Hidonix Is Now a Defense Company
Hidonix Industries announced a strategic shift from commercial applications to a primary focus on defense and public safety, leveraging its spatial intelligence, human‑centric AI, and robotics expertise. The company will target defense operators, emergency responders, and mission‑critical missions requiring precise situational awareness. Its flagship ION platform, already deployed in hospitals and museums, will be adapted for defense and national security use. Recent CES showcases introduced the Hido II Rover, real‑time tracking devices, and an upgraded ION CMS, underscoring rapid deployment capabilities.
The Freight Market’s New Reality: More Risk, Fewer Signals
The freight market is confronting a multi‑layered risk environment as cargo theft shifts from opportunistic grabs to organized fraud, with incidents up 93% since 2021 and strategic theft soaring over 1,400%. Shippers and 3PLs are moving from one‑time carrier checks...
Can Aii’s New Tool Deliver Granular Data Without Audit Fatigue?
Aii has launched the Energy and Carbon Benchmark, a voluntary tool that breaks down textile factory energy use by individual processes such as knitting and dyeing. The benchmark is designed to plug into existing platforms like the Higg Facility Environmental...
Siemens to Launch Rail Vehicle Production in Duisport’s Logport I
Siemens Mobility will launch a new rail‑vehicle production centre at duisport’s Logport I in Duisburg‑Rheinhausen, with construction finishing by the end of 2026 and operations starting in early 2027. The €25 million investment includes a production hall equipped with five cranes, two...
Discover the Winner of the SMC BMC Design Award 2026 “Live Better, Live Green”
The SMC BMC Design Award 2026 was unveiled at JEC World on March 11, spotlighting the theme “Live Better, Live Green.” Gold went to Hedera, a modular vertical‑garden system that converts building facades into lasting green infrastructure. Silver was awarded...
Wine-Making Waste Helps Recycle Cobalt and Nickel From Batteries
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have demonstrated an electrochemical process that uses tartaric acid, a wine‑making by‑product, to separate cobalt and nickel from lithium‑ion battery leachates. By applying sequential voltages, the method achieves over 99% cobalt purity and 96.5% nickel...
Reverse Engineering the UK Rail Sector’s Hard-to-Find Parts
Nufox Rubber used reverse engineering to recreate obsolete rubber seals for the UK’s Class 158 trains, addressing a parts shortage that threatens long‑lived rolling stock. The company digitised the original component, developed in‑house tooling, and produced fire‑rated seals meeting EN45545‑2 HL3 standards....
Bangladesh RMG Exports Fall 3.7 per Cent Year-on-Year
Bangladesh’s ready‑made garment (RMG) sector reported a 3.73% year‑on‑year decline in exports, totaling US$25.80 billion for the first eight months of FY2025‑26. The Export Promotion Bureau data highlight a slowdown in the country’s largest industrial export earner. The dip coincides with...
UPS Navigates Amazon Draw Down in Hard Pivot to Premium Services
UPS is executing its largest network consolidation while deliberately shedding about 50% of its Amazon volume by mid‑2026. The carrier has cut 30,000 jobs, closed 24 parcel‑sort facilities and is automating remaining sites to boost profitability. CFO Brian Dykes said...
NS, Progress Rail Collaborate to Upgrade 96 Locomotives
Norfolk Southern and Progress Rail will convert 96 DC‑traction SD70M‑2 locomotives to AC traction, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 to 2029. The upgrades include individual‑axle control, ADEM® diesel engine management and remanufactured 16‑cylinder EMD 710 engines delivering 4,300 hp. NS claims...
HOJ Innovations’ New AMR Division Adds to Its Inventory Management Software History
HOJ Innovations, a Utah‑based warehouse inventory software veteran with over 60 years of experience, announced the launch of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) division in late October 2025. The new hardware arm integrates directly with its WarehouseOS platform, leveraging a...
Kraft Heinz Plan to Close NZ Factories “Devastating”, Union Says
Kraft Heinz’s New Zealand arm, Heinz Wattie’s, announced plans to shut factories in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin, putting roughly 350 jobs at risk. The closures will end production of Wattie’s frozen vegetables and several branded lines such as Gregg’s coffee and...
