Ease.io Releases First-Ever Layered Process Audit Benchmark Report
Ease.io has published its first Layered Process Audit (LPA) Benchmark Report, analyzing over 2.3 million audits from more than 2,200 manufacturing sites worldwide. The study shows that while average audit completion exceeds 80%, only one‑third of firms meet best‑practice on‑time completion targets and just 28% close the majority of findings promptly. Digital audit platforms improve completion rates and shrink the pool of low‑performing plants, but leadership engagement remains the strongest predictor of success. The report highlights a critical accountability gap that could affect compliance in automotive and aerospace supply chains.
NTN Starts China Push for EV Bearing Production
NTN announced the start of prototype production for its resin‑mold insulated bearings in China, targeting e‑axle applications for electric and hybrid vehicles. The company previously began mass production in Japan in 2025 and now plans a staged rollout in China...
Columbus McKinnon Conveyance Solutions Group Showcases Advanced Conveyance
Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO) will showcase its Conveyance Solutions Group at Automate 2026 in Chicago, featuring Dorner, Garvey and montratec brands. The booth will present an integrated pallet‑loop that combines montrac® shuttles, Dorner’s DualMove platform and ERT series conveyors, highlighting flexible,...
Freudenberg’s New DIAvent maxFlow Vents over 190 Liters per Second in EV Battery Thermal Runaway Events
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies unveiled the DIAvent maxFlow, a thermal‑runaway vent for lithium‑ion EV batteries that pushes more than 190 L s⁻¹ at a 300 mbar differential—about 2.5 times the flow of its HighFlow predecessor. The device replaces the traditional rubber umbrella with a profiled...
Fives ProSim Launches ProSimPlus Python API, a New Generation of Python Driven Process Simulation
Fives ProSim, a subsidiary of the Fives Group, has launched ProSimPlus Python API, allowing users to operate its flagship process‑simulation engine directly from Python. The new API eliminates reliance on graphical interfaces, enabling fully automated scenario generation, execution, and analysis....
US Automotive Production Steadies, but Structural Shifts Set to Redefine Steel Demand
U.S. light‑vehicle production has stabilized around 10 million units per year, sustaining flat‑rolled steel demand that accounts for roughly a quarter of domestic steel consumption. While overall output remains below pre‑COVID peaks, forecasts show a gradual rise to 11‑12 million units by...
CTO Fire Seen Having No Long-Term US TOFA Impact
US pine chemicals producer Mainstream Pine Products says the May 12 fire at its crude tall oil (CTO) fractionation plant in North Charleston will have limited impact on US tall oil fatty acid (TOFA) supply. The incident occurred during a planned...
RRP Defense Bags ₹29.8 Crore BEL Order for High-Precision Germanium Lenses
RRP Defense has secured a ₹29.8 crore (≈ $3.6 million) contract from Bharat Electronics Ltd to supply 8,000 high‑precision germanium lenses for rifle‑mounted infrared and thermal imaging systems. The lenses will be custom‑engineered, with ten prototypes delivered within six weeks before full‑scale production....
Quanta Computer Selects Siemens Xcelerator to Advance Manufacturing Innovation
Quanta Computer, a leading consumer‑electronics OEM/ODM, has partnered with Siemens to deploy the Xcelerator portfolio across its global operations. The integration creates a unified digital thread that connects product design, PLM, and manufacturing execution, allowing teams to work on a...
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Gecko Robotics announced it will integrate Ouster’s new Rev8 digital lidar into its Cantilever operating platform. The Rev8 sensor suite delivers full‑color, structured 3D point clouds together with infrared and intensity data, enabling richer visualizations of industrial assets. By feeding...
93% of Manufacturers Expect Smart Technology to Reshape Jobs
A Rockwell Automation study of 1,500 manufacturing leaders across 17 countries finds 93% expect smart technology to reshape jobs. Forty percent of firms reskilled workers last year, while half plan to repurpose existing staff and 42% anticipate hiring for new...
US May Philly Fed Business Index -0.4 vs +18.0 Expected
The Philadelphia Fed’s April manufacturing index slipped to –0.4, far below the +18 forecast, signaling a contraction in the Third District. New orders, shipments and the employment index all moved deeper into negative territory, underscoring weakening demand and labor slack....
