German Court Rules in Favour of Teradyne Robotics and Issues Preliminary Injunction Against Elite Robots Deutschland in Copyright Infringement Case
A Hamburg regional court granted Teradyne Robotics a preliminary injunction, barring Elite Robots Deutschland from offering or distributing software that infringes Universal Robots' copyright. The order also compels Elite Robots to disclose detailed information about the infringing activities and its customers. Teradyne warned it will pursue legal action against any distributors that continue to sell the contested software. The decision marks a decisive step in protecting Teradyne’s proprietary robotics technology in Germany.
Trelleborg Launches Reduced Carbon Footprint EPDMs
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions introduced two new EPDM rubber grades—E7T11 (70 Shore A) and E8T12 (80 Shore A)—that deliver up to a 61 percent reduction in product carbon footprint while matching the performance of conventional fossil‑based EPDMs. The compounds are derived from renewable feedstocks...

Mekong Delta Ports to See Major Box Terminal Capacity Expansion
Vietnam’s Greater Mekong Delta is set for a major container‑terminal boost as CMA CGM’s Gemalink Phase 2 will nearly double capacity from 1.7 m to about 3 m TEU by Q4 2027. The Vietnamese government also approved a $5 bn Can Gio International Transhipment and Gateway Port,...

Schneider Electric and Deloitte Collaborate to Drive AI-Enabled Digital Transformation Across Industrial Operations
Schneider Electric and Deloitte announced a joint initiative to accelerate AI‑enabled digital transformation across industrial operations. The partnership blends Schneider’s AI‑driven OT and software platforms with Deloitte’s strategy, people, and process expertise to modernise end‑to‑end processes for manufacturers, data‑center operators...
NavPrakriti to Invest over ₹100 Cr in Critical Minerals Refining Facility in Odisha
NavPrakriti, a lithium‑ion battery recycling firm, announced a investment of over ₹100 crore (approximately $12 million) to build a critical‑minerals refining facility in Odisha. The plant, slated to start operations in FY 2028‑29, will process up to 5,000 metric tonnes of end‑of‑life batteries each...
Danone to Invest in Skyr Production in France
Danone is investing roughly €20 million ($23.5 million) to expand skyr production at two Normandy facilities—Ferrières‑en‑Bray and Le Molay‑Littry. The Ferrières‑en‑Bray plant will add two new lines, boosting its daily output of 3.5 million pots, while Le Molay‑Littry will begin skyr production, including organic SKUs...
Stop Paying to Inspect Failure: Rethinking Quality in Food & Beverage
Food and beverage manufacturers are losing up to 20% of sales to reactive quality systems that rely on costly inspections. The article argues that inspection catches defects after they occur, inflating correction expenses and creating hidden operational taxes. It proposes...

Cargo Theft ‘Way Way up’ as Crime Gangs Get Ever More Sophisticated
Global cargo theft surged in 2025, with trucks responsible for roughly 70% of incidents and U.S. losses climbing to an estimated $725 million—a 60% year‑over‑year increase. Rail‑freight theft doubled its share in the United States, while sea piracy rose 85% in...

Blume: Volkswagen to Cut One Million More Units of Capacity
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume announced a further cut of one million vehicles from the group’s global production capacity, lowering the target to nine million units per year from an original 12 million. The reduction follows a previous million‑unit cut in China...

Caelux-Solx Relationship Starts Mass-Production of Perovskite-Silicon Solar Panels in US
Solx, a new solar panel assembler in Puerto Rico, has inked a five‑year, 3 GW deal with California perovskite specialist Caelux to mass‑produce hybrid Aurora modules that combine perovskite‑coated glass with Suniva silicon cells. The tandem design delivers an estimated 28%...

Europe-LatAm Volume Growth Stalls, but Shippers Remain Hopeful
Container Trade Statistics data shows Europe‑to‑Latin America ocean volumes slipping 10.6% year‑on‑year to 127,100 TEU in January 2026 and a further 6.1% dip in February, while the reverse LatAm‑to‑Europe lane rebounded 9.7% to 191,700 TEU in January and held a...
FedEx, UPS and DHL Detail Tariff Refund Approach for Customers
FedEx, UPS and DHL Express announced they will pursue refunds for duties paid under the now‑defunct International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs and return the money to the original payors. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched a...

