Aptiv and Comau to Co-Develop Next-Generation Solutions for Robotics, Automation
Aptiv PLC and Comau have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to co‑develop next‑generation intelligent automation solutions. The partnership will focus on advanced robotics, autonomous systems, and AI‑enabled warehouse and logistics platforms, leveraging Aptiv’s perception, compute and software portfolio with Comau’s robotics and large‑scale deployment expertise. Initial use cases include autonomous mobile robots, collaborative robots, ruggedized interconnects, and radar‑vision safety architectures. The collaboration aims to deliver safer, more efficient, and cost‑effective automation for industrial customers worldwide.
VTNA Unveils EPA 2027-Compliant D13 Engine
Volvo Trucks North America unveiled a D13 engine that meets the pending 2027 EPA nitrogen‑oxide emissions rule of 35 mg/hp‑hr. The power unit, offered on the VNL and VNR Class 8 trucks, delivers up to 540 hp and 1,950 lb‑ft of torque across 13...
Marathon Leaning Into Unusual Fuel Voyages During Iran War
Marathon Petroleum leveraged its North American‑sourced crude base to launch a series of unprecedented fuel shipments as the Iran‑related war shut the Strait of Hormuz. The refiner sent ultra‑low‑sulfur diesel from Los Angeles to Australia, naphtha to Asia, jet fuel to...
Modern Cost Engineering Evolution: Rewiring the Human Element for Supply Chain Resilience
The article outlines how modern cost engineering is reshaping industrial supply chains by pairing AI‑driven "should‑cost" models with a human‑centered transformation. It highlights a looming workforce retirement wave—about 25% of manufacturing staff are over 55—and the resulting loss of tribal...
Report Urges Greater Progress in Eco Denim Finishing
The Denim Industry Progress & Insights 2025 report, compiled from Jeanologia’s Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) platform, shows measurable gains in water and energy efficiency across global denim‑finishing operations. However, the study flags chemical usage as the most persistent environmental hurdle, with...
The Future of Automation Returns to Chicago with 1,000+ Exhibitors and 200 Speakers
Automate 2026 returns to Chicago June 22‑25, expecting over 50,000 visitors, more than 1,000 exhibitors and 200 speakers. Hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation, the show will showcase robotics, AI, motion control, digital twins, and vision systems. Highlights include...
Cummins Improves Outlook After Q1 Results
Cummins reported first‑quarter net income of $654 million and revenue of $8.4 billion, a 3% increase year‑over‑year. Strong demand in power‑generation markets, especially data centers, lifted earnings, while North American heavy‑ and medium‑duty truck volumes fell 20%. EBITDA reached $1.3 billion, including a...
Honda Shelves $11B Canada EV Factory as Its Electric Retreat Deepens
Honda has officially shelved its C$15 billion ($11 billion) electric‑vehicle and battery complex in Alliston, Ontario, turning a two‑year pause into an indefinite retreat. The move follows a $15.7 billion EV writedown, the cancellation of three U.S. EV models and the termination of...
Questions and Answers on Current Good Manufacturing Practice Regulations | Production and Process Controls
The FDA released a detailed Q&A clarifying current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP) expectations for pharmaceutical manufacturers. It addresses equipment labeling, warehouse sampling of containers, media‑fill contamination sources, and the number of validation batches required for new products. The guidance also...
Honda to Shelve $11bn Canada EV Plant as Demand Sputters
Honda Motor announced it will freeze its planned electric‑vehicle factory in Canada, a project valued at roughly $11 billion CAD (about $8 billion USD). The decision follows a slowdown in U.S. EV demand and a strategic pivot toward hybrid models for the...
How Bissell Homecare Is Cleaning up Supply Chain Planning
Bissell Homecare teamed with o9 Solutions to replace Excel‑based processes with a cloud‑native supply‑chain platform, deploying demand planning, supply‑chain planning, supplier collaboration and inventory‑optimization modules. Three years into the rollout, the company cut scenario‑analysis time from two‑to‑three weeks down to...
Mouser Electronics Shipping Wide Selection of Industrial Solutions From Schneider Electric
Mouser Electronics has expanded its global catalog to include more than 27,000 Schneider Electric parts, covering tower lights, solid‑state relays, variable‑frequency drives and PLCs. The partnership gives engineers instant access to Schneider’s digital‑automation and energy‑management solutions across Mouser’s fast‑shipping network....
