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) in a next‑generation electric‑vehicle production line at its Mulhouse facility, slated to start in 2029 as part of France’s push to electrify two‑thirds of new cars by 2030.
Also developing:
By the numbers: TIEA Connectors raises $8M Series A
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 Industrial IoT (IIoT) environments. Integrating sensor data and predictive analytics turns these chores into data‑driven actions that catch wear before it causes scrap or downtime. Embedding the practices in a culture of accountability ensures long‑term equipment reliability and protects connected production data.
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,...
What Toyota Said About Their Own Production System in 1992
In April 1992 Toyota published an internal booklet that explained its Production System before the wave of Western Lean books. The document stresses employee judgment, creativity, and a "creative tension" that can be both stimulating and stressful, rather than focusing solely...
Asia Eyes China’s Coal‑based Chemicals, Despite Climate Costs
COLUMN: India and other Asian powers want to copy China's method for producing chemicals and fertilisers from coal. It won’t be easy — or climate friendly. @Opinion https://t.co/5DjMOwAQKu
Scrap Moves to the Fore in Japan as Steel Decarbonisation Plans Progress
Japan’s steel sector is accelerating its shift from blast furnaces to electric‑arc furnaces (EAF), making ferrous scrap a cornerstone of decarbonisation. Mitsui & Co and recycler Ibokin signed an MOU to tighten scrap quality, traceability and supply chains, while the...
Digital Manufacturing Services for Drone & Robotics Components
Shapeways has joined Unmanned Systems Technology’s Gold Supplier network, offering a full suite of digital manufacturing services for drone and robotics developers. The company blends advanced additive methods—such as SLS, MJF, SLA, and DMLS—with traditional CNC machining and injection molding,...
Snowbird Technologies' Containerised Hybrid Manufacturing Solution to Be Deployed in RIMPAC 2026 Exercise
Snowbird Technologies will showcase its patented Snowbird Additive Mobile Manufacturing (SAMM) Tech system at the 30th RIMPAC exercise in 2026. The containerised platform combines metal and plastic additive printing with CNC subtractive machining in a single modular unit. After a...
New Manufacturing Research Investment Targets Aerospace, Medtech and Defence Under AMCRC Program
Australia’s Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) has approved five industry‑led CORE research projects, unlocking more than $11 million AUD (≈$7.3 million USD) in combined investment. The funding includes $1.95 million AUD (≈$1.3 million USD) from the Commonwealth, matched dollar‑for‑dollar by industry partners and supplemented by...
Armada Secures $230 Million Series B to Build Arizona Modular Data‑Center Factory
Armada announced a $230 million Series B round that values the San Francisco‑based modular data‑center builder at $2 billion. The funding, led by Johnson Controls, will finance a 400,000‑square‑foot factory in Arizona to mass‑produce its megawatt‑scale Leviathan units, targeting AI workloads in defense, energy...
International Paper Breaks Ground on $225 Million Mississippi Packaging Plant
International Paper announced the groundbreaking of a $225 million, 470,000‑square‑foot corrugated packaging facility in Rankin County, Mississippi. The plant, slated for completion by the end of 2027, will generate roughly 150 high‑pay jobs and leverages state‑of‑the‑art lean‑manufacturing technology.
AI Helps Researchers Measure Nanofibers Beyond Diameter Alone
Researchers reviewing AI‑driven image analysis in ACS Omega show that deep‑learning models now enable rapid, multiparameter measurement of electrospun nanofibers, surpassing manual and traditional software methods. The study highlights how convolutional networks, Mask R‑CNN and generative AI can deliver pixel‑level segmentation, accurate...
Stellantis Teams with Dongfeng in 51/49 EU JV to Launch Premium EVs
Stellantis N.V. announced a 51/49 joint venture with China’s Dongfeng Motor Group to market and manufacture Dongfeng’s Voyah premium new‑energy vehicles across Europe. The deal, sealed with a non‑binding MOU, will use Stellantis’ sales, distribution and after‑sales network and localize...
Massivit CEO Yossi Azarzar Shifts to Defense, Supplying 3D‑Printed Drone Parts
Massivit's chief executive Yossi Azarzar has redirected the company's 3D‑printing capacity from entertainment to the Israeli defense sector, delivering large drone components for the military. The pivot comes as Israel's weapons sales hit a record $15 billion in 2024, underscoring the...
