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
Cool in a Crisis: How RHIM Mitigated the Middle East Supply Shock
RHIM, a global refractories supplier headquartered in Dubai, faced a sudden supply shock after regional attacks in the Middle East. The company shut its Dubai office immediately, mirroring actions taken by many local firms. Leveraging its worldwide manufacturing footprint, diversified inventory and expedited logistics, RHIM rerouted orders through facilities in Europe and the Americas, preventing major customer disruptions. Q1 results remained steady, underscoring the effectiveness of its crisis‑management plan.
Uavos Supplies Rotor Blades to DARPA Lift Challenge Teams
Uavos Inc. is providing carbon‑fiber rotor blades to U.S. aerospace startups competing in DARPA’s Lift Challenge, a program that demands unmanned helicopters lift four times their own weight. The blades employ Uavos’s multi‑cross‑layer carbon‑fiber construction, a NACA 23012 airfoil and optimized...
![[Gasgoo News] Apollo to Acquire Forvia's Automotive Interiors Business; Xiaomi EV to Expand Overseas in Second Half of Next Year,...](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://gascloud.gasgoo.com/production/2026/04/0d6cefae-a280-48da-8773-330097060dcb-1777497396.png)
[Gasgoo News] Apollo to Acquire Forvia's Automotive Interiors Business; Xiaomi EV to Expand Overseas in Second Half of Next Year,...
Apollo Global Management announced a €1.82 billion ($2.1 billion) deal to acquire Forvia's automotive interiors business, pending regulatory clearance and slated to close in the second half of 2024. At Xiaomi's Investor Day, President Lu Weibing outlined a two‑phase EV rollout: 550,000...
Auto China 2026: GWM Chairman's Livestream on Long-Termism in Car Manufacturing
Great Wall Motor (GWM) used its Auto China 2026 livestream to promote a long‑term, value‑driven approach called “The Covenant.” The chairman unveiled the Guiyuan platform, a modular architecture that can host five different power‑train types, emphasizing reliability over gimmicks. GWM...
Foreign Tier 1s in China: 18 Months Is Just the Baseline, Speed Has No Ceiling
Aumovi Group China announced that its 18‑month high‑performance‑computing development cycle, once a benchmark, is now a baseline as Chinese automakers demand 12‑18‑month model launches. To meet this pace, the company has shifted decision‑making authority to its China Management Committee, granting...
Seeds | BIBO Completes B+ Round Financing, Total Series B Funding Exceeds 1 Billion Yuan
BIBO Automotive Electronics announced a B+ financing round of over 700 million yuan (≈$98 million), pushing its total Series B funding past 1 billion yuan (≈$140 million). The capital will accelerate mass production of its smart chassis XYZ three‑axis products, boost R&D in three‑axis and...
Richtech Robotics Inc. Now Available in the Microsoft Marketplace
Richtech Robotics Inc. (Nasdaq: RR) announced that its fleet of AI‑driven service robots and data services are now listed on the Microsoft Marketplace, allowing customers to deploy solutions directly through Azure. The move leverages the company’s work with Microsoft’s AI...
Walmart Expands Dairy Production with New Texas Plant
Walmart opened a 300,000‑square‑foot milk‑processing plant in Robinson, Texas, investing more than $350 million and creating over 400 jobs. The facility will produce Great Value and Member’s Mark milk varieties for roughly 650 Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the South...
Egypt Emerges as Transit Hub for Europe-Gulf Freight
Egypt is repositioning as an intermodal freight hub after Middle‑East hostilities disrupted traditional Suez‑to‑Gulf shipping. An existing ro‑ro corridor from Trieste to Damietta, operated by DFDS, now extends to Safaga and onward by ferry to Saudi Arabia’s Neom port, linking...
GFT Takes AI From Visual Inspection to Physical Action For Auto Manufacturers
GFT Technologies unveiled an AI‑powered robotic line that not only inspects automotive components but also physically removes defective parts from the assembly line. The system combines a camera‑equipped gripper, a marking robot, and a third arm that repositions or extracts...
Eval Board Simplifies GaN-Based BLDC Motor-Drive Design
Efficient Power Conversion unveiled the EPC91121 evaluation board at APEC 2026, a compact 79 × 80 mm three‑phase inverter built around its Gen‑7 EPC2366 40‑V eGaN transistor. The board delivers up to 70 A peak (50 A RMS) from 18‑30 V inputs and supports 150 kHz PWM, enabling...