Strength in the Air and Weakness in Ocean Mark Expeditors’ Strong 1Q
Expeditors International posted a strong first‑quarter earnings report, highlighted by a 5% year‑over‑year increase in air‑freight tonnage that lifted air margins. In contrast, ocean freight volume slipped 4% YoY, dragging down container revenue and pricing. The company’s customs‑brokerage segment saw...
The Scenario Planners Win: A Q&A With Teneo’s Bernardo Silva on How Food Manufacturers Should Be Preparing Right Now
Bernardo Silva of Teneo explains how food manufacturers are confronting the layered shock of the Iran conflict, which hits energy, freight, agricultural inputs and consumers in succession. He stresses scenario planning as the primary tool for anticipating cost spikes and...
VTNA to Begin Taking VNL Electric Orders by End of 2026
Volvo Trucks North America announced it will begin taking orders for its flagship VNL Electric Class 8 tractor by the end of 2026, a year later than the original 2025‑early‑2026 target. The delay is linked to a cooler political climate for battery‑electric...
Apple Eyes Intel and Samsung as AI Boom Squeezes Chip Supply
Apple is quietly exploring U.S. alternatives to its longtime chip partner TSMC as AI‑driven demand strains advanced‑node capacity. The company has held preliminary talks with Intel and toured Samsung’s under‑construction Texas fab to assess feasibility for future iPhone, iPad and...
Finland’s SuperGround Hopes for Market Expansion of Its Non-Traditional Seafood Products
Finland‑based SuperGround showcased its waste‑derived seafood line at Seafood Expo Global, where it sold roughly 10 containers of its new sandwich filler. The company transforms fish bones, heads and skins into a neutral ingredient that can be flavored into tuna,...
America Makes Launches Two Additive Manufacturing Project Calls Worth $25.6M
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining announced two additive‑manufacturing project calls totaling $25.6 million. The $12.4 million MIAMI initiative will test whether metal AM parts can replace traditional alloys in Department of War weapon systems, with three...
Rosswag to Install Eplus3D System Under New Metal AM Partnership
Rosswag Engineering, Eplus3D, and powder supplier qualloy signed an MOU to develop next‑generation metal additive‑manufacturing systems. Rosswag will install Eplus3D’s EP‑M550 MPBF machine, featuring a 550 × 550 × 450 mm build envelope and eight lasers, in its new German AM facility, with customer testing...
Master Boat Builders Begins T-ATS Module Fabrication for U.S. Navy
Master Boat Builders of Coden, Alabama, has started fabricating two hull modules for the U.S. Navy’s Navajo‑class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T‑ATS) program, under its partnership with Austal USA. The modules will be built at Master Boat’s existing yard...
Transforming Inventory Operations
Lapp USA, a distributor of industrial cables and accessories, deployed Corvus Robotics' Corvus One autonomous inventory drones in its 134,000‑square‑foot Brownsburg, Indiana facility. The drones perform nightly scans, turning a labor‑intensive, twice‑yearly manual count into 26 accurate inventories per year....
Ford Future Models: 2026-2036
Ford is committing $2 billion to revamp its Louisville Assembly plant for the first stage of its Universal Electric Vehicle Architecture (UEVA). The debut model, likely named the Ranchero, will be a mid‑size electric pickup unveiled in 2026 and built using...
AI and Robotics Leaders to Headline Automate 2026
The Association for Advancing Automation announced the keynote lineup for Automate 2026, the largest North American robotics and automation trade show, scheduled for June 22‑25 in Chicago. Industry heavyweights from Siemens Digital Industries and Standard Bots will lead sessions on AI‑driven automation,...
Savannah to Fund Its Own Study on Readying Port for Big Ships
Georgia Ports Authority announced it will fund its own engineering study to deepen and widen Savannah Harbor, targeting accommodation of ultra‑large container ships exceeding 8,200 TEU. The current ship channel sits at a federally authorized depth of 49 feet, with the...
As Turbine Queues Tighten, Babcock & Wilcox Sees Opening for Boiler-Steam Packages in Data Center Power Race
Babcock & Wilcox secured a $2.4 billion design‑build deal to deliver 1.2 GW of natural‑gas‑fired boiler‑steam packages for AI‑focused data‑center campuses. The contract highlights how tight turbine lead times are pushing developers toward steam‑cycle solutions that can be built faster. B&W emphasizes the...
