploy thousands...
U.S. Factory PMI Hits Four-Year High in May as Firms Stockpile Amid Iran Conflict
The S&P Global flash manufacturing PMI jumped to 55.3 in May, the highest reading since May 2022, signaling the strongest U.S. factory activity in four years. The surge reflects firms’ precautionary inventory builds and a sharp rise in input‑price pressures...
Dunia Innovations Commits €280 M to Build Autonomous AI‑materials GigaLab in Berlin
Dunia Innovations announced a €280 million ($302 million) investment to launch GigaLab, a 6,000‑square‑metre autonomous AI‑materials facility in Berlin. Backed by Siemens, ABB Robotics, NVIDIA, AWS and ILS, the lab aims to scale experimental validation of AI‑designed nanomaterials, creating over 200 jobs...
Sharebot Secures Hundreds of Millions of Yuan to Expand Robot‑as‑a‑Service Into Manufacturing
Shanghai‑based Sharebot closed a Series A and Series A+ round raising hundreds of millions of yuan, lifting its valuation to 7 billion yuan ($1.03 bn). The funding will shift the company from exhibition‑focused rentals to a Robot‑as‑a‑Service model for manufacturing, warehousing and industrial parks.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Nvidia Launch Silicon Valley Physical AI Center
Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Nvidia have announced a joint development center in Silicon Valley to integrate Nvidia's AI platforms with Kawasaki's robotics solutions. The collaboration, which also involves Microsoft and Fujitsu, targets physical artificial intelligence for industrial and service robots.
GlobalFoundries Launches Specialized Business Unit to Expand Onshore Quantum Hardware Manufacturing
GlobalFoundries has created a new division, Quantum Technology Solutions, to commercialize on‑shore quantum hardware manufacturing. The U.S. Department of Commerce will provide $375 million under the CHIPS and Science Act and take a roughly 1% equity stake in the company. The...
UK-Australia Manufacturing Pilot Targets Faster AUKUS Submarine Sustainment
Babcock International and Truflo Marine have launched a UK‑Australia pilot to produce low‑complexity submarine valve components at Truflo’s Century Engineering facility in Adelaide, with engineering oversight, quality assurance and validation provided from the UK over an 18‑month period. The initiative...
Job Training for Robots: How China Is Getting Machines Ready to Join the Workforce
China is building a network of humanoid robot training centers where human instructors teach machines to perform factory, service and maintenance tasks. The effort is part of a broader state‑driven industrial policy that targets humanoid robotics as a strategic pillar...
Ease.io Releases First-Ever Layered Process Audit Benchmark Report
Ease.io has published its first Layered Process Audit (LPA) Benchmark Report, analyzing over 2.3 million audits from more than 2,200 manufacturing sites worldwide. The study shows that while average audit completion exceeds 80%, only one‑third of firms meet best‑practice on‑time completion...
One-Third Of Japanese Companies Eye AI Robots As Labor Shortages Intensify
A Reuters‑Nikkei survey finds one‑third of Japanese companies are using or contemplating AI‑enabled robots, with 4% already deployed, 5% planning rollout, and 25% weighing adoption. Automakers and transportation equipment makers are the most aggressive, with 80% of that sector either...
NTN Starts China Push for EV Bearing Production
NTN announced the start of prototype production for its resin‑mold insulated bearings in China, targeting e‑axle applications for electric and hybrid vehicles. The company previously began mass production in Japan in 2025 and now plans a staged rollout in China...
Columbus McKinnon Conveyance Solutions Group Showcases Advanced Conveyance
Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO) will showcase its Conveyance Solutions Group at Automate 2026 in Chicago, featuring Dorner, Garvey and montratec brands. The booth will present an integrated pallet‑loop that combines montrac® shuttles, Dorner’s DualMove platform and ERT series conveyors, highlighting flexible,...
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries Signs Framework with TerraPower to Supply Natrium Reactor Components
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries signed a Natrium Reactor Supply Framework Agreement with U.S. nuclear innovator TerraPower, naming the shipbuilder as the preferred manufacturer of enclosure system components. The pact, built on a year‑long joint study, aims to move Natrium reactors...