Five Hidden Time Thieves Lurking in the Warehouse and Logistics
At MODEX 2026 the spotlight was on robots, AI and advanced WMS platforms, yet the article stresses that basic operational habits still steal valuable time in warehouses. It outlines five hidden time thieves—outdated whiteboards, lack of short stand‑ups, bad inventory data,...
World's First 1000‑Layer QLC Flash Multi‑Stacked Cell Array
News from @KIOXIAAmerica at @VLSI_2026 Paper T1.4 World's first Multi-Stacked Cell Array scalable to 1000+ layer stacked QLC Flash ➡️ Quad-Level Cell using MSA-CBA ➡️ Overcomes cell degredation, wafer warpage, and large blcok size ➡️ Uses F2F and B2F Cu bonding for 2x218 WL ➡️...
🎥 Plasma Beyond Fusion: Powering Next Gen Semiconductor Manufacturing & Materials
The Deep Tech Live panel highlighted plasma’s emerging role as a cornerstone for next‑generation semiconductor manufacturing and advanced materials. By enabling atomic‑level manipulation, plasma is essential for the high‑performance chips required by Physical AI applications. Traditional trial‑and‑error chemistry can’t keep...
ESMC Calls for Stronger EU Industrial Accelerator Act to Boost Solar PV Manufacturing
The European Solar Manufacturing Council (ESMC) has urged the European Commission to tighten the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA) to revive the EU solar PV sector. Its five‑point amendment package expands "Made in Europe" procurement to three key components, mandates at...
Continuous Composites Expands Manufacturing Footprint to Support Production-Relevant CF3D Systems
Continuous Composites has moved to a new 17,000 sq ft facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, more than doubling its manufacturing footprint and enabling a five‑fold increase in component output for aerospace and defense programs such as the AFWERX contract. The expanded plant...
PH7 Technologies Receives Funding From the National Research Council of Canada to Expand Opertions
Vancouver‑based pH7 Technologies is expanding its metals‑processing plant with up to $4 million in NRC IRAP funding to scale recovery of platinum‑group metals and other critical elements. The expansion will boost capacity for spent catalysts and electronic waste, while the company’s modular...
Cosco’s Profit Drops by Half as Lower Freight Rates Bite
Cosco Shipping Holdings reported a 50% plunge in first‑quarter profit, with net income falling to 5.9 bn yuan ($863 m) from 11.7 bn yuan a year earlier. Revenue slipped 11% to 51.8 bn yuan (about $7.6 bn), driven by weaker transpacific freight rates. Average container...
Adani’s Giant Copper Plant Hit by Technical Woes in First Year
Billionaire Gautam Adani’s $1.2 billion Kutch copper plant, commissioned ten months ago, has struggled with engineering setbacks that have kept it far below its 500,000‑tonne annual capacity. From April 2023 to February 2024 the facility produced only 94,000 tons of refined copper,...
TANAKA to Showcase Advanced Semiconductor Materials and Circular Economy Initiatives at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026
TANAKA Precious Metal Technologies will exhibit at SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, showcasing a full suite of precious‑metal materials for semiconductor front‑end, packaging and testing, including bonding wires, silver sintering paste, AgSn TLP sheets, sputtering targets, probe pins,...
"Using This ‘Crop Grazing’ Technique, Yield Can Be Improved up to 20% Even on a 3rd Flush"
Alan Edwards’ Game Changer mushroom machine automates stalk cutting, punnet placement and weighing, letting pickers work with both hands. The system’s “crop‑grazing” method lets larger mushrooms be harvested first, allowing smaller ones to mature, which can lift yields up to...
Electronic Drives and Controls to Exhibit at Wire Expo 2026
Electronic Drives and Controls (EDC) announced its participation in Wire Expo 2026, scheduled for May 6‑7 in Milwaukee, where it will occupy booth #126. The company will showcase an expanded booth with a large‑format display highlighting its retrofitting projects across...
Nikon Begins Commercial Deployment of Its Next-Generation APDIS MV5X Laser Radar System Powered by Aeva
Nikon Metrology has started commercial shipments of its next‑generation APDIS MV5X Laser Radar, which incorporates Aeva’s Eve high‑precision sensor. The system delivers micron‑level accuracy, faster data acquisition and a compact footprint for automated inspection in automotive, aerospace and energy manufacturing....