5 Ways to Protect Manufacturing From Cyberattacks
Manufacturers remained the most targeted sector in 2025, according to IBM X‑Force, driven by high‑value intellectual property and legacy systems that are hard to patch. Experts warn that many firms treat operational technology separately from cybersecurity, lack robust identity controls,...
Metro Gearboxes for Hamburg: ZF Supplies Technology for Germany’s Largest Subway Project
ZF will supply almost 3,000 two‑stage spur‑gear gearboxes for Hamburg’s new driverless U5 line and the accompanying DT6 fleet, a contract spanning roughly 15 years. The gearboxes feature a lightweight aluminum housing, low‑noise operation and reduced oil requirements, delivering 95 kW...
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Faraday Future delivered its Master robot and a pilot Aegis robot to Texas‑based NS Federation, marking the company’s second EAI robotics delivery after a home‑sharing operator. The rollout introduces two new application scenarios—Robot & Vehicle + Education and Robot & Vehicle + Performance—targeting schools,...
For the Machines that Don’t Take Days Off. How Electrification Is Reshaping On- and Off-Road Machinery.
Electrification is rapidly reshaping construction, agricultural and mining equipment as tighter emissions rules and advancing battery tech force OEMs to replace diesel powertrains. Parker Hannifin argues that a systems‑level strategy—starting with detailed energy‑mapping of work cycles—delivers higher efficiency, lower operating...
You Can't Manage What You Can't See: Network Management Strategies for Today’s Connected Industry
Manufacturers are merging IT and OT networks, requiring visibility beyond simple ping checks. Platforms like Hirschmann’s HiVision provide topology mapping and detect hidden devices, enabling faster troubleshooting. Bulk configuration, multivendor support, and intent‑based networking streamline management of thousands of endpoints...
Paradise Textiles Plans US$102m Egypt Fabric Plant
Paradise Textiles announced a US$102 million investment to build an integrated fabric manufacturing plant in the Amreya Public Free Zone near Alexandria, Egypt. The new mill is slated to begin operations in the third quarter of 2026 and will create approximately...
Damm to End Operations at Mallorca Dairy Facility
Spanish drinks group Damm announced it will cease production at its milk and milkshake plant on Mallorca. The closure will affect 14 employees, for whom the company is preparing a redeployment plan to move them within other business units. The...
CRP Group to Showcase Flight-Validated Composite Solutions and Hybrid Manufacturing at XPONENTIAL Europe 2026
CRP Group, comprising CRP Technology and CRP Meccanica, will debut at XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Düsseldorf, showcasing flight‑validated composite and hybrid‑manufactured components for aerospace and defense. The exhibit features a MIL‑STD‑810H‑tested UAV fuselage and a 3D‑printed PocketQube satellite deployer that...
Photon Bridge and CPFC Partner to Validate Path to Scalable Multi-Wavelength Light Engines
Photon Bridge of Eindhoven announced a strategic partnership with the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) to use CPFC’s InP laser foundry for its heterogeneous photonics platform. The collaboration validates the manufacturability of multi‑wavelength external laser sources, targeting 8, 16 and...
RuB Manual Ball Valves From AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has launched a new line of RuB manual ball valves, offering a broad portfolio from compact micro‑size units to high‑flow industrial models. All valves come with a lifetime warranty and feature interchangeable handles, including rotary, T‑handle, lockable, and spring‑return...
Peter Electronic VSII Plus AC Softstarters From AutomationDirect
AutomationDirect has introduced the Peter Electronic VSII Plus soft starters, covering current ratings up to 105 A for standard and light‑duty applications. The units feature a simple three‑trim‑pot configuration, status LEDs, DIN‑rail mounting and quick‑connect I/O, enabling fast installation. Powered by...
Emulation: Reduce Project Risk and Increase Certainty in Outcome
Polytron’s PolySim sm offers manufacturers a digital‑twin emulation platform that runs real PLC code in a virtual environment, enabling “test‑drives” of production lines before hardware installation. Unlike traditional simulation, emulation validates control logic in real‑time, allowing engineers to troubleshoot, optimize line...
New Partnership to Offer Smart Robots for Dangerous Environments
ADLINK Technology and Under Control Robotics have entered a strategic alliance to develop general‑purpose, bipedal robots for hazardous industrial environments. The collaboration merges ADLINK’s DLAP edge AI platform, built on NVIDIA Jetson Thor, with Noble Machines’ autonomy and whole‑body control software,...