Tender for the Manufacture and Supply of Track Motor Vehicle with Cranes and Track Electric Vehicle with Cranes
Israel Railways Ltd (ISR) has issued Tender 42237 for the manufacture and supply of track motor vehicles with cranes and track electric vehicles with cranes. The procurement follows Israeli Mandatory Tender Laws and the International Agreement on Government Procurement. Bids...
Industrial AI for the Physical World: Siemens’s Peter Koerte
In a recent MIT Sloan podcast, Siemens chief strategy and technology officer Peter Koerte explained how the company is using industrial AI to boost efficiency across factories, energy grids, buildings and transportation. He highlighted concrete use cases such as AI‑driven building...
Reinforce3D, 3Dees Industries Opens Gateway to Industrial CFIP Adoption
Reinforce3D and Czech additive‑manufacturing firm 3Dees have signed a partnership to bring the continuous‑fiber injection process (CFIP) into existing 3‑D printing workflows across Central and Eastern Europe. The deal makes 3Dees the exclusive sales and technical partner for the Czech...

10 Automation Trends Shaping Skilled Trades
Automation is reshaping skilled trades rather than replacing them, as robots, sensors, and AI become commonplace on job sites. Robotic welding cells, autonomous mobile robots, and AI‑driven quality systems are shifting workers toward programming, diagnostics, and system oversight. The rise...

NB Corp. Of America Plans Live Demos This Week
NB Corp. of America will showcase live demonstrations of its NV Slide Way configuration and the 3‑axis BG Actuator at the MD&M South trade show, Booth #2311 Automation. The Slide Way delivers precise linear motion without the need for a...

Circulose Steps up Commercial Lyocell Ambitions
Swedish recycling specialist Circulose has inked a deal with China Textile Academy Green Fibre (CTA) to supply pulp derived from textile waste for commercial lyocell fiber production. The agreement introduces both standard and non‑fibrillating pulp grades, a clear off‑take commitment,...

Dutch Lead Circular Textiles Push at Techtextil
The Netherlands made its debut as a national exhibitor at Techtextil Frankfurt, presenting a public‑private pavilion that brings together 11 Dutch companies to showcase a complete circular textile chain—from fibre recycling to digital traceability. The effort is backed by several...

Hyundai Glovis Expands US Logistics Footprint with New Hubs
Hyundai Glovis, the logistics arm of Hyundai Motor, opened two new U.S. facilities—a 12,000‑square‑metre multimodal hub near Los Angeles and a 69,000‑square‑metre integrated warehouse in Savannah. The LA centre sits 25 minutes from the port and airport, enabling rapid air‑sea...
Nissan Advances Solid-State EV Battery Towards 2028 Production
Nissan announced that its prototype all‑solid‑state battery pack has met key performance goals, featuring a 23‑layer cell stack and targeting mass production in fiscal 2028. The new pack promises roughly twice the energy density of conventional lithium‑ion cells, which could...

Quality of Supply Is an Important Aspect of the Procurement Process
The article emphasizes that supply quality in municipal procurement extends beyond product specs to include reliable, financially stable vendors and timely delivery. It advises municipalities to assess a supplier’s financial health, past performance, and ability to integrate new technology with...

ESG Beyond Compliance: How Sunwoda’s Long-Termism Is Reshaping the Battery Industry
Sunwoda, the world’s leading smartphone battery pack shipper, is expanding into power batteries, storage, recycling and energy services while embedding ESG into every business layer. The company launched a Battery Passport platform in 2025, earning two spots in the Global...
AAFA Guide Introduces ‘Practical’ Steps for Workplace Heat Safety
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) released the AAFA Guide to Protecting Workers from Heat Stress, offering practical recommendations for factories across global supply chains. The guide urges temperature caps, schedule adjustments, water provision, training, and buyer‑supplier collaboration to...

China’s Tsingshan Plans to Build Another Aluminium Smelter in Indonesia
Chinese aluminium giant Tsingshan announced plans to build a new $3 billion smelter at Weda Bay Industrial Park in Indonesia, with a planned annual capacity of 800,000 tonnes split into two phases. The project joins existing Tsingshan‑linked facilities that will together...

