Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Goodyear launches $320M expansion of its Lawton plant, boosting capacity 30%
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced a $320 million, four‑year expansion of its Lawton, Oklahoma facility. The upgrade will raise production capacity by nearly 30%, adding about 10 million tires a year—roughly 120,000 units per day—and positions the plant as the largest Goodyear site in North America, targeting higher‑margin, larger‑rim tires for electric vehicles.
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By the numbers: BlackRock takes 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
Conagra Brands announced a $220 million multi‑year expansion of its Fayetteville, Arkansas plant, aimed at boosting chicken production capacity and adding more than 100 jobs over the next five years. The facility, which already ships roughly 15 million cases of ready‑to‑eat meals annually under brands like Hungry‑Man and Healthy Choice, will see new capacity to support growth in its protein portfolio. Construction is slated to begin later this year, following a $30 million upgrade at a Missouri site. The move comes as Conagra reports a sizable Q2 loss and a 31% share‑price decline.
DMG MORI Federal Services has secured a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s High‑Performance Computing for Manufacturing (HPC4Mfg) program to improve laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing. The project, launched on February 23, 2026, partners the company...
Empire State Development is allocating $2.36 million to six research projects aimed at reusing, retreading and recycling New York’s end‑of‑life tires. The investment includes $1.4 million of state funds through the NYS Waste Tire Program, which Remade Institute will manage. Projects span physics‑based...
Molex has launched the Cardinal Multi-Port High-Frequency Coaxial Assemblies, extending its test‑and‑measurement portfolio to 145 GHz. The new modules deliver phase‑matched connectivity and support data rates up to 448 Gbps, targeting AI back‑haul, 5G/6G, mmWave radar and terahertz imaging. Multi‑port configurations (1×4,...
Kanpur Dehat’s One District One Product (ODOP) scheme has earmarked plastic utility items, especially PVC pipes, as the district’s flagship product. Local entrepreneurs like Jagpreet Singh have moved from raw‑material trading to full‑scale pipe manufacturing, supplying irrigation, garden and domestic...
Stellantis is injecting an additional £50 million into its Ellesmere Port facility to launch a dedicated assembly line for battery‑electric versions of the Opel/Vauxhall Vivaro and related midsize vans. The investment doubles the original outlay and follows the closure of the...
Nissan has warned the UK government that it could shut the Sunderland plant if Britain is excluded from the European Commission’s “Made in EU” rules under the Industrial Accelerator Act. The act would require a high share of EU‑origin value...
Warehouse robots from Locus Robotics operating in DHL Supply Chain have completed their one‑billionth pick, marking a milestone for large‑scale automation. The achievement was recorded at a DHL facility using an autonomous mobile robot and reflects a decade of partnership...
The 2026 Gartner Market Guide highlights AI’s rise in freight audit and payment, shifting the focus from simple invoice checks to comprehensive data audits. Legacy systems struggle with fragmented, unstructured logistics data, creating margin leakage across the $11 trillion spend ecosystem....
Process Performance Qualification (PPQ) is the final validation step before commercial manufacturing of cell and gene therapies, but its complexity often triggers delays and compliance risks. The article highlights three proven strategies—early master‑plan development, continuous quality improvement, and data‑driven analytics—to...
Bambu Lab is experiencing a severe shortage of its PETG High Flow and ABS filaments, as in‑house production transitions and a late‑2025 printer sales surge outpaced supply. Restocks sell out within minutes, leaving hobbyists and professional print farms scrambling for...
Researchers propose a comprehensive green additive manufacturing (AM) cycle for medical devices, integrating circular‑economy principles into design, material selection, and process control. The roadmap emphasizes digital inventory, on‑site production, and validated reuse pathways while addressing strict sterilization and biocompatibility regulations....
TRUNNANO announced a strategic expansion from pure nanomaterials into advanced ceramic R&D and production, building on more than a decade of nanoscale powder expertise. The move, initiated in 2024, targets the semiconductor, new‑energy and aerospace sectors where extreme‑condition materials are...
In this episode, Kevin Lawton talks with Jim Bureau, President and CEO of Loftware, about the critical role of product identification and connected packaging in modern supply chains. They explore how Loftware’s cloud‑based labeling solutions enable authentic, compliant, and traceable...