Ampelmann Pioneers Composite Telescopic Boom for Offshore Access Systems
Amsterdam‑based Ampelmann has unveiled the industry’s first composite telescopic boom for offshore gangways, developed with Solico, Rondal and Vuyk. The CFRP‑sandwich boom, produced via a one‑shot cure, is 30 % lighter than a comparable steel boom while meeting Lloyd’s Register certification....
Ghana Gets New $40m Pasta Factory
Ghana’s drive to become a West African industrial hub received a boost with Olam Agri’s $40 million pasta plant in Kpone, near Tema. The 60,000‑tonne facility can meet up to 40 % of domestic pasta demand, previously satisfied entirely by imports costing...
Addiguru Enters & Expands Several Partnerships to Advance Adoption of In-Situ Monitoring Technology
Addiguru announced a wave of new collaborations to embed its multi‑sensor, AI‑driven in‑situ monitoring platform across a range of additive manufacturing systems. Partnerships with Renishaw and Apex Additive Technologies will integrate optical, NIR and LWIR data via API links to...
US-Iran War Crimp LPG Supply, Hit Borosil’s Glass Production at Jaipur
Escalating hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran have disrupted LPG shipments to India, prompting Oil Marketing Companies to issue a force‑majeure notice. Borosil Ltd, a major glass maker in Jaipur, said the shortage forced a temporary shutdown of...
Indian Potash Ltd. Set to Revive Cooperative Sugar Mill in Odisha; to Invest ₹360 Crore
Indian Potash Ltd (IPL) announced a ₹360 crore plan to revive the Badamba Cooperative Sugar Mill in Odisha, dormant since 2010. The MoU with the state government outlines a 3,500 TCD capacity, a 16 MW co‑generation plant, a 10‑tonne‑per‑day bio‑CNG unit and cold‑storage...
James Cropper and Hexcel Collaborate to Advance Aligned Composite Recycling
James Cropper and Hexcel have teamed up under the European Composites Circularity Alliance (ECCA) to develop the Unimat range, leveraging Cropper’s Vectis aligned‑fibre technology for recycled carbon‑fibre composites. The partnership aims to achieve the alignment and fibre‑volume fractions required for...
AOC Announces Price Increase Due to Middle East Crisis Impacts
AOC, the Swiss‑based supplier of specialty formulations, announced price increases of up to €450 (US $521.83) per tonne for its unsaturated polyester, vinyl‑ester and Neoxil® products. The hikes affect customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India and will take...
Ghana Factory Aims to Put Savelugu on Sourcing Map
Northshore Apparel is constructing a large garment factory in Savelugu, northern Ghana, to showcase the town as a sourcing destination. The plant will produce both knitted and woven apparel—including T‑shirts, polos, hoodies, children’s wear and sportswear—for export markets. The investment...
How J&J, Suntory and Toyota Cut Industrial Heat Emissions
Johnson & Johnson has allocated up to $40 million a year since 2005 to a carbon‑relief fund that finances low‑carbon retrofits, including a 2023 geothermal plant that slashed heating and cooling emissions at a Belgian site by roughly 30%. The company...
Liebherr Chile Delivers PR 776 G8 Mining Dozers to SQM Nueva Victoria Iodine Mine
Liebherr Chile has supplied and commissioned two PR 776 G8 mining dozers equipped with its LiReCon teleoperation system for SQM's Nueva Victoria iodine mine in northern Chile. The dozers, the largest hydrostatic models on the market, have demonstrated strong pushing...
Building Collaboration in Aerospace Composites Between the UK and France
Key players from the French and UK aerospace composites sectors gathered at the British Embassy in Paris during JEC World for a networking reception organized by Composites UK and the Department for Business and Trade. Deputy Trade Commissioner Jo Hawley...
Hydrogen Used to Decarbonise Asphalt Production in UK First
Heidelberg Materials UK completed a pilot at its Criggion plant using hydrogen to heat asphalt production, generating over 1,300 tonnes of asphalt without quality loss. The trial cut direct (Scope 1) emissions by 76 % and lowered the overall carbon footprint by 23%,...
EPMB Launches Local Assembly of MG S5 BEV in Malaysia
SAIC Motor’s MG brand has begun local assembly of the S5 battery‑electric vehicle in Malaysia through a partnership with EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB). The Alor Gajah plant will assemble up to 2,000 units this year from imported CKD kits, leveraging...
