Manufacturing News and Headlines
Manufacturing News and Headlines
Manufacturing Pulse
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Every morning
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Corning and Meta have broken ground on a major expansion of Corning's optical‑fiber manufacturing in Hickory, North Carolina, under a multiyear agreement worth up to $6 billion. The new capacity is expected to lift Corning's North Carolina workforce by 15‑20 percent, creating dozens of well‑paid jobs. The plant will supply Meta as its anchor customer, helping to alleviate a nationwide fiber shortage driven by AI‑focused data‑center builds and federal broadband programs. Despite the expansion, lead times for key fiber types remain above 60 weeks, slowing project schedules.
Datalogic unveiled the AREX400 AF, a fiber‑laser marking system that adds software‑controlled Adjustable Focus, covering a ±20 mm to ±60 mm range. The technology eliminates manual refocusing, allowing instant focus changes via LIGHTER™ 9 software and supporting multi‑level parts in a single cycle. Weighing...
St George Mining has signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish engineering firm Tecnicas Reunidas to test its proprietary RARETECH rare‑earth processing technology on high‑grade material from the Araxá project in Brazil. The Araxá deposit is the largest hard‑rock rare‑earth...
Ocado Intelligent Automation will unveil Ocado IQ at MODEX 2026, a cloud‑based AI platform that directs every pick, path and priority from inbound to outbound. The software powers the Chuck autonomous mobile robot and the newly‑designed Porter pallet‑moving AMR, both...
AirKamuy, a Tokyo‑based startup founded in August 2022, designs and manufactures fixed‑wing VTOL aircraft and unmanned solutions. The company handles design and assembly in‑house, aiming to become the world’s leading fixed‑wing VTOL manufacturer. Its leadership combines telecom infrastructure, finance, and...
South Korean AI chip startup Mobilint has completed silicon proof‑of‑concept validation for its second‑generation NPU, Regulus, developed for Shinsegae Group’s AI‑powered checkout kiosks. The chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 12‑nm process, is slated for mass production in the second quarter and...
Samsung Electronics is rolling out hybrid bonding inspection equipment, partnering with Onto Innovation’s picosecond laser ultrasound system that is already being validated on mass‑production lines. The joint development targets detection of microscopic voids and overlay errors in high‑bandwidth memory (HBM)...
Mercedes‑Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain announced a $4 billion investment in the Alabama plant to lift production capacity as the company pursues a 28% increase in U.S. sales, aiming for 400,000 vehicles annually by 2030. Despite a tougher market marked by...
Brain Corp unveiled BrainOS Clean 2.0, integrating SelfPath AI into Tennant’s X‑series floor‑cleaning robots. The update lets machines autonomously generate and adjust routes, removing the need for manual training. Early deployments show 22% higher coverage, 55% greater autonomy, and deployment speeds more than...
Reframe Systems has installed a 554‑square‑foot robotic‑built modular unit at The Bolt, a 180,000‑sq‑ft innovation campus under construction in Woburn, Massachusetts. The unit serves as a high‑end sales and leasing hub for developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes during the construction phase,...
Toyota Material Handling Europe unveiled Swarm Automation Transport, an automated guided vehicle system that pairs its SAI125CB counter‑balance stacker with the T‑ONE control platform. The solution can move, stack and replenish pallets of various formats, from euro to bottom‑deck, across...
Amazon Freight announced its North American dry‑van fleet has reached 80,000 trailers, up from 70,000 less than a year ago. The expansion adds 10,000 units to its over‑the‑road capacity, complementing an existing inventory of more than 24,000 intermodal containers. Amazon...
Sadara Chemical Company, the Dow‑Aramco joint venture in Jubail, has temporarily halted production after supply‑chain disruptions linked to the US‑Iran war. The shutdown affects its massive ethylene, propylene and polymer output, as well as ethanolamines sold by Sabic and Dow....
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced continued momentum for the Data Center Excellence (DCE 9000) initiative, a first‑of‑its‑kind quality‑management system standard for modern data‑center infrastructure. Backed by hyperscalers, operators and equipment suppliers, the effort targets mechanical, power and cooling systems to...
HIN Feinmechanik, a German precision‑machining firm, replaced its legacy CAM system with ENCY to shift error detection from the machine to the preparation stage. The new software provides reusable templates, real‑time stock‑removal visualization, and integrated fixture simulation, dramatically speeding up...