Figure AI’s Humanoid Robot Loses to Human Intern in 10‑Hour Package‑Sorting Race
Figure AI, the $39 billion robotics startup, staged a 10‑hour package‑sorting contest between its humanoid and intern Aimé Gérard. Gérard processed 12,924 parcels—192 more than the robot—averaging 2.79 seconds per item versus the robot’s 2.83 seconds. The livestream drew millions of viewers...
What AI Can Accomplish on the Food Plant Floor (And Where It Still Falls Short)
AI-driven visual inspection systems now achieve up to 99.86% accuracy, far surpassing the industry‑average 80% of human inspectors. Predictive maintenance and demand‑driven scheduling also promise cost reductions, but only when data pipelines and alert prioritization are properly calibrated. Most food‑manufacturing...
Hyundai Motor Group to Deploy 25,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas Robots by 2028
Hyundai Motor Group unveiled a roadmap to roll out more than 25,000 Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robots across its Hyundai and Kia production sites, aiming for a 30,000‑unit annual output by 2028. The plan ties together multiple affiliates to build...
Hitachi Teams Up with Anthropic to Infuse Frontier AI Into Lumada 3.0
Hitachi announced a strategic partnership with AI research firm Anthropic to embed frontier artificial‑intelligence models into its Lumada 3.0 industrial IoT platform. The alliance aims to accelerate AI‑enabled services for manufacturers and other heavy‑industry customers, marking a notable convergence of...
Martin Engineering Acquires CVT, Expanding Conveyor Belt Cleaner Portfolio
Martin Engineering announced the acquisition of Australia’s ConveyorTech Pty Ltd (CVT), bringing a suite of non‑urethane conveyor belt cleaners into its global catalog. The deal grants Martin access to CVT’s intellectual property, including heavy‑duty cleaners with tungsten‑carbide‑tipped blades, a segment...
IDS Camera Technology Powers Flexible AI-Supported Visual Inspection System
preML has launched a modular AI‑supported visual inspection system built around IDS’s uEye XC industrial camera. The plug‑and‑play kit bundles a 13‑megapixel autofocus camera, lighting, edge‑computing hardware and pre‑installed no‑code Vision Lab software, allowing users without image‑processing skills to create and...
Europe Has Its Own Version of the Inflation Reduction Act That Could Impact US Manufacturers
The European Union’s Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), unveiled in March 2026, embeds "Made in EU" and low‑carbon requirements into public procurement and state‑aid rules, effectively turning market access into an industrial‑policy tool. Unlike the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which subsidizes...
Is Your Quality Management System AI-Ready?
Quality leaders must evaluate whether their quality management systems (QMS) can harness AI, IoT and other digital tools or become obstacles to progress. Predictive analytics, automated root‑cause analysis and risk‑based decision‑making promise faster defect detection and continuous improvement. The new...
Dürr Rolls Out EcoRP4
Dürr unveiled the EcoRP4, its fourth‑generation compact painting robot designed for high‑volume automotive paint lines. The robot features an asymmetric arm architecture that offsets the applicator by over 200 mm, enabling it to reach hard‑to‑access interior areas such as door rebates...
Universal Grinding Machines for Precision Internal, External, Out-of-Round Applications
EMAG announced the UG Series universal cylindrical grinding machines for the U.S. and Canadian markets, offering four models—UG 400, UG 630, UG 1000 and UG 1500—covering grinding lengths from 400 mm to 1,500 mm. The machines feature direct‑drive spindles up to 11 kW, 50 m/s wheel speed, and...
Adaptive Robot Gripper Transforms Manufacturing, Education, Research
Evolving #Robot Hand: A Versatile Adaptive Gripper for Manufacturing, Education, and Research via @ZappyZappy7 #AI #MachineLearning #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Technology https://t.co/PchRoemnHI
Dillon Collet Pads & Jaws Allow Shops of All Sizes Expand Machining Capabilities
Dillon Manufacturing introduced collet‑pad and jaw systems that broaden work‑holding capabilities for job shops of any size. The Carbinite‑coated pads deliver roughly double the gripping strength, enabling heavier cuts and up to a 30% reduction in cycle time. Quick‑change jaw...