German industrial output contracted 0.5% in January, following a revised 1% decline in December. Factory orders fell alongside production, contradicting Bloomberg economists’ forecast of a 1% increase. The unexpected downturn dampens expectations for a rapid manufacturing rebound in Europe’s largest...
German industrial production slipped 0.5% month‑on‑month in January, leaving output 1.2% lower than a year ago, with the metal and pharmaceuticals sectors bearing the brunt. New industrial orders collapsed by more than 10% MoM, reflecting a reversal of the bulk‑order...
India's finished steel exports rose 36.6% year‑on‑year to 6.02 million metric tonnes in the April‑February period, while imports fell 37.4% to 5.6 million tonnes. Crude‑steel production increased 11.2% to 153.61 million tonnes, outpacing domestic consumption, which grew 7.2% to 147.7 million tonnes. The surplus...
German industrial orders plunged 11.1% in January, far worse than the -4.5% forecast, highlighting a sharp contraction in manufacturing activity. When large orders are stripped out, the overall decline eases to a modest 0.4% month‑on‑month, and a three‑month view shows...
Zentek has launched an 8‑to‑12‑week pilot evaluation with U.S. HVAC manufacturer Quality Filters Inc. to test the integration of Zentek’s proprietary air‑filtration media into Quality’s commercial product lines. The program will examine product compatibility, manufacturing scalability, and real‑world performance, while...
Karnataka is actively courting semiconductor fabrication and OSAT investors, with KDEM CEO Sanjeev Gupta saying the state is in talks with several international firms. Despite interest, some companies have chosen other Indian states for their plants, leaving Karnataka without a...
Sciotex has launched a benchtop automated inspection platform that bundles imaging hardware, lighting, compute, and AI‑driven software into a single, workstation‑sized unit. The system targets small and mid‑size manufacturers by eliminating the high cost and complex integration typical of traditional...
Spencer Penn’s three‑year stint at Tesla exposed a manual, fragmented direct‑materials sourcing process that hampered development speed and profit margins. Recognizing a critical automation gap between the product‑lifecycle‑management system and ERP, he co‑founded LightSource in 2021. The startup delivers an...
Taiwan‑based Minth Group Ltd. announced a $430 million investment to build its largest U.S. campus on a 400‑acre former steel mill in Gadsden, Alabama. The plant will span nearly one million square feet and produce high‑quality plastic and aluminum automotive components...
Three-point micrometers, long‑standing tools for bore measurement, are being upgraded with digital readout technology. The self‑centering cone mechanism eliminates manual alignment, while interchangeable heads allow a single digital micrometer to serve multiple size ranges. Integrated features such as tolerance alerts,...
Commonwealth Bank of Australia reports that 87.6% of firms that upgraded vehicles, machinery or technology saw productivity gains of more than 10%, with larger companies achieving 20‑50% improvements. Asset‑finance volumes rose 20% year‑on‑year in December 2025, led by manufacturing equipment...
Oxford engineers have unveiled an ultra‑low‑cost method to fabricate soft‑robotic actuators using vacuum‑sealed plastic pouches and a laser cutter. The process creates functional actuators in under 10 minutes at a material cost of less than $0.10 each. Demonstrations include a...
ACCIONA and Australian surf‑fin maker Bolero Surf have launched the world’s first commercially available surfboard fins made from recycled wind‑turbine blades. The fins, unveiled at the 2026 Aussie Boardriders Battle, are produced locally under the Turbine Made initiative, which converts...
Airlines are grappling with record passenger demand while aircraft deliveries stall because of a severe engine production bottleneck, especially Pratt & Whitney’s GTF units. Boeing briefly reclaimed the lead in 2026, delivering 46 737 MAX jets in January, surpassing Airbus’s 19 A320neo...
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force are speeding up production of the B‑21 Raider stealth bomber as testing progresses. The company has poured more than $5 billion into digital engineering and manufacturing infrastructure to support the ramp‑up. Final assembly continues...
Intel’s 2025 Form 10‑K reveals manufacturing constraints centered on its Intel 7 process rather than external partners like TSMC. Gross margins sit near 35 percent, yet GAAP operating margins turned negative after a large legacy asset write‑down and depreciation changes. The Foundry division...
Apple is developing a 3‑D‑printed aluminum chassis for future Apple Watch models and potentially iPhone enclosures, building on its titanium‑printing success with the Watch Ultra 3. The new process aims to cut raw‑material usage, lower production costs, and enable complex internal...
