Battery Maker Fined $224,000, Shut Down After Lead Exposure Violations
Washington state battery maker Dyno Battery was fined $224,320 after the Department of Labor & Industries cited 16 safety violations, including lead dust buildup in air filtration systems and contamination of lunchroom surfaces. The company ignored more than a dozen hazards first identified in July despite warnings, prompting an Order of Immediate Restraint that shut down its battery assembly line in October. Operations resumed in February after corrective actions, and Dyno is now appealing the citations.
Hoshizaki Bets On IFS Cloud For Future AI Manufacturing Modernization
Japanese foodservice equipment maker Hoshizaki is migrating its legacy, heavily customized ERP to IFS Cloud, a standardized SaaS platform, to support over 700 users across two production sites. The move consolidates order management, production planning, manufacturing execution and inventory control...
Madsen’s Custom Cabinets (1983) Ltd.
After six decades in Alberta’s architectural millwork market, Madsen’s Custom Cabinets migrated from a legacy on‑premise Epicor system to the cloud‑based Epicor Kinetic. The move consolidated fragmented data sets, enabled employees to work from any location, and set the stage...
Neo Performance Begins Producing Heavy Rare Earths at Estonia Plant
Neo Performance Materials announced that its solvent‑extraction line at the Silmet facility in Estonia has begun producing heavy rare earth oxides, specifically terbium and dysprosium, at name‑plate capacity. The new line complements Neo’s 2,000‑tonne‑per‑year sintered‑magnet plant in Narva, creating Europe’s...
Novvia Group: Unpacking Success Across Multisite Implementations
Novvia Group, an industrial packaging distributor, completed 14 Epicor ERP implementations across 17 of its businesses within 18 months. Six S Partners guided the rollout, emphasizing unified core processes and a single source of truth. The project leveraged automation to...
Penn State Uses iVABS Framework to Advance Real-World Composite Rotorcraft Blades
Penn State’s Vertical Lift Research Center is using the iVABS design framework, powered by VABS and SwiftComp software, to create manufacturing‑aware composite rotor blades for helicopters and VTOL aircraft. The effort is part of AnalySwift’s Academic Partner Program, which provides...
US$25M for Aerospace & Defence Composite Manufacturer Hybron
Hybron Technologies closed an oversubscribed $25 million seed round led by Marque Ventures, with participation from a slate of venture firms and angel investors. The company says its carbon‑fiber process can produce composites up to 100 times faster and at a fraction...
Amorim Cork Solutions Introduces Cork Composite for EV Battery Thermal Runaway Management
Amorim Cork Solutions unveiled ETP058, a cork‑based engineered composite designed to manage thermal‑runaway events in electric‑vehicle and stationary‑energy‑storage battery packs. The material delivers a low thermal conductivity of 0.054 W/m·K and achieves a UL94 V‑0 flammability rating for samples thicker than...
Ukrainian Drone Makers Visit Paris Looking for Co-Production Deals
More than two dozen Ukrainian defense firms, primarily drone manufacturers, convened in Paris with around 60 French companies to explore co‑production partnerships. Ukraine, having scaled drone output to millions annually, seeks to blend its battlefield‑tested UAV expertise with France’s deep‑tech...
Vedanta Aluminium Signs Pact with Two Downstream Companies
Vedanta Aluminium has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Singhal Steel & Power and SCOT‑AL Metcon to establish downstream aluminium facilities in the new Vedanta Aluminium Park in Jharsuguda, Odisha. The 56‑acre Phase 1 park is designed to boost value‑addition, reduce...
Cat’s New C3.6 Engine Prototype Significantly Boosts Power Density
At ConExpo, Caterpillar unveiled a prototype of its C3.6 diesel engine that delivers 173 hp, a substantial jump from the current 74‑hp and 142‑hp variants. The twin‑turbo unit incorporates a forged‑steel crankshaft, larger injectors, piston‑cooling galleries and other reinforced components to...
Partial Permit for Heide Plant as Lyten/Northvolt Repays Millions
Lyten, a U.S. battery maker, has obtained a key partial permit to begin construction of a battery‑cell factory in Heide, Germany, reviving a project once led by insolvent Swedish firm Northvolt. The plant will be scaled down to about 1,000...