UltiMaker Unveils Factor 4 Plus: High Speed 3D Printing Built for Continuous Industrial and Defense Production
UltiMaker launched the Factor 4 Plus, a desktop industrial 3D printer that delivers up to twice the speed of its predecessor, the Factor 4. The machine adds a rugged, field‑ready chassis and the TRACE software suite, which automatically records and validates every print...
Barilla Adds Capacity at US Pasta Factory
Barilla announced a $145 million, two‑phase expansion of its Avon, New York pasta plant, adding a 52,000‑square‑foot production building, a new line and three packaging lines in phase 1, slated for completion by March 2028. The upgrade will support a second line in...
August Robotics Raises $30M in Series B Funding for Autonomous Construction Robotics
August Robotics announced a $30 million Series B round led by Big Pi Ventures, with participation from Blackbird, Skip Capital, Tanarra, Future Family Office and GS Futures. The capital will accelerate AI development, new autonomous drilling robots, and scale production for construction...
IPL Biologicals Opens 3rd Plant in Vadodara, Raises Capacity to 7,000 KL/Year
IPL Biologicals Ltd inaugurated its third biological manufacturing plant in Vadodara, investing roughly $24 million (Rs 200 crore). The new 200,000 sq ft facility lifts the company’s annual production capacity to 7,000 kilolitres, with a daily output of 40,000 kilolitres, and incorporates zero‑liquid‑discharge and 500 kW of captive...
Maintenance Practices That Extend the Life of Industrial IoT and Glass Processing Equipment
Manufacturers of glass processing equipment are adopting structured maintenance programs to protect multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar assets and the nanometer‑level tolerances they produce. Daily cleaning, precise lubrication, routine calibration, thermal system checks, and timely software updates are highlighted as essential tasks in modern...
AMD EPYC Venice Enters Production on TSMC 2nm Process
AMD announced that its next‑generation EPYC “Venice” processor is now ramping production at TSMC’s 2 nm fab in Taiwan, with later production planned for TSMC’s Arizona plant. Venice is the first high‑performance server CPU built on the 2 nm node, targeting cloud,...
Scrap Moves to the Fore in Japan as Steel Decarbonisation Plans Progress
Japan’s steel sector is accelerating its shift from blast furnaces to electric‑arc furnaces (EAF), making ferrous scrap a cornerstone of decarbonisation. Mitsui & Co and recycler Ibokin signed an MOU to tighten scrap quality, traceability and supply chains, while the...
Digital Manufacturing Services for Drone & Robotics Components
Shapeways has joined Unmanned Systems Technology’s Gold Supplier network, offering a full suite of digital manufacturing services for drone and robotics developers. The company blends advanced additive methods—such as SLS, MJF, SLA, and DMLS—with traditional CNC machining and injection molding,...
Snowbird Technologies' Containerised Hybrid Manufacturing Solution to Be Deployed in RIMPAC 2026 Exercise
Snowbird Technologies will showcase its patented Snowbird Additive Mobile Manufacturing (SAMM) Tech system at the 30th RIMPAC exercise in 2026. The containerised platform combines metal and plastic additive printing with CNC subtractive machining in a single modular unit. After a...
New Manufacturing Research Investment Targets Aerospace, Medtech and Defence Under AMCRC Program
Australia’s Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) has approved five industry‑led CORE research projects, unlocking more than $11 million AUD (≈$7.3 million USD) in combined investment. The funding includes $1.95 million AUD (≈$1.3 million USD) from the Commonwealth, matched dollar‑for‑dollar by industry partners and supplemented by...
AI Helps Researchers Measure Nanofibers Beyond Diameter Alone
Researchers reviewing AI‑driven image analysis in ACS Omega show that deep‑learning models now enable rapid, multiparameter measurement of electrospun nanofibers, surpassing manual and traditional software methods. The study highlights how convolutional networks, Mask R‑CNN and generative AI can deliver pixel‑level segmentation, accurate...
What AI Can Accomplish on the Food Plant Floor (And Where It Still Falls Short)
AI-driven visual inspection systems now achieve up to 99.86% accuracy, far surpassing the industry‑average 80% of human inspectors. Predictive maintenance and demand‑driven scheduling also promise cost reductions, but only when data pipelines and alert prioritization are properly calibrated. Most food‑manufacturing...
