Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Know What's Happening in Manufacturing
Japan launches $6.3B push to capture 30% of global physical AI robotics market
Japan is committing roughly $6.3 billion to accelerate AI‑powered robotics, targeting a 30% share of the global physical AI market by 2040. The initiative responds to a 14‑year population decline and a shrinking workforce, positioning robots as essential for factories, warehouses and critical infrastructure.
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By the numbers: BlackRock acquires 5% stake in Samsung Heavy Industries
Manufacturers are turning to integrated ERP systems to break free from legacy, paper‑based processes. By consolidating production data, ERP delivers real‑time visibility, precise job costing, and customizable KPIs that drive faster, data‑backed decisions. The article outlines five pillars—visibility, metric improvement, outcome generation, treating ERP as a strategic asset, and future‑proofing with AI and IoT—that collectively boost efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance customer service. Companies that fully leverage ERP can scale operations, improve profitability, and stay competitive in an increasingly digital manufacturing landscape.
GearWrench announced four new automotive diagnostic products, expanding its portfolio with a wireless 10‑inch tablet, a handheld 5‑inch tool, a high‑definition inspection endoscope, and a universal TPMS programmer with sensors. Prices range from $99.99 for the GWSCOPE to $2,249.99 for...
Malaysia’s TTVision Holdings Berhad will launch a joint‑venture manufacturing plant in India in the second half of 2026 to produce automated optical inspection and high‑speed processing systems for photovoltaic production lines. The facility will act as a localized integrator linking...
MHI announced the finalists for its 2026 Innovation Awards ahead of MODEX, after receiving 220 product submissions. Eight industry judges narrowed the field to three finalists in each of four categories: Best New Innovation, Best Robotics Innovation, Best IT Innovation,...
China’s Inner Mongolia region has commissioned a 300 MW/1,200 MWh hybrid battery energy storage system that blends lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) modules with vanadium redox flow cells. The plant, located in the Kubuqi Desert, uses Sineng Electric’s grid‑forming converters to deliver rapid response, virtual...
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has set a new world record for kesterite (CZTSSe) solar cells, achieving a 15.45% power conversion efficiency and a certified 15.04% efficiency. The breakthrough stems from an interfacial phase equilibrium strategy that introduces a lithium‑tin‑sulfide...
Arkema will use JEC World 2026 to showcase a suite of sustainable specialty materials, including recyclable Elium® resins, biobased Rilsan® PA11, and high‑performance Kepstan® PEKK and Zenimid™ polyimides. Demonstrations feature a boat hull component and a record‑breaking speed board that...
Chinese researchers at Wuhan University of Technology have demonstrated a polymer solar cell with a record‑high power conversion efficiency of 19.1%. By blending a small fraction of linearly packed small‑molecule acceptors into a polymeric macromolecular acceptor matrix, they achieved ordered...
The Australian Government has allocated $6.9 million through its Industry Growth Program to accelerate manufacturing‑focused innovation. Spark3D will receive $4.8 million to commercialise the Achyon semiconductor packaging tool, while Kardinia Energy secures $2.1 million to launch a pilot printed‑solar production line. Both projects...
Ideal Heating has added a 65 kW monobloc air‑source heat pump to its Ecomod 290HT line, targeting commercial buildings that need higher temperature output. The unit runs on propane (R290), delivers up to 70 °C flow temperature and achieves a COP of...
DLG Group, a leading Northern European feed manufacturer, has deployed the Fiix cloud‑based CMMS to modernize maintenance across its plants. Within the first month the rollout delivered measurable improvements in mean time between failures and set a target of cutting...
Fractilia announced that its FAME 300 stochastic metrology system is now in‑line at a top‑five semiconductor device maker, marking the first full‑scale deployment of automated stochastic control in production. The solution monitors more than 200 metrology steps, generating real‑time SPC charts...
Methods Machine Tools announced the appointment of Jon Casten as vice president of aftermarket, bringing over 25 years of post‑sales leadership to steer its service, parts, warranty and customer support operations. Casten previously drove on‑time delivery above 98% and lifted...
Studer, part of United Machining Solutions, reported a mixed 2025 performance with a slow first half but a strong Q4 that limited year‑over‑year sales decline. Machine orders rose, driven by 44% first‑time customers, and the service division set new maintenance...
