Manufacturing Blogs and Articles
Manufacturing Blogs and Articles
Ocado Intelligent Automation will unveil Ocado IQ, a cloud‑based AI platform, at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta. The software orchestrates every pick, path and priority, supporting two concurrent pick modes—Sweep and TagTeam—across a warehouse. It powers the Chuck and Porter autonomous mobile robots, both of which will be demonstrated at the show. Ocado plans to make the Porter AMR commercially available by the end of 2026, expanding its reach beyond traditional ASRS solutions.
KNAPP will showcase its AeroBot 3‑dimensional warehouse robot and the new KNAPP Brain artificial‑intelligence layer at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta. The AeroBot, which integrates with SAP, recently earned LogiMAT’s Best Product award and demonstrates vertical storage, retrieval and picking. KNAPP...
Oregon‑based Sivetz Roasting Machines and Kansas‑based Peachey Roasters have merged under the Sivetz brand, re‑introducing electric‑heat fluid‑bed coffee roasters. The unified lineup adds 4‑kg and 9‑kg electric models alongside the flagship SRM15 gas‑fired roaster, all sharing common PLC control and...
Tennant announced the X16 SWEEP, its first autonomous floor‑sweeping robot from a major cleaning brand, targeting warehouses, logistics hubs and light‑manufacturing sites. Powered by Brain Corp’s BrainOS, the machine combines AI‑driven path planning, visual intelligence and a DustShield system that...
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami slashed Toyota’s production by 78% and its quarterly profit by 99%, exposing the fragility of a supply chain built on extreme just‑in‑time efficiency. The disaster forced Toyota to add slack—requiring months of inventory, diversifying...
Primient has launched a Biosolutions business unit to scale bio‑based manufacturing while committing to aggressive climate goals. The company aims for a 46.2% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a similar cut in Scope 3 by 2030, with a 26% decrease...
A recent Northern Ireland survey of ready‑to‑eat (RTE) food manufacturers examined awareness of EU food safety regulation 2073/2005, which mandates environmental controls and systematic sampling for Listeria monocytogenes. The 26‑question questionnaire uncovered notable gaps in understanding specific regulatory requirements, even...
China’s lithium‑ion battery output surged to 309.7 GWh in Jan‑Feb 2026, yet only 68.3 GWh (22%) fed domestic electric‑vehicle (EV) installs, a steep drop from 50% in 2024. CATL lifted its 2026 production target by roughly 30% to 1,300 GWh, prompting regulators from MIIT,...
Electric lawn tools have shifted from noisy gas engines to quiet, battery‑powered devices thanks to rare‑earth permanent magnets and phosphor‑based displays. Neodymium‑praseodymium (NdFeB) magnets provide high torque in compact motors, while dysprosium and terbium preserve magnetic strength at high temperatures....
The Lean Enterprise Institute podcast revisits the seminal book *The Toyota Product Development System*, highlighting how its core principles still guide modern product development. Co‑author Jim Morgan discusses the research behind Toyota’s integration of people, process, and technology and how...
Industrial plants often experience SCADA sluggishness precisely at shift handover. The slowdown stems from a sudden surge in server activity as multiple operator workstations restart, alarms are bulk‑acknowledged, and shift‑based reports, data resets, and backups run concurrently. These actions overload...
General Motors announced a $150 million infusion into its Saginaw Metal Casting Operations to equip the plant for sixth‑generation V‑8 engine block and cylinder head production, targeting a 2027 start‑up. The funding adds to a $500 million expansion at the...
Fabrinet (NYSE:FN) is highlighted as a strong‑buy AI stock. iPronics announced a partnership to build a dedicated silicon‑photonic manufacturing line, slated for Q2 2026, to meet hyperscaler demand for energy‑efficient optical switches. Analyst Rosenblatt raised its price target to $715 from...
![[OFC 2026] Part 1 of 5: 300mm SiPh Foundry: Who Is Actually Ready?](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!FG3y!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3201360a-f898-4593-8267-8cfc0766cc04_1280x1280.png)
The OFC 2026 conference showcased seven papers from Samsung, GlobalFoundries and NVIDIA that dissect the state of 300 mm silicon‑photonic (SiPh) foundries. While the headline race to 200 Gbit/s per wavelength still dominates headlines, the papers reveal that success now hinges on...
The Iran‑Israel‑U.S. conflict has crippled Gulf aluminum production after an Iranian drone disabled the world’s largest smelter in Bahrain, forcing major EV manufacturers to trim output. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has removed roughly 20 million barrels of crude...