Mathison Manufacturing Expands Electromechanical Assembly Services to Meet U.S. Demand
Mathison Manufacturing, a Waukesha, Wisconsin contract manufacturer, announced an expanded focus on electromechanical assembly services for industrial and commercial customers. The move underscores growing U.S. demand for domestic partners that can combine tight‑tolerance metal fabrication with complex assembly under one...
CircuitHub Secures $28M From Plural to Scale Cloud‑Style PCB Production
CircuitHub, the Cambridge‑based automated electronics factory, closed a $28 million Series A led by Plural. The funding will fuel the rollout of its “Grid” factories across the United States and Europe, aiming to bring cloud‑like economics to low‑volume printed‑circuit‑board production. The move...
Freudenberg’s New DIAvent maxFlow Vents over 190 Liters per Second in EV Battery Thermal Runaway Events
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies unveiled the DIAvent maxFlow, a thermal‑runaway vent for lithium‑ion EV batteries that pushes more than 190 L s⁻¹ at a 300 mbar differential—about 2.5 times the flow of its HighFlow predecessor. The device replaces the traditional rubber umbrella with a profiled...
Fives ProSim Launches ProSimPlus Python API, a New Generation of Python Driven Process Simulation
Fives ProSim, a subsidiary of the Fives Group, has launched ProSimPlus Python API, allowing users to operate its flagship process‑simulation engine directly from Python. The new API eliminates reliance on graphical interfaces, enabling fully automated scenario generation, execution, and analysis....
US Automotive Production Steadies, but Structural Shifts Set to Redefine Steel Demand
U.S. light‑vehicle production has stabilized around 10 million units per year, sustaining flat‑rolled steel demand that accounts for roughly a quarter of domestic steel consumption. While overall output remains below pre‑COVID peaks, forecasts show a gradual rise to 11‑12 million units by...
SYOS Talks Scale, Proof and Multi-Domain Ambition at CNE
SYOS has scaled its uncrewed surface vessel production to 30 SM300 units per month, with 140 already operating in Ukraine, showcasing field‑proven capability. The UK‑New Zealand SME, now 170 staff strong, has grown entirely on contract revenue without venture capital....
CTO Fire Seen Having No Long-Term US TOFA Impact
US pine chemicals producer Mainstream Pine Products says the May 12 fire at its crude tall oil (CTO) fractionation plant in North Charleston will have limited impact on US tall oil fatty acid (TOFA) supply. The incident occurred during a planned...
RRP Defense Bags ₹29.8 Crore BEL Order for High-Precision Germanium Lenses
RRP Defense has secured a ₹29.8 crore (≈ $3.6 million) contract from Bharat Electronics Ltd to supply 8,000 high‑precision germanium lenses for rifle‑mounted infrared and thermal imaging systems. The lenses will be custom‑engineered, with ten prototypes delivered within six weeks before full‑scale production....
Quanta Computer Selects Siemens Xcelerator to Advance Manufacturing Innovation
Quanta Computer, a leading consumer‑electronics OEM/ODM, has partnered with Siemens to deploy the Xcelerator portfolio across its global operations. The integration creates a unified digital thread that connects product design, PLM, and manufacturing execution, allowing teams to work on a...
POSCO Future M to Mass‑Produce Silicon Anodes by 2028, Targeting Premium EV Battery Demand
South Korean battery materials firm POSCO Future M said it will begin mass production of silicon anode material by 2028, aiming to meet rising demand for high‑performance EV batteries. The technology promises four‑times the energy of graphite anodes and could reshape...
AMD Ramps up 2nm "Venice" CPU Production at TSMC Taiwan and Arizona Fabs
AMD announced that its 6th‑gen EPYC "Venice" processor is now in production on TSMC’s 2nm node in Taiwan, with a future ramp at TSMC’s Arizona fab. The move is backed by more than $10 billion in Taiwan ecosystem investments and signals...
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Gecko Robotics announced it will integrate Ouster’s new Rev8 digital lidar into its Cantilever operating platform. The Rev8 sensor suite delivers full‑color, structured 3D point clouds together with infrared and intensity data, enabling richer visualizations of industrial assets. By feeding...