Latrobe Magnesium’s demonstration plant in Victoria produced roughly 20 tonnes of magnesium oxide (MgO) over a continuous two‑week run, confirming the viability of its patented low‑carbon extraction process. The achievement de‑risks the company’s transition to full‑scale magnesium metal production, slated for...
"When the dollar falls in value... it takes more of our dollars to buy stuff from abroad." That’s the basic math of a weaker currency: imports cost more, and so do the everyday items with imported parts. The upside is...
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has launched the Powering the Regions Industrial Transformation Stream (ITS), a $400 million fund to cut greenhouse‑gas emissions from regional industrial facilities. The program, part of the broader Powering the Regions Fund, supports projects that...
Companies face mounting sustainability regulations and consumer scrutiny, yet their legacy supply‑chain systems hold fragmented, inconsistent product data. The article outlines five actions—gaining product visibility, feeding tools with clean inputs, extending traceability beyond distribution, building compliance‑ready data infrastructure, and treating...
CSIRO has teamed with the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) Connect to launch "Innovate to Grow: Advanced Manufacturing," a free eight‑week online program aimed at Australian SMEs. The initiative blends self‑paced learning, expert coaching and peer discussion to help firms...
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has renewed Wilson Logistics' exemption allowing commercial learner’s permit (CLP) holders to serve as team drivers without a front‑seat trainer, extending the waiver through February 2031. The renewal adds a 30‑day limit on...
When industrial companies were rewarded by the stock market for moving production to China, it was like a starting gun going off for jobs moving to China. Fade calls that AI will not be that disruptive to white collar jobs; the...
Gunderson Marine & Iron’s McMurdo Docking Pier has reached Antarctica after a 9,159‑nautical‑mile, 69‑day tow from the Pacific Northwest. The structure, designed by Glosten for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, endured 30‑foot seas and route adjustments to avoid Southern...
JD Sports has signed a multiyear agreement with Checkpoint Systems to deploy the ItemOptix RFID platform across its European footprint, beginning with more than 400 UK and Ireland stores by the end of 2024 and scaling to nearly 1,000 locations...
The first Australian‑made AS9 Huntsman self‑propelled howitzers have rolled off the Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Geelong, marking the next phase of the LAND 8116 programme. The debut follows an earlier batch built in South Korea and initiates...
PAC Strapping Products will exhibit at PACK EXPO East 2026, showcasing its SM‑65 FA fully automatic strapping machine, the DSP‑TOOL ergonomic cart, and a range of polyester strapping solutions. The company will also preview a new horizontal strapping machine with an...
Altech Corporation has launched a new range of pluggable terminal blocks designed for rapid, tool‑free installations and field wiring. The hybrid design merges spring‑clamp security with plug‑in convenience, offering instant connections that resist vibration and eliminate common assembly errors. Blocks...
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer warned that tariffs on Canada are here to stay, linking higher duties to reciprocal market access under the Trump administration’s “America‑first” agenda. Canada now faces a 10% ad valorem levy on non‑USMCA goods, 50% tariffs on...
South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Power Systems and Greece’s Onex Shipyards & Technologies signed a trilateral agreement, witnessed by U.S. officials, to develop LNG‑powered newbuildings and floating storage‑regasification units. Hanwha will supply critical equipment to Onex’s two Greek shipyards while sharing...
We're holding an XB-1 and Boom Manufacturing Open House Thursday March 5th at our Denver manufacturing HQ. Meet the team, see the jet that made history, and tour our engine R&D shop. If you'd like an invitation fill out the form👇
NorthStandard released a white paper outlining the rapid uptake of biofuels in commercial shipping, noting a twelve‑fold increase in testing volumes to over 1 million MT between 2021 and 2025. Current 5‑10% bio‑blend usage satisfies the 2022 FuelEU Maritime requirement, but upcoming...
Automation has shifted from simple limit switches to dynamic position‑feedback devices such as encoders and LVDTs, delivering continuous data across varying speeds. Encoders dominate motion‑to‑electrical conversion, with absolute models preserving position after power loss and incremental models tracking relative movement....
Project44 has introduced an AI Freight Procurement Agent within its Intelligent Transportation Management System to automate carrier selection, rate benchmarking, and negotiations across multiple modes. The agent replaces periodic bid cycles with continuous, AI‑driven sourcing using live market data, and...