Skoltech Finds a Viable Path for 3D Printing Aluminum Bronze
Researchers at Skoltech, in collaboration with Russian and Indian partners, have demonstrated that laser powder bed fusion can reliably print aluminum bronze (Cu‑9.5Al‑1Fe) with mechanical and thermal properties comparable to cast material. By fine‑tuning laser power (90‑150 W) and scan speed...

Blue Ops Partners with HADDY to 3D Print Military Unmanned Surface Vessels at Scale
Red Cat Holdings’ maritime unit Blue Ops has teamed with robotic‑fabrication firm HADDY to embed large‑scale 3D printing into its Georgia plant. The partnership will double production of its 5‑meter and 7‑meter unmanned surface vessels (USVs) by using AI‑driven printers...

MASkargo and Teleport Team up on Southeast Asia Cargo
MASkargo and Teleport have formed a partnership to add dedicated Airbus A321F freighter capacity on intra‑Southeast Asia routes, starting with Kuala Lumpur‑Phnom Penh. The deal gives MASkargo, Malaysia Airlines’ cargo arm, greater flexibility and faster transit times amid rising e‑commerce, perishables...
Advantest Announces Strategic Partnership with Applied Materials and Joins EPIC Platform
Advantest Corporation became the first automated test equipment (ATE) firm to join Applied Materials' EPIC (Equipment and Process Innovation and Commercialization) platform in Sunnyvale. The partnership links Advantest’s Innovation Center with Applied’s EPIC Center, creating a joint R&D pipeline for...

Japan Quake May Disrupt Semiconductor Supply Chain, Hit NAND and Photoresist Output
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Japan’s northeast coast on April 20, prompting safety shutdowns at several semiconductor facilities. Kioxia halted production at its Iwate NAND flash plants, which represent roughly 5‑8% of global supply, while Tokyo Electron stopped operations at...
Volvo Trucks Drives Electrification Forward: New Electric Trucks with up to 700 Km Range Set a Technology Benchmark
Volvo Trucks unveiled the FH Aero Electric, a battery‑electric long‑haul truck capable of up to 700 kilometers on a single charge. The model uses a new e‑axle that integrates dual motors and a transmission, freeing space for a larger battery and...

Shin-Etsu to Raise Silicone Prices as Costs Pressure Semiconductor Materials
Shin‑Etsu Chemical announced a worldwide price increase of more than 10% for all silicone products, effective May 1. The hike reflects rising crude oil, naphtha, energy, packaging and logistics costs that have squeezed margins. Silicone, a key material for thermal management...
Fabricating Perovskite Solar Cells with Robotic Boxes
An international team unveiled an AI‑driven robotic platform that autonomously designs, fabricates, and optimizes perovskite solar cells. The closed‑loop system produced and tested 50,764 devices, achieving a peak power conversion efficiency of 27% (certified 26.5%). The workflow combines a recipe...

How to Control Quality Risk When Motion-Control Parts Become Obsolete
Manufacturers often keep motion‑control equipment in service long after OEM support ends, creating hidden quality risks when parts become obsolete. The article outlines a systematic approach—identifying critical components, mapping functional roles, pre‑defining replacement paths, qualifying repairs, and managing parameters—to turn...
10 Novelis Plants Achieve New Level of Manufacturing Maturity
Novelis Inc. announced that ten of its manufacturing plants have earned first‑level certification in the company’s Novelis Operating System (NOS), the initial step of a four‑tier global standard. The certified sites span the United States, China, Germany, Brazil, Switzerland and...

Field Vs. Lab Testing: Why the Gap Leads to Costly Mistakes
Material testing in construction often appears foolproof on paper, but real‑world failures persist. Lab‑controlled conditions—temperature, curing, moisture—produce consistent results that can diverge sharply from field realities such as heat spikes or unexpected rain. The article cites concrete and soil cases...
Waygate Technologies, GE Aerospace Drive Future of Automated Engine Maintenance
Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes unit, and GE Aerospace have launched automated menu‑directed inspection (MDI) templates for GEnx‑1B and ‑2B engine borescope inspections. The templates are integrated into Waygate’s Mentor Visual iQ+ borescope and leverage AI‑assisted guidance to standardize image...
Construction Begins on New NSW Electric Bus Manufacturing Facility
Construction has begun on Foton's 6,000‑square‑metre electric bus plant in Nowra, NSW. The facility will support the Transport for NSW Zero Emissions Bus program by delivering 128 electric buses and a line of battery‑electric trucks. It will scale the workforce...