Elmo Launches the Next Generation of the Elmo Application Studio (EASIII)
Elmo Motion Control has unveiled the third generation of its Elmo Application Studio, EASIII, a unified software platform for configuring, tuning, programming, and diagnosing its full line of motion controllers and servo drives. The new suite adds a modern graphical...
PELI Boosts European Capacity with 70% Rotomoulding Expansion in Crottendorf
PELI Products announced a major expansion of its Crottendorf, Germany plant, adding 70% more rotomoulding capacity, 40% more assembly space and an 80% workforce increase. The upgrade, backed by new leadership and ISO 9001/14001 certification, aims to give European customers...
Coco Robotics Unveils Largest Multi-Brand Campaign on Autonomous Miami Delivery Fleet Across F1 Window
Coco Robotics announced that more than 100 autonomous delivery robots in Miami are now wrapped with brand advertising, creating the largest multi‑brand out‑of‑home (OOH) campaign to coincide with the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix. The seven participating brands—NVIDIA, Coca‑Cola, BYLT, Live...
Reflex Robotics Selects Manufacturo to Scale Robot Production With Built-In Traceability and Quality Control
Reflex Robotics, a New York‑based maker of low‑inertia humanoid robots, has partnered with Manufacturo to embed a cloud‑based manufacturing management platform into its production line. The solution creates a single system of record that captures as‑built history, tracks design revisions,...
JSW Motors Ramps up Supplier Network Ahead of New Energy Vehicle Launches
JSW Motors held its first supplier partner conference and technology showcase at its Bidkin plant, gathering over 100 component makers. Co‑organized with the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India, the event emphasized supply‑chain readiness, localisation and next‑generation new‑energy‑vehicle (NEV) technologies...
Airbus Q1 2026 Revenue Falls 6.6% to €12.65bn, Profit Drops 26%
Airbus SE posted first‑quarter 2026 revenue of €12.65 billion ($13.8 billion), down 6.6% from a year earlier, while net profit fell 26% to €586 million ($639 million). The earnings miss has pressured the stock and intensified scrutiny of the company’s delivery pipeline.
Supply-Driven Freight Recovery Fueled by Capacity Tightening
Freight recovery is here — but it’s supply-driven. In Talking Transports, $JBHT CEO @Shelley_Simpson discusses: • 4-year freight downturn • Capacity tightening from enforcement • Intermodal growth opportunity • AI + productivity gains 🎧 Listen to Episode 136 of Talking Transports: Apple: https://t.co/UFqu2nvREk Spotify: https://t.co/jEzbzyaVh2 iHeart: https://t.co/PMZLX1Zan1 https://t.co/eCb5WV066Z: https://t.co/TlpRbThZLx @TheTerminal...
Ukraine to Procure 25,000 Unmanned Ground Vehicles for Frontline Logistics by 2026
Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced a plan to purchase 25,000 unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) by mid‑2026, targeting 100% robotic handling of frontline logistics. The move follows recent footage of a rescue robot evacuating a civilian in eastern Ukraine, underscoring the operational...
Pressure Sensors: Turning Environmental Signals Into Smart Actions
Infineon’s XENSIV DPS368 pressure sensor brings ultra‑low‑noise, capacitive barometric measurement to consumer and IoT devices. Its 2.0 × 2.5 × 1.1 mm³ form factor and sub‑µA standby current enable integration into space‑constrained wearables, HVAC units, and robotic vacuums while preserving battery life. The sensor’s gel‑protected MEMS...
Paccar, Volvo CEOs See Production Picking up From Q1 Pace
Volvo Group and Paccar CEOs said production rates are picking up after a weak first quarter, but they differ on how many build slots will be available in the coming months. Volvo idled U.S. plants 25‑30% in Q1 and plans...
AI Is Everywhere, but That Doesn’t Mean It Belongs in Your ERP
AI is ubiquitous, but most hype centers on generative, stochastic models that excel at language tasks. In food‑manufacturing ERP, only deterministic AI—built on structured, rule‑based data—can reliably handle inventory, costing, and compliance. Generative AI belongs in the user‑interface layer, helping...
Epic Group Unveils US $100 Million Net-Zero Garment Facility in Odisha
Epic Group has launched the Trimetro Manufacturing Campus in Khordha, Odisha, a $100 million garment facility that is India’s first fully net‑zero carbon and net‑zero water apparel plant. The 40‑acre campus is designed to produce 20 million garments a year for export...