Is Your Quality Management System AI-Ready?
Quality leaders must evaluate whether their quality management systems (QMS) can harness AI, IoT and other digital tools or become obstacles to progress. Predictive analytics, automated root‑cause analysis and risk‑based decision‑making promise faster defect detection and continuous improvement. The new...
Dürr Rolls Out EcoRP4
Dürr unveiled the EcoRP4, its fourth‑generation compact painting robot designed for high‑volume automotive paint lines. The robot features an asymmetric arm architecture that offsets the applicator by over 200 mm, enabling it to reach hard‑to‑access interior areas such as door rebates...
Universal Grinding Machines for Precision Internal, External, Out-of-Round Applications
EMAG announced the UG Series universal cylindrical grinding machines for the U.S. and Canadian markets, offering four models—UG 400, UG 630, UG 1000 and UG 1500—covering grinding lengths from 400 mm to 1,500 mm. The machines feature direct‑drive spindles up to 11 kW, 50 m/s wheel speed, and...
Dillon Collet Pads & Jaws Allow Shops of All Sizes Expand Machining Capabilities
Dillon Manufacturing introduced collet‑pad and jaw systems that broaden work‑holding capabilities for job shops of any size. The Carbinite‑coated pads deliver roughly double the gripping strength, enabling heavier cuts and up to a 30% reduction in cycle time. Quick‑change jaw...
Automate 2026: AMRs, Cobots, Humanoids, Orchestration Platforms, Software Systems & More
Automate 2026, slated for Chicago’s McCormick Place, is set to be North America’s biggest automation showcase. Organizers anticipate over 50,000 attendees and more than 1,000 exhibitors spanning logistics, manufacturing, supply‑chain and warehousing. The expo will feature a broad spectrum of...
Automate 2026: Cameras, Components, Drives, Grippers, Motors, Sensors & More
Automate 2026, North America’s largest automation trade show, returns to Chicago’s McCormick Place with an anticipated 50,000+ attendees and over 1,000 exhibitors. The event will spotlight the newest hardware and software for logistics, manufacturing, supply‑chain and warehousing, including cameras, sensors,...
SENSIT Celebrates 35 Years: From Portable Cabins to High-End Sensors
SENSIT s.r.o., founded in 1991 in Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, has grown from a seven‑person operation in portable cabins to a manufacturer of nearly 6,000 sensor types. By adapting electronics‑industry methods, it miniaturized sensing elements early on and expanded its portfolio to...
Amca
Amca, a designer and manufacturer of high‑precision aerospace actuators, switches, hydraulics and power electronics, announced a Series B financing round. The capital will expand its production capacity and accelerate certification of components used on the Boeing 737, 787 and the Lockheed Martin F‑35. By...
South Korea Launches $54 Bln Industrial Support Package, Including Steel Sector
South Korea’s Financial Services Commission pledged an ₩80 trillion ($54 bn) industrial support package, with a focus on the steel sector, to ease liquidity strains caused by soaring freight rates and Middle‑East supply‑chain disruptions. The plan combines a ₩53 trillion ($41 bn) private‑sector loan...
Geekplus Takes Fifth RBR50 Innovation Award With AI-Powered Picking Station
Geekplus, the Beijing‑based warehouse robotics firm, earned its fifth RBR50 Innovation Award for its Robot Arm Picking Station, which uses a zero‑shot learning model to automate item picking. The system was validated at Schneider Electric’s Shanghai warehouse, where it doubled...
Maybe for May: A Car-Azy Forecast: How Will VinFast Hit Its 300,000 Target for 2026
VinFast, Vietnam's state‑backed EV maker, projects selling roughly 310,000 electric vehicles by 2026, slightly above its 300,000 target. The forecast leans heavily on Asian markets, allocating 110,000 units to Vietnam and another 150,000 across India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and the...
Emerson Launches New IIoT Platform for Expanded Wireless Visibility Without Costly Infrastructure Changes
Emerson unveiled the Synchros IIoT platform, a wireless asset‑monitoring suite built on WirelessHART technology. The system lets plants digitize inspection points and add continuous temperature monitoring without installing new cabling or infrastructure. Initial offerings include a temperature monitor and a...