ACMI Installs AMCM M 8K Metal 3D Printing System
The American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) has installed the world’s first AMCM M 8K metal 3D printing system, a large‑format laser powder‑bed fusion (LPBF) machine with an 800 × 800 × 1,200 mm build volume. The platform uses eight 1.2 kW nLIGHT lasers, the AirSword...
GELITA and Black Drop Collaborate on GelMA Bioinks for 3D Bioprinting Research
GELITA and Black Drop have signed an R&D agreement to develop methacrylated gelatin (GelMA) bioinks for 3D bioprinting applications. The partnership will leverage GELITA’s ultra‑low endotoxin gelatin (MEDELLAPRO) and Black Drop’s custom bioprinting platforms to create clinically usable, scalable bioinks....
Transparent Superhydrophobic Self-Cleaning Coating Increases Solar Cell Efficiency by 4.75%
Researchers have created a transparent, PFAS‑free dual‑layer sol‑gel coating that renders solar panels superhydrophobic while preserving high light transmission. Laboratory tests showed the coating raises photovoltaic efficiency from 13.90 % to 14.56 %, a 0.66‑point gain, and demonstrates strong abrasion, chemical and...
NanoMalaysia Unveils Sodium-Ion Prototype Surpassing 300 Wh/Kg
NanoMalaysia Berhad unveiled a sodium‑ion battery prototype that delivers over 300 Wh/kg, placing it among the world’s most advanced sodium‑ion systems. Developed under the NanoMalaysia Energy Storage Technology Initiative in partnership with International Battery Centre Sdn Bhd, the prototype demonstrates performance...
Allison and DTNA Expand Partnership for M2 106 Plus Truck
Allison Transmission and Daimler Truck North America have broadened their collaboration by adding two fully automatic gearbox options to the Freightliner M2 106 Plus medium‑duty truck. The 3414 Regional Haul Series transmission, paired with a Cummins X10 diesel, will start production in...
Continental Tyres Chosen by All Top 10 EMEA EV Makers
Continental announced that its original‑equipment tyres equipped all ten of the highest‑volume electric‑vehicle manufacturers in the EMEA region for 2025, extending its reach to 17 of the top 20 global EV makers. The company credits early investment in low rolling...
Bridging Machining Simulation and Fatigue Analysis
MISUTECH and Hottinger Brüel & Kjær have linked MISULAB machining simulation with nCode DesignLife fatigue analysis, enabling three‑dimensional residual‑stress predictions to flow directly into fatigue life calculations. The integrated workflow lets engineers evaluate machining strategies virtually, reducing reliance on costly physical testing. A case...
Honda Earns EPA ENERGY STAR at Seven US Plants in 2025
Honda announced that seven of its U.S. manufacturing facilities earned the EPA ENERGY STAR certification for 2025, recognizing superior energy efficiency. The Marysville and East Liberty Ohio plants marked their 20th consecutive year of certification, while other sites in Indiana,...
EV Group Unveils EVG120 Resist Processing System
EV Group has launched the EVG120, an automated resist processing system that upgrades its flagship coater/developer line. The new platform offers a 40% capacity boost on a 200 mm footprint while shrinking its overall size by more than 20%. It adds...
EChem Expo 2026 Releases Full Conference Program
eChem Expo 2026 has released its full two‑day program, scheduled for April 8‑9 at the MeadowView Resort in Kingsport, Tennessee. The agenda features eight focused technical tracks—from Capital Effectiveness and Operational Excellence to Industrial AI and Workforce Development—delivering over 20 hours of...
4 Key Growth Opportunities to Boost CNC Machining Workforce
The U.S. CNC machining sector faces a deep talent gap, with hundreds of thousands of open positions despite a workforce of roughly 12.7 million manufacturing employees. Median machinist age is 46.9, and retirements are outpacing new talent, risking up to 2.1 million...
Visy Launches New Tasmanian Packaging Hub for Food and Farming Sectors
Visy has inaugurated an 8,500‑square‑metre packaging hub in Devonport, Tasmania, to supply cardboard solutions to the state’s food, beverage and agricultural producers. The facility, opened by Minister Julie Collins, aims to bolster local manufacturing capacity and create jobs within an...