ABB Agrees to Modernize Billerud’s Paper Machine
Swedish pulp and paper producer Billerod has signed an agreement with ABB to modernize Paper Machine 5 at its Gävle mill. The upgrade will install ABB Ability System 800xA, AC800M controllers, refreshed drives and enhanced quality‑control tools, aiming to boost efficiency, cut energy and material use, and strengthen cybersecurity. The modernized line will also create a platform for future digital and AI‑driven optimization as demand for renewable packaging rises. The project underscores the long‑standing partnership between the two companies.
One-Third Of Japanese Companies Eye AI Robots As Labor Shortages Intensify
A Reuters‑Nikkei survey finds one‑third of Japanese companies are using or contemplating AI‑enabled robots, with 4% already deployed, 5% planning rollout, and 25% weighing adoption. Automakers and transportation equipment makers are the most aggressive, with 80% of that sector either...
SYOS Talks Scale, Proof and Multi-Domain Ambition at CNE
SYOS has scaled its uncrewed surface vessel production to 30 SM300 units per month, with 140 already operating in Ukraine, showcasing field‑proven capability. The UK‑New Zealand SME, now 170 staff strong, has grown entirely on contract revenue without venture capital....
Auburn Research and Technology Foundation Breaks Ground on New RFID Lab
The Auburn Research and Technology Foundation (ARTF) has broken ground on a $22 million, 100,000‑square‑foot RFID Laboratory slated to open in summer 2027. The new lab will serve as the anchor for a 45‑acre advanced manufacturing research district at Auburn Research...
Doozy Robotics to Scale Physical AI Workforce Worldwide
Doozy Robotics, a Singapore‑based startup, announced a global expansion into the United States, the Gulf Cooperation Council and Asia as it prepares for a Series A round. The company is building a vertically integrated physical AI ecosystem that combines autonomous mobile...
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...
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...
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...
IR Nozzle Preheat Lifts PEI FFF Strength, Stability
Researchers at Korea Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center introduced an infrared (IR) nozzle preheating system that locally raises the deposition zone of PEI filament above its glass transition temperature. The method achieved tensile strengths up to 42.8 MPa and reduced warping angles...
Problems You Will Face Only During Night Commissioning
Night‑shift commissioning promises quieter plant floors but introduces a distinct set of obstacles. Limited technical support, reduced lighting, and fluctuating utility conditions turn routine checks into prolonged troubleshooting sessions. Engineer fatigue at 3 AM increases the likelihood of logic mistakes and...
Optimax Launches New Automated System AURA K4D to Identify, Analyse, and Measure Defects in Medical Device Manufacturing
Optimax introduced the AURA K4D, the first instrument that merges the Kitov CORE+ robotic arm with the 4D InSpec surface gauge to automate both visual inspection and metrology in a single closed‑loop workflow. The system eliminates manual transfer of parts, handling components up...
Tata Electronics and ASML: India’s 300 Mm Fab Gets Its Lithography Backbone
Tata Electronics and ASML signed a memorandum of understanding on May 16, 2026 to back the construction and ramp‑up of India’s first commercial 300 mm semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat. The partnership centers on delivering a suite of lithography tools, talent...
Who Built the Toyota Production System? A Recovered Archive and a Debate Worth Reading
An extensive backup of early Superfactory articles has been made public, revealing a rare, contemporaneous debate over who built the Toyota Production System. Former Toyota expatriate Art Smalley argued that the core concepts of just‑in‑time and jidoka existed before Shigeo...
Data Centers Are Turning Batteries Into Grid Access Tools
Data centers are buying batteries for two distinct roles: UPS power‑layer units that protect critical loads and behind‑meter energy‑layer BESS that shape demand and provide grid services. Grid interconnection is the new bottleneck, with utilities taking up to seven years...
Crossing the Yield Cliff: IDP V6 and the Future of Manufacturing Forecasting
The newly released Industrial Defectivity Prediction (IDP) V6 introduces a two‑layer statistical framework that extends the classic Negative Binomial model to capture “yield cliffs” across nine manufacturing sectors, from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals. By adding an information‑loss correction layer and a threshold‑transition...