ABB Robotics Launches PickMaster Lite to Simplify & Accelerate Robotic Picking
ABB Robotics introduced PickMaster Lite, a streamlined version of its PickMaster suite aimed at simplifying high‑speed, vision‑guided robotic picking for packaging OEMs and system integrators. The software reduces engineering effort by 30% and cuts commissioning time by 25% through pre‑configured...
CitroTech, Hexion Form Fire-Retardant Joint Venture
CitroTech and Hexion have launched a 50‑50 joint venture, HexiTech, to produce fire‑retardant wood treatments that replace toxic borate preservatives with CitroTech’s natural‑ingredient inhibitors. Hexion will fund the effort with up to $6 million in loans and additional capital, leveraging its...
Rockwell, Teradyne, Tesla See Automation Demand Despite Uncertainty
U.S. automation leaders Rockwell Automation, Teradyne and Tesla reported strong demand despite macro uncertainty. Rockwell posted $2.2 billion in Q2 sales, a 12% year‑over‑year rise, with intelligent‑device margins climbing to 20.9% and software margins to 34.9%. Teradyne’s robotics division saw revenue...
South Korean Researchers at KIST Develop an Ultrathin Composite Film
South Korean researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have created an ultrathin (10‑20 µm), stretchable, 3D‑printable composite film that simultaneously shields electromagnetic interference (EMI) and neutron radiation. The film combines single‑walled carbon nanotubes for EMI absorption with boron...
Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract Modification for F-35 Canopy Tooling
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics received an $18.6 million contract modification to add special tooling and test equipment for F‑35 canopy production. The funding includes $5.7 million each from the U.S. Air Force and Navy 2024 procurement budgets and $2.5 million from non‑U.S. Department of...
RBA Webinar to Explain the Value of Cookie Automation
On May 6, the Retail Bakers of America hosted a webinar titled “Automating Your Cookie Production: Make Equipment Decisions with Confidence.” Dan DaRochá, president of Erika Baking Equipment, walked participants through automation options for various cookie types and matched them to...
HDUSA to Set up K9 Howitzer Production Facility in Alabama
Hanwha Defense USA is establishing an integration and test facility for its K9 mobile howitzers in Opelika, Alabama, under a three‑year lease with a $2 million investment. The site will become the primary U.S. hub for assembling and evaluating the K9...
Prolific Machines Sets Monoclonal Antibody (mAb) Manufacturing Record with Light-Controlled Platform
Prolific Machines, an SOSV portfolio company, announced a record 21 g/L monoclonal antibody titer in a 15‑day intensified fed‑batch CHO run using its light‑controlled optogenetic platform. The photomolecular system lets operators toggle gene expression in real time with light, offering reversible,...
AI Is Saving Pharma Billions in Manufacturing and Back-Office Work, Just Not in the Lab
Eli Lilly’s digital chief says AI is delivering cost savings across pharma, but not in drug discovery where expectations were highest. The company’s AI‑driven digital twin of tirzepatide manufacturing cut production time and lifted output, echoing similar back‑office efficiencies at...
Nissan to Shut Production Line at Sunderland in Cost-Saving Move
Nissan will shut one of the two production lines at its Sunderland plant, consolidating Leaf, Juke and Qashqai output onto a single line. The move is part of a Europe‑wide cost‑cutting program that will eliminate 900 jobs, though no positions...
IFS Connect - How Poka Connects the Shopfloor Workforce, Improves Quality and Saves Time at Trivium Packaging
Trivium Packaging has rolled out the Poka shop‑floor communication platform to 45 manufacturing sites across its 57 global locations, saving thousands of labor hours each year. The digital solution replaces paper forms, PowerPoint work instructions and Excel checklists with real‑time,...
Titomic Receives Iowa State University Order for ISB-11 Cold Spray System
Titomic Limited, an Australian cold‑spray additive‑manufacturing firm listed on the ASX, secured a purchase order from Iowa State University for its 623 ISB‑11 Integrated Spray Booth system. The turnkey platform will enable the university’s researchers and students to conduct materials research,...