Chef Robotics Expands AI-Powered Automation Into Meatpacking
Chef Robotics, a San Francisco‑based food robotics firm, has extended its AI‑driven automation platform to tray assembly for meatpacking. The system can pick, orient and place raw, frozen and precooked proteins—such as pork loins, chicken breasts, steaks and sausage links—onto...
China’s Unitree to Launch $4K Humanoid Robot Globally in the Coming Days
Chinese robotics firm Unitree Robotics will debut its R1 humanoid robot internationally next week via Alibaba’s AliExpress, pricing it at roughly $4,300. The 123‑cm, 25‑kg machine boasts sport‑grade agility, performing cartwheels and downhill runs, and is already selling in China...
Epic Group to Inaugurate Its First Manufacturing Unit in India in Odisha
Hong Kong‑based Epic Group will inaugurate its first Indian manufacturing unit on 29 April in Khurda, Odisha, a 40‑acre site at the IDCO Industrial Estate. The plant represents an investment of roughly $27 million (₹220 crore) and is designed to be net‑positive in...
Stratasys Expands Software, Materials and 3D Printing
Stratasys announced a suite of updates spanning hardware, materials and software to push additive manufacturing beyond prototyping into production parts and medical devices. The new J850 Core printer delivers low‑cost PolyJet functionality for engineering teams, while the P3 MED Silicone 25A material...
Engel Strengthens Customer Proximity, Service and Access with Engel Spain
Engel has rebranded its former Spanish sales partner Roegele as Engel Spain, giving the injection‑molding machine maker a direct foothold in the country. The transition preserves decades‑long customer relationships while granting immediate access to Engel’s full technology suite, from machines...
U.S.-Israeli Conflict with Iran Tests Solar Supply
The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is not yet derailing solar manufacturing projects in the Middle East, but it is creating logistics uncertainty. Analysts note that container shipping schedules are becoming unpredictable, leading exporters to reroute cargo around the Cape of...
Devion to Showcase Innovation at WTCE
Devion, a specialist in intelligent automation for airline catering, will debut its new Rivo platform at the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE). The showcase highlights RivoLoad, a modular trolley‑loading system derived from a decade‑long partnership with KLM...
EXEC: Asia FW Factory Shipments Down in March 2026, Declines Mid- to High-Singles in Q1
Asian athletic footwear manufacturers saw shipment growth slow in March 2026 as tariff pressures intensified. Feng Tay Enterprises reported a 7.7% year‑over‑year revenue decline to NT$6.6 billion (≈US$206 million), while Yue Yuen Industrial posted an 11.5% shipment drop and March revenue of...
Georgia Ports Authority to Open Inland Port, Targeting Manufacturers
The Georgia Ports Authority will launch the Gainesville Inland Port in May, a $134 million rail terminal that can handle 200,000 containers a year and links directly to the Port of Savannah’s 40 weekly ship calls. The facility targets roughly 330...
Why Extreme Heat Is Now a Real Risk for Apparel Supply Chains
Extreme heat is emerging as a critical supply‑chain risk for apparel makers, especially in heat‑prone regions such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Türkiye. Sedex CEO Jon Hancock notes that more than 70% of the global workforce is exposed to severe...
Advanced Intralogistics and Top Hat Engineering Debut Technology Partnership at MODEX 2026
Advanced Intralogistics announced a strategic partnership and reseller agreement with Top Hat Engineering at MODEX 2026. The deal makes Advanced Intralogistics a verified reseller of Top Hat's AI‑driven warehouse optimization software, including the newly launched ClarityWOS SaaS platform. Together they...
Saturn Launched, First in New RAL Rapport 3000 Escort Tug Series
Master Boat Builders launched Saturn, the first H500 vessel in the Rapport 3000 escort tug series for Suderman & Young Towing. The 98‑foot tug delivers over 90 metric tons of bollard pull with 7,000 hp, cruising around 13 knots and carrying 44,342...