Vention has commercially launched Rapid Operator AI, a turnkey system that automates deep‑bin picking for mid‑market and enterprise manufacturers. Built on the company’s Generalized Robotic Industrial Intelligence Pipeline (GRIIP) and NVIDIA Isaac models, the solution detects random parts, estimates 6‑DoF poses,...
Fujitsu announced plans to develop a dedicated AI inference NPU using Rapidus' 1.4 nm process, with an estimated development cost of ¥58 billion (about $363 million). The project, funded roughly two‑thirds by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, will be designed...
Robotics installations surged to 542,000 units in 2024, a 9% year‑over‑year increase, with Asia accounting for 74% of the volume and China alone delivering 295,000 units. Global deal flow hit a record $107 billion in 2025, driven by a $50 billion US...
Motion Industries announced the opening of two new sales branches in Mexico—Cuautlancingo, Puebla and Piedras Negras, Coahuila—officially launched in late 2025. The facilities add to Motion’s existing network, bringing the total to 16 locations across the country. Each branch provides industrial...
Operations at Oman’s Salalah port were suspended after a drone strike on Saturday, forcing a gradual restart this week. The disruption compounds existing schedule pressures from the broader Middle East crisis, prompting major carriers such as Maersk and Hapag‑Lloyd to...
SAP is partnering with Swiss robot maker ANYbotics to embed four‑legged autonomous inspectors directly into its ERP platform. The robots act as mobile data‑gathering nodes, using edge AI to analyze thermal, acoustic and visual feeds and instantly push fault alerts...
SHD, a Cambium subsidiary, announced formal membership in the Slovenian Defence Cluster and an upgrade to Level 3 membership within Make UK Defence. The moves expand its collaborative footprint across Central Europe and the United Kingdom, reinforcing its role in supplying dual‑use...
Food manufacturers are accelerating AI adoption, using computer‑vision, automation and anomaly‑detection tools to proactively manage safety and meet the FDA’s extended food‑traceability rule, now due July 2028. Deloitte’s Drew Gaputis highlighted that AI can give a cleaner, end‑to‑end view of supply...
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division released an upgraded version of its PULSE environmental monitoring system for coordinate measuring machines (CMMs). The new hardware and software broaden sensor coverage to temperature, humidity, vibration, shock and probe deflection, extending monitoring beyond the CMM...
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub have teamed up with Amazon to develop AI‑driven recycling of critical minerals from clothing and electronic waste. The DOE is allocating nearly $1 billion, with more than...
Senesco Marine has selected ABB to provide full propulsion and automation systems for a new 75‑car DRBA ferry replacing the 45‑year‑old Cape Henlopen. The diesel‑electric hybrid vessel, slated to begin construction in mid‑2026, will feature ABB’s onboard DC grid, PEMS...
Coherent’s datacenter bookings have surged, posting a book‑to‑bill ratio above 4× and securing most of 2026 revenue with visibility extending to 2028. The company’s new six‑inch indium phosphide (InP) production line is projected to deliver more than four times the...
A year after the Trump administration’s tariff wave, KPMG’s February 2026 survey shows U.S. firms facing shrinking margins, higher operational costs and a growing tendency to shift tariff burdens onto customers. Thirty‑four percent of companies now pass more than half of...
HP Inc. is confronting a sharp rise in memory‑chip prices, which have doubled sequentially, pushing memory and storage to represent about 35% of its PC bill of materials—twice the share from the prior quarter. To mitigate the cost pressure, HP...
amsight, the Fraunhofer spin‑out specializing in data‑driven quality management for additive manufacturing, launched a new website (www.amsight.de) to highlight its production‑level QMS offering. The site organizes content by concrete use cases—traceable data, powder management, production monitoring, audit‑ready reporting, analytics, and...
Rising e‑grocery sales and aging U.S. cold‑storage facilities are driving a surge in demand for modern, temperature‑controlled warehouses. DHL Supply Chain teamed with real‑estate developer RLCold to build over 5 million square feet of new cold‑storage space across North America, emphasizing...
The Chicago Purchasing Managers’ Index fell 4.9 points to 52.8 in March, marking the third consecutive month of expansion despite missing the 54.8 forecast. A reading above 50 signals growth, but the decline suggests weakening momentum. Historically, 52.8 is lower...
Mesabi Metallics secured a $520 million senior secured credit facility from Valor Mining Credit Partners II, a mining‑focused fund backed by Breakwall Capital and Vitol. The financing supports the final phases of its $2.5 billion direct‑reduction iron ore mine and pellet plant in...