Automate 2026: AMRs, Cobots, Humanoids, Orchestration Platforms, Software Systems & More
Automate 2026, slated for Chicago’s McCormick Place, is set to be North America’s biggest automation showcase. Organizers anticipate over 50,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibitors spanning logistics, manufacturing, supply‑chain and warehousing. The expo will feature a broad spectrum of...
Automate 2026: Cameras, Components, Drives, Grippers, Motors, Sensors & More
Automate 2026, North America’s largest automation trade show, returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place with an anticipated 50,000+ attendees and over 1,000 exhibitors. The event will spotlight the newest hardware and software for logistics, manufacturing, supply‑chain and warehousing, including cameras, sensors,...
CPG Supply Chain Management in 2026: A Practical Playbook for Visibility, Inventory, and Faster Fulfillment – Shopify
Shopify’s 2026 CPG supply chain playbook outlines how high‑velocity consumer goods require end‑to‑end visibility, precise demand planning, and coordinated execution across sourcing, production, warehousing, and fulfillment. It highlights that US logistics costs hit $2.6 trillion in 2024 while many firms still...
Stellantis Teams with Accenture and NVIDIA to Accelerate AI-Driven Manufacturing
Stellantis announced a strategic collaboration with Accenture and NVIDIA to embed artificial‑intelligence tools, digital twins and real‑time operational intelligence across its worldwide manufacturing network. The alliance aims to streamline production, cut downtime and boost adaptability in an increasingly complex automotive...
SENSIT Celebrates 35 Years: From Portable Cabins to High-End Sensors
SENSIT s.r.o., founded in 1991 in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, has grown from a seven‑person operation in portable cabins to a manufacturer of nearly 6,000 sensor types. By adapting electronics‑industry methods, it miniaturized sensing elements early on and expanded its portfolio to...
Imec Unveils First Quantum‑Dot Qubit Fabricated with High‑NA EUV Lithography
At ITF World, imec demonstrated a silicon quantum‑dot qubit device fabricated with high‑NA EUV lithography, achieving 6‑nm gate gaps and proving the method’s suitability for fab‑scale quantum hardware. The breakthrough links semiconductor manufacturing to quantum‑computing scaling.
Amca
Amca, a designer and manufacturer of high‑precision aerospace actuators, switches, hydraulics and power electronics, announced a Series B financing round. The capital will expand its production capacity and accelerate certification of components used on the Boeing 737, 787 and the Lockheed Martin F‑35. By...
South Korea Launches $54 Bln Industrial Support Package, Including Steel Sector
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission pledged an ₩80 trillion ($54 bn) industrial support package, with a focus on the steel sector, to ease liquidity strains caused by soaring freight rates and Middle‑East supply‑chain disruptions. The plan combines a ₩53 trillion ($41 bn) private‑sector loan...
Geekplus Takes Fifth RBR50 Innovation Award With AI-Powered Picking Station
Geekplus, the Beijing‑based warehouse robotics firm, earned its fifth RBR50 Innovation Award for its Robot Arm Picking Station, which uses a zero‑shot learning model to automate item picking. The system was validated at Schneider Electric’s Shanghai warehouse, where it doubled...
Europe Must Choose: Keep Auto Industry or Shift to China
Europe needs to decide whether it wants its auto industry to migrate to China or not -- almost that simple 1/2
Maybe for May: A Car-Azy Forecast: How Will VinFast Hit Its 300,000 Target for 2026
VinFast, Vietnam's state‑backed EV maker, projects selling roughly 310,000 electric vehicles by 2026, slightly above its 300,000 target. The forecast leans heavily on Asian markets, allocating 110,000 units to Vietnam and another 150,000 across India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the...
Emerson Launches New IIoT Platform for Expanded Wireless Visibility Without Costly Infrastructure Changes
Emerson unveiled the Synchros IIoT platform, a wireless asset‑monitoring suite built on WirelessHART technology. The system lets plants digitize inspection points and add continuous temperature monitoring without installing new cabling or infrastructure. Initial offerings include a temperature monitor and a...