American manufacturers are accelerating reshoring to cut costs, shorten lead times, and mitigate geopolitical risk. Xometry’s 2026 outlook shows 29% have reshored and 45% are actively planning it, citing tariffs and rising costs as primary motivators. Thomas, with a 125‑year...
Researchers at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia have created a nickel‑linked chitosan material that becomes stronger when wet, achieving nearly a 50 % increase in tensile strength. By incorporating small amounts of nickel ions, the polymer forms water‑bridged networks that...
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The U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration’s broad “reciprocal” tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, but Section 232 duties on medium‑ and heavy‑duty trucks and key components remain untouched. Within days, President Trump announced a new...
The 2026 market analysis shows free‑flying in‑space manufacturing platforms emerging as the commercial backbone of the broader in‑space manufacturing sector. Varda Space Industries has demonstrated repeatable pharmaceutical crystal production across five missions, while Space Forge proved orbital plasma generation for...
Lower tariff by US on Chinese goods. What will it mean to import supply chains? And to logistics? Especially container lines? A lot? Or not? Given soft CNY. @Lingling_Wei
Wesfarmers reported that its Covalent Lithium joint‑venture refinery in Kwinana is producing high‑quality lithium hydroxide, but the commercial ramp‑up has been delayed by intermittent odor issues. The plant’s gradual scale‑up mirrors broader challenges at ex‑China hydroxide assets, including Albemarle’s Kemerton...
The Additive Manufacturing Alliance, uniting the AM I Navigator and Leading Minds, was announced at AMS 2026 to accelerate industrial adoption of additive manufacturing. The partnership will coordinate knowledge exchange, joint industry communication, and practical support for companies moving from pilot projects to...
The upcoming webinar, hosted on March 26, 2026, tackles the persistent challenges of fragmented supply‑chain systems, manual bottlenecks, and limited financial visibility. Featuring Infios Corporate Vice President Alan D. Rowlett, PhD, the session will demonstrate how interconnected technology can automate multimodal shipments, sync...
Shenzhen‑based Huafast Industry has assembled a 3D‑print farm of 5,000 machines, capable of producing 40,000 desktop ornaments in a single week. The facility stacks printers four high on one‑metre‑wide racks, creating a kilometer‑long line. Management plans to double the fleet...
French ski maker ZAG Skis unveiled a pre‑production UBAC 95 touring ski built with Sicomin’s SR GreenPoxy80 bio‑epoxy, which contains 80% renewable content. The resin meets the demanding mechanical and temperature requirements of high‑performance skis while fitting existing molding lines. The...
Two AMUG scholarship winners—undergraduate Justin Levy and lecturer Colleen Murray—are shaping additive manufacturing through university‑level research and curriculum development. Levy’s work at Ohio State pivots toward optimizing support removal for laser powder‑bed fusion, while Murray expands her polymer background into...
The 2026 State of Commerce Ops Report by Linnworks shows that mid‑market e‑commerce retailers in the U.K. and U.S. are experiencing robust year‑over‑year growth, with nearly 90% reporting moderate to significant expansion. However, the survey highlights that scalability hinges on...
MP Materials announced a $1.25 billion investment to build a 120‑acre rare‑earth magnet campus in Northlake, Texas, under its “10X” program and a public‑private partnership with the U.S. Department of War. The facility will add roughly 10,000 metric tons of NdFeB magnet...
The Inflation Reduction Act and accompanying Bipartisan Infrastructure Law sparked a massive reshoring wave, tripling U.S. manufacturing construction spending between 2021 and 2024. The legislation attracted EV battery, solar, and other cleantech projects, creating a surge in blue‑collar jobs. Following...
3dfabs has relaunched a distributed 3D‑printing network similar to the original 3D Hubs model, allowing individual printer operators to list services and accept jobs globally. The platform now hosts 211 participating "fabs" across a dozen countries and charges no usage fees....
Intermodal Association of North America reported January 2026 intermodal volumes dropped 5.9% year‑over‑year to 1.47 million units, with trailers down 7.2% and ISO containers down 8.9%. The decline follows a series of monthly drops after a modest 2.4% gain in September...
Saertex has partnered with Neva Composites to expand its Turkish distribution network, giving local customers direct access to high‑quality multiaxial glass, carbon and natural‑fiber fabrics. The move strengthens Saertex’s presence in marine, aerospace and automotive sectors across Turkey. In parallel,...