VICEM Targets AI-Led Safety and Emissions Reduction in Cement Operations
Vietnam Cement Corporation (VICEM) is rolling out artificial‑intelligence‑driven safety systems across its plants to monitor equipment, environment and worker behavior in real time. The AI platform will flag anomalies such as excessive vibration, temperature spikes or unsafe actions, allowing preventive...

CSIRO Report Highlights Manufacturing in Regional Blueprint to Safeguard Australia’s Food Future
CSIRO’s new South East Queensland Food System Strategy places manufacturing at the core of a coordinated regional plan to strengthen Australia’s food security. The blueprint responds to climate volatility, population growth and supply‑chain disruptions, targeting a projected six‑million‑plus population by...

Mapei Invests $60M in Melbourne Manufacturing Plant to Back Construction Growth
Mapei has broken ground on a $60 million (≈ $40 million USD) manufacturing plant in Truganina, Melbourne, slated to open in 2026. The facility will produce high‑performance construction materials for major Victorian projects such as the Suburban Rail Loop and North East Link....

VW Builds One Millionth Atlas in Chattanooga Plant
Volkswagen celebrated the production of its one‑millionth Atlas family SUV at the Chattanooga, Tennessee plant, a milestone reached after a decade of assembly that began in 2016. The achievement underscores the model’s strong U.S. demand, with over 100,000 units sold...

Inline 3D Metrology Transforms Shipbuilding by Enabling Real-Time Forming Accuracy
Germany’s DIKUQ project, led by Fraunhofer IOF and shipbuilder Ostseestaal, has unveiled a semi‑automated inline 3D metrology system that captures steel sheet geometry in under half a second. The low‑latency sensor network uses synchronized cameras and structured‑light projection to generate...

Rise of Physical AI – KUKA and NVIDIA Partner to Launch Automation 2.0
KUKA and NVIDIA announced a strategic partnership at NVIDIA GTC, unveiling the KUKA Automation Management Platform (KUKA AMP) that blends traditional rule‑based control with intent‑based AI. The collaboration marks the launch of what KUKA calls Automation 2.0, a Physical AI framework that...

Polytec’s FTP Measuring Module: A New Perspective on Areal Surface Metrology
Polytec has launched the FTP (Front‑Topography‑Profile) measuring module, which captures both front and back surfaces of a component in a single areal acquisition. The dual‑surface approach eliminates the need to flip or reposition samples, cutting handling time and reducing alignment...

Weld Australia Backs Cairncross Dockyard Redevelopment as Manufacturing Capability Model
Weld Australia has endorsed the Cairncross Dockyard redevelopment in Brisbane, a $2.5 bn (≈US$1.65 bn) privately‑funded project designated by the Queensland Government. The initiative aims to create more than 1,000 direct jobs while reviving the Morningside site as a ship‑sustainment hub for...

Cummins Reaches 100-Year Milestone in Global Mining Operations
Cummins is celebrating a century of supplying power to the global mining sector, marking its first involvement in rope shovels and excavators in the 1920s. Over the decades the company has expanded from basic diesel engines to high‑horsepower platforms, turbocharging,...

Bucher Group Becomes Airbus SFE Galley and Stowage Supplier
Bucher Group has been chosen by Airbus to supply safety‑focused galley and stowage equipment for the A320 family. The Swiss firm will begin delivering its newly developed G1B galley platform later in 2026 after three years of engineering. The G1B...
China Flashes New Tech Swagger to World Markets Convulsed by War
At this year’s Canton Fair, China showcased a surge in high‑tech exports despite the ongoing Middle East war disrupting traditional trade routes. Companies like Guangdong‑based X‑Human predict a 300% jump in overseas revenue, while overall high‑tech shipments rose nearly 30%...
Lattice and TI Join Forces to Advance Real-Time Edge AI Sensor Fusion
Lattice Semiconductor and Texas Instruments have teamed up to simplify sensor integration for edge AI, pairing TI’s mmWave radar and camera technologies with Lattice’s low‑power Holoscan Sensor Bridge FPGA solution. The joint architecture streams synchronized sensor data directly into GPU‑accessible...