Coats Group Posts 18% Revenue Jump, but Organic Sales Slip 1% as Footwear Division Surges
Coats Group Plc announced that revenue from continuing operations rose 18% in the four months to April 30, while organic growth fell 1%. The surge was driven by a 55% jump in reported footwear sales, but organic footwear revenue fell...
Stick Tech Patent Targets Easier Print Removal
Stick Tech Oy filed European patent EP‑4741139‑A1 describing a method that uses a bendable elastomer sheet to detach finished 3D‑printed parts. The sheet is engineered to bend between 0.5 × and 8 × its thickness, allowing the printed object to pop off...
Hesai Ships 471,000 Lidar Units in Q1 2026, Revenue Jumps 30% to $99M
Hesai Group announced it shipped over 471,000 lidar units in the first quarter of 2026, driving a 30% year‑over‑year revenue increase to $99 million. The Chinese sensor maker also secured a strategic supply deal with Mercedes‑Benz for Level 3 autonomous models and...
Irish Manufacturing Research Announces the €6.9 Million REWIRE Project to Advance Smart Remanufacturing and Circular Manufacturing Across Europe
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has launched the REWIRE project, a €6.9 million (≈$7.5 million) Horizon Europe initiative to accelerate smart remanufacturing across the continent. The consortium brings together 3 research‑technology organisations, 4 research‑performing organisations, an NGO and five industrial partners from eight...
Boston Metal Gets a $75 Million Lifeline to Produce Critical Metals
Boston Metal raised a $75 million financing round to revive its Brazil subsidiary and accelerate production of critical metals such as niobium, tantalum, and tin. The capital injection follows a cash‑flow crunch caused by a refractory leak at the Brazil plant,...
From Mechanical to Mechatronic: How Automation Is Reshaping Seat Manufacturing
Vehicle seats have evolved from simple mechanical parts into complex mechatronic systems that combine structures, electronics, pneumatics, and safety components such as airbags. This shift drives steep variant proliferation and just‑in‑time production pressures, forcing manufacturers to adopt intelligent automation. Recipe‑driven...
Inside Volvo’s New 13-Liter D13 Engine for 2027
Volvo Trucks North America unveiled a redesigned 13‑liter D13 diesel engine that meets the EPA’s 2027 emissions rules while boosting power and fuel efficiency. The new block, made from compacted graphite iron, raises tensile strength 75% and allows a compression...
AVEVA, AWS Expand Cloud Deal for Industrial Software
AVEVA and Amazon Web Services have signed a multi‑year Strategic Collaboration Agreement to run AVEVA's CONNECT industrial intelligence platform on AWS. The deal expands public and private SaaS offerings, lists AVEVA software on the AWS Marketplace, and launches joint migration...
GameChange Solar, First Solar Partner on India-Made Thin-Film Module Deployment
US tracker specialist GameChange Solar has teamed with thin‑film module maker First Solar to deploy domestically produced Series 7 modules on its Genius Tracker systems in India. After a year of R&D, the two companies optimized the tracker‑module interface, and two...
Lack of European Policy Clarity Forces Carbon to Shut Down 5GW Module Plant Plans in France
European solar start‑up Carbon has scrapped its plan to build a 5 GW cell and module plant in France, citing insufficient policy support from the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act and the newly proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. The company said the...
Mercedes‑Benz Unveils Battery‑Electric GLC with 23% Production Emissions Cut
Mercedes‑Benz rolled out the battery‑electric GLC 400 4MATIC, delivering a 23% emissions reduction in production and a two‑thirds cut in lifecycle carbon footprint. The automaker paired the launch with aggressive supplier targets, renewable‑aluminum contracts and a 40% drop in carbon...
Loop Targets Textile Recycling Scale-Up with India Facility
Loop Industries announced a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Gujarat to develop its first commercial‑scale textile‑textile recycling plant in the Bharuch industrial corridor. The partnership provides land, regulatory support and incentives to build a facility that will convert...
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa Unveils $15,000 E‑Car Plan to Revive Profitability
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa announced a €15,000 ($17,500) affordable electric‑vehicle line slated for 2028 production, paired with a new joint venture with China’s Dongfeng to boost European sales. The plan targets the company’s slipping U.S. market share, excess dealer inventory...