China’s semiconductor fabs are entering a triage phase as helium supplies threaten to dry up by late April. The shortage stems from Qatar, which provides roughly one‑third of the world’s helium, halting output after Iranian drone attacks on the Ras...
Siemens has entered the European Space Agency’s EPIC commercialization program, offering its digital‑twin, simulation and mentoring services to startups in ESA’s Business Incubation Centres. The partnership gives access to Siemens Xcelerator, enabling virtual design, testing and validation of space‑related systems....
U.S. suspension‑grade PVC (S‑PVC) prices surged over 55% since the Gulf war began, reaching $1,000‑$1,050 per tonne FOB Houston. In contrast, China’s carbide‑based S‑PVC rose about 36% to $815‑$900 per tonne FOB China, remaining cheaper to produce. Because roughly 80%...
Siemens Smart Infrastructure has signed an agreement with Viakoo to integrate the Viakoo Action Platform into its service portfolio. The cloud‑based solution provides automated firmware updates, certificate management, password enforcement, and compliance tracking for OT and IoT device fleets. By...
GMEX Robotics announced progress on its Intelligent Robot Chassis, a rugged platform that shields autonomous robots from shocks, vibrations and harsh environments. The chassis integrates structural health monitoring, active vibration isolation and thermal management to extend sensor and hardware life....
German chemicals group Lanxess announced an immediate 40% price increase for its sulphur‑based products, including ultra‑pure sulphuric acid, across its Industrial Intermediates unit. The hike targets key inorganic acids used in semiconductor manufacturing, lithium‑ion battery production, and agrochemical formulations. Lanxess...
Private 5G networks now embed precise indoor positioning, delivering meter‑level accuracy without separate hardware. This unified approach replaces fragmented Wi‑Fi, UWB, Bluetooth and RFID solutions, giving manufacturers real‑time visibility of assets, workers, and equipment. Integrated location services feed directly into...
The FDA issued a warning letter to Henan Lvyuan Pharmaceutical after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. Inspectors cited severe facility maintenance issues, including corrosion and water leaks that could compromise API potency and...
The FDA issued Warning Letter 320‑26‑53 to Microbiological Testing & Consulting, LLC after a September 2025 inspection uncovered multiple Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) violations. The firm failed to maintain adequate laboratory controls, documentation, media qualification, and a functional quality‑control unit,...
APA Solar, a ground‑mounted solar racking and foundations maker, opened a new 30,000‑sq‑ft headquarters in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, consolidating its business, engineering, customer service and manufacturing teams under one roof. The campus now hosts a Foundations Center of Excellence that...
Epson Robots has entered a strategic alliance with Clayton Controls to provide advanced automation solutions across the Southwest United States. Clayton, a 60‑year‑old integrator with ISO 9001:2015 certification and a UL508A panel shop, will distribute Epson’s full robot lineup, including SCARA,...
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS will showcase its NXD tupH® surface‑treatment at Seafood Expo 2026 in Barcelona, demonstrating how the technology gives aluminium drive components stainless‑steel‑level corrosion resistance and food‑safe hygiene. The exhibit includes fanless IE5+ synchronous motors, the plug‑and‑play DuoDrive gear‑unit/motor concept, and...
MIT Professional Education launches a five‑day Enterprise Additive Manufacturing program, running April 13‑17, 2026, that blends MIT classroom instruction with hands‑on project work. Led by Professor John Hart, the course guides engineers, operations, and business leaders through the full adoption cycle—from...
Samsara (NYSE:IOT) announced its participation in HumanX 2026, the leading AI conference, to unveil its vision for physical AI that unifies autonomous vehicles, robotics, and human operators. On April 8, 2026, the company will co‑host a panel titled “Orchestrating the Mixed‑Autonomy Revolution”...
Cyngn announced the deployment of four autonomous DriveMod Tuggers at Vann Family Orchards, a major California‑based agricultural processor. The tuggers now handle raw‑material transport between storage and processing zones, reducing reliance on manual forklifts while keeping humans for loading and...
China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030) puts advanced manufacturing, AI and advanced materials at the core of its industrial agenda, but it does not name additive manufacturing (AM) outright. The omission is strategic: AM is treated as a systemic layer that...
Airbus has begun extensive ground‑testing of the A350 freighter (A350F), a purpose‑built cargo variant that required roughly 40% new or modified test procedures. The program features co‑design between final‑assembly‑line engineers and chief designers, enabling automated wiring self‑tests that check over...