Textiles Ministry Sets Up Monitoring Cell to Ensure Supply Stability Amid West Asia Crisis
India’s Ministry of Textiles has created a monitoring cell to coordinate exporters, industry bodies, and government agencies as the West Asia conflict drives raw‑material and logistics costs higher. In Surat, shipping rates have surged up to 400% and polyester fibre...
Fuel Surcharges and Slow-Steaming Making Waves for Shippers
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced carriers to adjust fuel surcharge practices, with Hapag‑Lloyd moving to monthly emergency fuel surcharges and reporting an extra $50 million in weekly fuel costs. Japanese carrier ONE lifted its EFS to $160...
CASE STUDY - 3D PEOPLE HELP IN CREATION OF GEOMETRICALLY COMPLEX HEAD-MOUNTED POV CAMERA
James Medcraft’s Cyclops is a head‑mounted POV camera that captures exactly what the operator sees, using custom optics and a lightweight 3D‑printed housing. The device’s geometrically complex parts are produced in PA12 via additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for costly...
Innovative FAULHABER Drive System for Smart Logistics
FAULHABER unveiled DualGear, a compact drive that fuses its BX4 brushless motor with GPT planetary gearheads, delivering two synchronous movements from a single unit. The system is offered in 42 mm and 68 mm motor lengths, allowing flexible integration into tight conveyor...
FMC Orders Record Payback by Shipping Line for Unfair Fees During Covid
U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a record $45.6 million award against Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) for breaching service contracts and retaliating against the bankrupt Bed, Bath & Beyond administrator, Butterfly‑1. The decision follows three years of investigations into...
Congress Seeks to Prevent China From Building Cars in the US. Good Idea?
Congress is drafting legislation to prohibit Chinese automakers from building vehicles in the United States and from selling cars that enter via Mexico or Canada. Chinese brands such as Geely, BYD and Great Wall already have a foothold in border...
Door Open for Taiwan to Enter 'Non-Red' EU Drone Supply Chain: Expert
European policymakers are wrestling with fragmented economic‑security authority, making it difficult to build a unified "non‑red" drone supply chain that limits reliance on China. Experts say the split between EU‑wide trade rules and national defence control creates policy gaps that...
Salesforce Expands Beyond the Front Office with Agentforce Operations
Salesforce unveiled Agentforce Operations, an AI‑driven platform that automates back‑office tasks such as auditing, onboarding, and invoice processing. The company says the solution can cut cycle times by up to 70% and eliminate 80% of manual data‑entry work. Built on...
Hundreds of Internet-Facing VNC Servers Expose ICS/OT
Forescout’s latest research reveals that roughly 1.8 million RDP and 1.6 million VNC servers are exposed to the public internet, with a significant share linked to critical industries in the United States and China. Among these, 91 000 RDP and 29 000 VNC instances...
Quantum Modeling Unlocks Practical Rare‑earth‑free Magnet Design
Quantum modeling may be the missing link in designing rare-earth-free magnets that are actually useful. https://spectrum.ieee.org/rare-earth-free-magnets?share_id=9430814
U.S. EV Policy Sparks New Rust Belt, Exposing Limits
"How U.S. Electric Vehicle Industrial Policy Created A New ‘Rust Belt’" https://t.co/dwciwwcJL7 "this phenomenon shows the inherent limitations of government-led industrial development" https://t.co/WYvR8iHxw4
Oracle Shifts Supermicro Orders to Taiwan, Boosting Local Rivals
Oracle moves Supermicro orders to Taiwan, elevating local server makers More sources other than Bluefin (Research note last week) with the alarming loss for $SMCI https://t.co/Is2GQQmAkG
China's New Supply‑Chain Rules: Security or Bureaucratic Delay?
China adds regulatory layer to supply chains. For security and resilience. Really? Or just more bureaucracy and chop marks? And supply chain delays?
Hormuz Blockade Drives Fertilizer Surge, Threatens Planting
Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer prices. Hitting countries at what should be planting times. Pending food supply shortages and high prices. Hormuz—a global supply chain disaster.
Reshoring Index Stays Negative Despite Trump Tariff Surge
Kearney's annual Reshoring Index, which measures imports from 14 Asian countries as a share of US manufacturing output, "remained in negative territory in 2025 despite a surge of Trump administration tariffs aimed at reviving American assembly lines" https://t.co/AJkVit3Iwx https://t.co/r9GzEb8Wji