Irish Manufacturing Research Announces the €6.9 Million REWIRE Project to Advance Smart Remanufacturing and Circular Manufacturing Across Europe
Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) has launched the REWIRE project, a €6.9 million (≈$7.5 million) Horizon Europe initiative to accelerate smart remanufacturing across the continent. The consortium brings together 3 research‑technology organisations, 4 research‑performing organisations, an NGO and five industrial partners from eight...
Boston Metal Gets a $75 Million Lifeline to Produce Critical Metals
Boston Metal raised a $75 million financing round to revive its Brazil subsidiary and accelerate production of critical metals such as niobium, tantalum, and tin. The capital injection follows a cash‑flow crunch caused by a refractory leak at the Brazil plant,...
From Mechanical to Mechatronic: How Automation Is Reshaping Seat Manufacturing
Vehicle seats have evolved from simple mechanical parts into complex mechatronic systems that combine structures, electronics, pneumatics, and safety components such as airbags. This shift drives steep variant proliferation and just‑in‑time production pressures, forcing manufacturers to adopt intelligent automation. Recipe‑driven...
Inside Volvo’s New 13-Liter D13 Engine for 2027
Volvo Trucks North America unveiled a redesigned 13‑liter D13 diesel engine that meets the EPA’s 2027 emissions rules while boosting power and fuel efficiency. The new block, made from compacted graphite iron, raises tensile strength 75% and allows a compression...
AVEVA, AWS Expand Cloud Deal for Industrial Software
AVEVA and Amazon Web Services have signed a multi‑year Strategic Collaboration Agreement to run AVEVA's CONNECT industrial intelligence platform on AWS. The deal expands public and private SaaS offerings, lists AVEVA software on the AWS Marketplace, and launches joint migration...
GameChange Solar, First Solar Partner on India-Made Thin-Film Module Deployment
US tracker specialist GameChange Solar has teamed with thin‑film module maker First Solar to deploy domestically produced Series 7 modules on its Genius Tracker systems in India. After a year of R&D, the two companies optimized the tracker‑module interface, and two...
Lack of European Policy Clarity Forces Carbon to Shut Down 5GW Module Plant Plans in France
European solar start‑up Carbon has scrapped its plan to build a 5 GW cell and module plant in France, citing insufficient policy support from the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act and the newly proposed Industrial Accelerator Act. The company said the...
Loop Targets Textile Recycling Scale-Up with India Facility
Loop Industries announced a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Gujarat to develop its first commercial‑scale textile‑textile recycling plant in the Bharuch industrial corridor. The partnership provides land, regulatory support and incentives to build a facility that will convert...
GM to Shift some Production From Asia to Mexico From 2027
General Motors announced that it will begin assembling the Chevrolet Groove and Aveo at its Ramos Arizpe complex in Coahuila starting in 2027, moving production out of its China joint‑venture plants. The shift is part of a $1 billion investment aimed...
Seatrium VP: Integration Key to Reaching Industrial Scale in Offshore Wind
Seatrium executive vice president Aziz Merchant warned that offshore wind’s shift to 20 MW‑plus turbines is being hampered by fragmented designs and disjointed supply chains. He argued that tighter coordination, greater standardisation, and stronger execution are essential to achieve industrial‑scale cost...
Boston Dynamics Trains Atlas Humanoid Robot to Pick up and Place Washing Machine
Boston Dynamics unveiled footage of its electric Atlas humanoid robot lifting a mini‑fridge and a loaded 100‑lb refrigerator, demonstrating heavy‑lifting capability for industrial use. The robot relies on AI‑driven whole‑body control and reinforcement‑learning trained in massive simulated environments, narrowing the...
OAL Secures £5m to Deploy 1,000 Food & Beverage-Oriented Robotic Systems
Robotics specialist OAL has secured a £5 million Innovation Loan (≈$6.3 million) from Innovate UK to roll out over 1,000 fenceless robotic systems in the UK food and beverage manufacturing sector by 2030. The five‑year programme targets labour‑intensive tasks such as pick‑and‑place and...
OLO Robotics Completes Commercial Launch with Three International Manufacturing and Distribution Partnerships
OLO Robotics has completed its commercial launch, securing manufacturing and distribution agreements with Deep Robotics, inMotion Robotic, and Fiction Lab. The company’s ROS2‑native platform brings the entire robotics development stack into a web browser, offering cloud simulation, AI‑assisted coding, and...