Faraday Future Showcases Autonomous Food Delivery Scenario with Its FX Aegis Robot, Integrates OpenClaw to Enable No-Code Skills Development and...
Faraday Future unveiled a demonstration where its FX Aegis quadruped robot autonomously completed a food‑delivery task, highlighting the platform’s real‑world capabilities. The robot now incorporates OpenClaw, an open‑source framework that lets users program skills through no‑code or low‑code conversational commands...
Miebach and OMP Showcase Collaboration that Closes the Gap Between Supply Chain Planning Investment and Performance at MODEX 2026
Miebach and OMP announced a joint showcase at MODEX 2026, highlighting how their combined expertise can bridge the gap between supply‑chain planning investments and actual performance. Miebach contributes operating‑model design and transformation services, while OMP brings its AI‑driven Unison Planning™...
Ebatco - The Premier Analytical and Testing Partner for Additive Manufacturing
Ebatco has released a comprehensive white paper that outlines more than 30 advanced analytical and testing techniques for additive manufacturing (AM) materials, processes, and products. The company emphasizes its ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited laboratory services, covering everything from raw material inspection to...
Lowry Solutions Takes Real-Time Visibility Live at MODEX 2026
Lowry Solutions is showcasing its connected asset‑tracking and enterprise‑mobility platform at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, demonstrating real‑time visibility across warehouses, manufacturing and distribution. The booth will feature live demos of RFID‑driven shipment verification, barcode capture, GPS tracking and IoT sensors unified...
Why Tyre Wear Is the Next Big Emissions Battleground
Tyre wear is emerging as a major source of particulate emissions, prompting regulators to target it under upcoming Euro 7 rules. Continental and Michelin have developed onboard vacuum devices that capture and differentiate tyre‑derived particles from brake and road dust in...
Pharmaceutical Tariffs and the Restructuring of Global Drug Supply Chains
The United States is rolling out new tariffs on imported pharmaceutical products, affecting an estimated $200‑$250 billion in annual trade. Because 70‑80% of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production is concentrated in India and China, manufacturers face limited flexibility and longer lead...
Surat Textile Industry Moves to Recall 2.5 Lakh Workers as Energy Situation Stabilises
Industrial bodies in Surat announced a coordinated plan to recall nearly 250,000 migrant workers as energy costs fall and gas supplies improve. The drop in global crude‑oil prices and a state‑led resolution of commercial‑gas shortages have reduced production expenses for...
Why Your Digital Transformation Didn’t Fail. Your Data Environment Did.
Manufacturers are investing heavily in digital transformation—ERP, MES, and BI layers—but many projects stall because the underlying data environment remains unfinished. Without clear KPI ownership, reconciled metric definitions, and validated inputs, shop‑floor teams distrust system outputs and revert to spreadsheets....
SVT Robotics Launches ‘Softbot Intelligence’ to Power AI with Real-Time Automation Data
SVT Robotics unveiled Softbot Intelligence, a platform that captures and contextualizes real‑time execution data from robotics, software, and enterprise systems. By correlating events with millisecond precision, the solution creates a high‑fidelity data backbone that AI can consume for accurate predictions...
BlueBotics to Highlight Fleet Manager Standardization and Advanced Obstacle Avoidance for AGVs/AMRs at MODEX 2026
BlueBotics, the Swiss leader in autonomous navigation, will showcase its ANT platform and new SmartPass obstacle‑avoidance technology at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta. The company will co‑host a seminar with Kohler titled “The Power of One,” highlighting the advantages of standardizing fleet‑manager...
Russian Plan to Ban Foreign Carriers May Be ‘Symbolic’ Gesture
The Kremlin is drafting a decree that would bar major foreign container carriers—CMA CGM, Maersk, OOCL and X‑Press Feeders—from calling at Russian ports. The move comes after years of sanctions‑driven pull‑outs, leaving MSC as the sole major liner with two services...
Mitsubishi Targets Hybrid Vehicle Production in the Philippines by 2028
Mitsubishi Motors announced it will begin assembling a new hybrid electric vehicle at its Santa Rosa, Laguna plant in the Philippines around mid‑2028, subject to approval under the country's Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS). The existing facility can produce up...