Firefly Aerospace Expands Texas Campus to Launch Multi‑Vehicle Production Line
Firefly Aerospace has enlarged its Cedar Park, Texas campus to 144,000 sq ft, adding a four‑times‑larger cleanroom and parallel assembly lines for its Blue Ghost lunar lander and Elytra orbital transfer vehicle. The expansion, partly funded by a Texas Space Commission grant, also upgrades...
93% of Manufacturers Expect Smart Technology to Reshape Jobs
A Rockwell Automation study of 1,500 manufacturing leaders across 17 countries finds 93% expect smart technology to reshape jobs. Forty percent of firms reskilled workers last year, while half plan to repurpose existing staff and 42% anticipate hiring for new...
Auburn Research and Technology Foundation Breaks Ground on New RFID Lab
The Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (ARTF) has broken ground on a $22 million, 100,000‑square‑foot RFID Laboratory slated to open in summer 2027. The new lab will serve as the anchor for a 45‑acre advanced manufacturing research district at Auburn Research...
US May Philly Fed Business Index -0.4 vs +18.0 Expected
The Philadelphia Fed’s April manufacturing index slipped to –0.4, far below the +18 forecast, signaling a contraction in the Third District. New orders, shipments and the employment index all moved deeper into negative territory, underscoring weakening demand and labor slack....
UltiMaker Unveils Factor 4 Plus: High Speed 3D Printing Built for Continuous Industrial and Defense Production
UltiMaker launched the Factor 4 Plus, a desktop industrial 3D printer that delivers up to twice the speed of its predecessor, the Factor 4. The machine adds a rugged, field‑ready chassis and the TRACE software suite, which automatically records and validates every print...
Barilla Adds Capacity at US Pasta Factory
Barilla announced a $145 million, two‑phase expansion of its Avon, New York pasta plant, adding a 52,000‑square‑foot production building, a new line and three packaging lines in phase 1, slated for completion by March 2028. The upgrade will support a second line in...
August Robotics Raises $30M in Series B Funding for Autonomous Construction Robotics
August Robotics announced a $30 million Series B round led by Big Pi Ventures, with participation from Blackbird, Skip Capital, Tanarra, Future Family Office and GS Futures. The capital will accelerate AI development, new autonomous drilling robots, and scale production for construction...
Ford and GM Vie for New U.S. Defense Contracts, Targeting Military Truck Market
Ford announced early talks with U.S., European and North American governments to supply its F‑Series and Ranger pickups for military use, joining GM, which already operates GM Defense and recently won an $18.8 million infantry vehicle contract. The move reflects a...
Doozy Robotics to Scale Physical AI Workforce Worldwide
Doozy Robotics, a Singapore‑based startup, announced a global expansion into the United States, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Asia as it prepares for a Series A round. The company is building a vertically integrated physical AI ecosystem that combines autonomous mobile...
The Other China Shock
The article examines the emerging "other China shock," where rising wages and tighter regulations in China are prompting multinational manufacturers to relocate labor‑intensive production to neighboring Asian economies such as Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Mexico. It traces the historical pattern of...
IPL Biologicals Opens 3rd Plant in Vadodara, Raises Capacity to 7,000 KL/Year
IPL Biologicals Ltd inaugurated its third biological manufacturing plant in Vadodara, investing roughly $24 million (Rs 200 crore). The new 200,000 sq ft facility lifts the company’s annual production capacity to 7,000 kilolitres, with a daily output of 40,000 kilolitres, and incorporates zero‑liquid‑discharge and 500 kW of captive...
Maintenance Practices That Extend the Life of Industrial IoT and Glass Processing Equipment
Manufacturers of glass processing equipment are adopting structured maintenance programs to protect multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar assets and the nanometer‑level tolerances they produce. Daily cleaning, precise lubrication, routine calibration, thermal system checks, and timely software updates are highlighted as essential tasks in modern...
AMD EPYC Venice Enters Production on TSMC 2nm Process
AMD announced that its next‑generation EPYC “Venice” processor is now ramping production at TSMC’s 2 nm fab in Taiwan, with later production planned for TSMC’s Arizona plant. Venice is the first high‑performance server CPU built on the 2 nm node, targeting cloud,...