Numina Group unveiled Batchbot 2.0, an AI‑driven solution that fuses its Real‑time Distribution Software with KUKA’s fifth‑generation autonomous mobile robots and a voice‑picking suite. The system claims to slash more than 20 minutes of idle operator travel per hour and...
Mexican authorities have suspended import activities and begun canceling permits for 350 steel‑importing firms as part of Operation Clean‑Up, a coordinated crackdown on smuggling and misuse of trade programs. The Ministry of Economy flagged these companies among 750 firms suspected...
NASA has granted HEBI Robotics an $850,000 Phase II SBIR contract to develop and test space‑rated actuation hardware. The two‑year effort will produce modular actuators and compatible avionics for low‑Earth‑orbit and geosynchronous missions. HEBI’s technology aims to survive ionizing radiation and...
Gravis Robotics announced its full commercial rollout in the United States at CONEXPO‑CON/AGG 2026, showcasing live autonomous earth‑moving equipment alongside partners Develon and Hitachi. The company introduced Gravis Copilot, a machine‑guidance platform that makes existing fleets autonomy‑ready without altering workflows. Deployments...
The March 1 video spotlight showcases a suite of advanced manufacturing and medical‑device technologies, ranging from micromolding and hybrid laser systems to light‑cure coatings and UV‑curable adhesives. It highlights contributions from firms such as Accumold, Photon Automation, Delta ModTech, Leica Microsystems, and...
Leading Chinese chip executives issued a stark assessment of their domestic semiconductor sector, calling it small, fragmented, and weak despite years of state subsidies. Their analysis, timed with the 2026‑2030 five‑year plan, sets targets to stabilize 28 nm production, achieve reliable...
China rare earth catalyst project advances as Runhe plans a 100,000 t/yr rare earth catalyst plant in Sichuan. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/03/china-rare-earth-catalyst-project-runhe.html
Osaki Electric signs EMS development pact with Kyocera, Taiwan Plastics #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/YkyZX5FjvZ
Imabari Shipbuilding has delivered the 64,000‑dwt handymax bulk carrier ULTRA DETERMINATION from its Shin Kasado Dockyard in Japan. The vessel features four deck cranes, wide hatch openings and topside hopper tanks, allowing it to transport bulk commodities, steel products and...
The only supply chain certainty has been and will be is uncertainty. Are you prepared? https://t.co/8IU0Hklve5
I’ve never seen this much progress in robotics In the lab, we’re watching AI capabilities emerge that we didn’t even know were possible I’ll show you tomorrow 9am pt
India announced a subsidy for a $360 million back‑end semiconductor assembly plant being built by Kaynes in partnership with Japan’s Mitsui & Co. and Aoi Electronics. The government support aims to lower capital costs and accelerate the plant’s commissioning, targeted for later this...
The impact of the Iran war is spreading. 1,000+ containers at Chittagong. War risk insurance pulled for the Gulf.
Kuwait Declares Force Majeure Due To Middle East Conflict. A BIG force majeure. More continuing of my take that the occurrence of force majeure could become significant as the war continues. A level in the circles of supply chain hell....
Hanger, Inc. announced the 2025 acquisition of Point Designs, a Colorado‑based startup specializing in 3D printed prosthetic fingers. The company, founded in 2016 from University of Colorado labs, offers modular titanium digits such as the Point Digit and Point Pivot+...
PMI shows US manufacturing softness. That means supply chains too. What will the Iraq war do?
Sorting Robotics’ founders warn that most robot failures arise from “always‑on” production environments rather than hardware defects. Lab‑validated robots encounter particulate buildup, temperature and humidity shifts, and calibration drift when operating 24/7, especially in regulated sectors such as cannabis. The...
Eli Lilly used an AI‑driven digital twin to dramatically increase manufacturing capacity for its high‑demand GLP‑1 drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. The virtual factory model allowed real‑time optimization of equipment, process parameters, and defect detection, delivering production volumes the company says would...
The 2026 Automation Expo in Thailand drew a record 11,723 visitors, a 50% year‑on‑year increase, and featured 150 exhibitors across 7,500 sqm. The show highlighted IIoT, advanced robotics, and smart‑factory solutions in dedicated IIoT Ecosystem and Future‑X zones. Organisers Messe Frankfurt...