Robin Radar Accelerates Delivery of IRIS Drone Detection Radars to the Gulf Region
Robin Radar Systems has rapidly delivered its IRIS 3D drone‑detection radars to Gulf states, meeting urgent security needs. The compact, mobile units provide 360° coverage and can detect small drones up to 12 km, integrating seamlessly with existing counter‑UAS architectures. The...
End-to-End ASIC Manufacturing Solutions | From Design to Production
Custom ASIC projects now require more than circuit design; they demand a coordinated semiconductor supply chain from architecture through long‑term production. End‑to‑end ASIC manufacturing solutions bundle feasibility studies, design, tape‑out, wafer fab, packaging, testing, qualification, and logistics into a single...
IAI–DCX Radar Facility Groundbreaking Held in Tamil Nadu
Israel Aerospace Industries’ ELTA Systems and Bengaluru‑based DCX Systems have broken ground on a radar manufacturing plant in Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu. The joint venture, ELTX Systems Private Limited, will complete construction by April 2027 and start production shortly thereafter. The facility will...
Automating Defence Supply Chain Visibility
Brady outlines an end‑to‑end identification platform that automates part verification and inventory management for the European defence sector. By adopting the GS1 standard and linking GTINs to NATO Stock Numbers, the solution creates a machine‑readable global language for components. Durable...
Germany Invests €5 Billion to Decarbonize Energy Intensive Industries
Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy launched the 2026 round of its contracts‑for‑difference (CCfD) scheme, earmarking up to €5 billion (about $5.45 billion) to subsidize decarbonisation projects in energy‑intensive industries. The auction‑based program offers variable subsidies that bridge the cost...
BioNTech Moves to Close Multiple Manufacturing Plants, Affecting 1,860 Jobs
BioNTech announced it will shut down three German manufacturing sites—Idar‑Oberstein, Marburg and Tübingen—and its Singapore plant by the end of next year, affecting about 1,860 employees. The closures are part of a network consolidation aimed at eliminating idle capacity as...
U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index Shows Lower Volumes but Significant Jump in Shipping Spending Levels
The U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index’s Q1 2026 shipment index slipped 0.3% quarter‑over‑quarter to 75.9, yet the spend index surged 12.9% to 216.7, marking a 21.8% year‑over‑year rise. Volume growth was modest and uneven across regions, while shipping costs accelerated...
Custom Fasteners Vs. Standard Hardware: When Should Engineers Design Their Own?
Engineers traditionally default to off‑the‑shelf bolts and screws to keep bill‑of‑materials costs low and simplify supply chains. When weight, fit, or regulatory traceability become critical—such as in aerospace, automotive or medical devices—standard hardware can add unnecessary mass, bulk, or compliance...
Gerresheimer Glass, Oliver, TriMas, Veritiv Visual Announced Closures in April
In April 2026 a wave of restructuring hit North American packaging firms. Clearwater Paper will halve its solid bleached sulfate output in Arkansas, cutting about 70 jobs and removing roughly 170,000 tons—about 3.1% of regional supply. Gerresheimer Glass announced the closure...
PV Inverter Manufacturers Reshape Strategies as Policy Shifts Drive Regional Production
PV inverter makers are reshaping their manufacturing footprints as tariffs, the U.S. Foreign Entity of Concern rule and the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits push developers toward domestic, non‑Chinese supply chains. In the United States, inverter capacity is projected to...
US Steel HRC Supply Fears Get ‘No Comment’ From Mills, Legislators
U.S. hot‑rolled coil (HRC) buyers are confronting acute short‑term supply constraints as imports plunged 57% year‑on‑year to just 215,000 tonnes in the first four months of 2026, while spring maintenance outages kept at least three domestic mills out of the...
Resilience, Relationships Still Trump Technology in Project Cargo
Shippers at the Journal of Commerce Breakbulk and Project Cargo Conference 2026 expressed optimism as the Americas, led by Venezuela and Guyana, emerge as new hubs for oil‑and‑gas project cargo. However, constraints in rail capacity and scarce specialized equipment are...
DHL CEO Flags Jet Fuel Supply Constraints in Asia
DHL Group’s CEO Tobias Meyer warned that jet‑fuel shortages are tightening at several Asian airports, a fallout from the Iran‑related disruption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. While DHL’s major hubs such as Leipzig enjoy reliable fuel supplies,...