Box Volumes Surge, but Instability Casts a Shadow
Global container volumes jumped to 15.04 m TEU in February, a 12‑13% year‑on‑year increase that outpaced the five‑year average despite the Chinese New Year lull. The surge coincided with a four‑point drop in the CTS Global Price Index to 74, suggesting...
SpaceX Bastrop Manufacturing Facility Begins Installing Equipment, to Start Production by End 2026
SpaceX has begun installing equipment at its new Bastrop, Texas manufacturing facility, targeting production start by the end of 2026. The plant will focus on advanced semiconductor packaging and AI‑enabled hardware for Starlink satellites, marking a shift toward a vertically...
DSV Cuts in Texas as Talk Mounts of Further Restructuring Ahead
DSV Contract Logistics filed a WARN Act notice indicating it will lay off 391 employees at its Wilmer, Texas distribution center. The cuts follow the loss of a major customer contract, prompting a complete cessation of operations at the site....
Ukraine’s Answer to the Patriot Problem: Build Something Cheaper, and Build It Fast
Ukraine is pursuing a home‑grown air‑defence system to offset dwindling Patriot deliveries as the United States reallocates batteries to the Middle East. Fire Point, a Ukrainian drone and missile maker, says its new interceptor could cost under $1 million per shot—roughly...
FrieslandCampina Expands Dutch Facility to Meet Whey Protein Demand
FrieslandCampina is expanding its Dutch production facility to increase capacity for whey protein isolate (WPI) and milk‑fat globule membrane (MFGM). The upgrade adds advanced filtration technology, targeting a 30% output boost to meet a projected 7.5% CAGR in the global...
Brazil Textile Production Surges, Green Credentials Grow
Brazil’s textile sector posted a 6.8% year‑over‑year increase in output from January to November 2025, while apparel manufacturing edged up 0.7% in the same period. The surge reflects stronger domestic consumption, renewed export contracts, and government incentives aimed at modernising factories....
Crack Detection in Stainless Steel Tanks Using Robotic Technology
Ensuring the structural integrity of stainless‑steel tanks is vital for chemicals, pharma and food processors, yet traditional visual and NDT inspections are time‑consuming and often require vessel shutdowns. Recent advances in robotic inspection allow remote‑controlled units equipped with ultrasonic, laser...
Chinese Module Trading Slows After Export Tax Rebate Cancellation
OP IS reported a modest dip in the FOB China TOPCon spot price to $0.119/W, down 0.83% amid post‑Lunar New Year slowdown. The decline follows China’s removal of export tax rebates on PV products effective April 1, prompting manufacturers to absorb higher...
Hyundai to Exhibit at ReMA2026
Hyundai North America will exhibit three scrap‑focused machines at ReMA2026 in Las Vegas, April 13‑16. The lineup includes the HW250A MH material handler with a 9.5‑ft elevating cab, the HL955A HDXT wheel loader featuring full guarding, and the HX235A LCR excavator paired with a SAS...
Lyreco Automates French Logistics Hub with Exotec Skypod Robots in €25 Million Upgrade
Lyreco has completed a €25 million (≈$27 million) upgrade of its Villaines‑la‑Juhel logistics hub, adding a new 3,000 m² facility and more than 100 Exotec Skypod robots. The French site handles 60% of Lyreco’s 50,000 daily parcels, and the automation streamlines outbound sequencing,...
Silex, Edge Impulse Team on Edge AI Development
Silex Technology and Edge Impulse have teamed up to integrate Edge Impulse’s end‑to‑end AI development platform with Silex’s EP‑200Q system‑on‑module, which runs on Qualcomm’s Dragonwing QCS6490 processor. The joint solution bundles a Wi‑Fi 7 driver and AI acceleration to simplify the...
Tesla Reportedly Adds Sunwoda as Additional Battery Cell Supplier
Tesla has added Chinese battery maker Sunwoda as its fifth supplier of traction‑battery cells, joining CATL, Panasonic, LG Energy Solution and BYD. Sunwoda’s third‑generation LFP cells, capable of 3C charging, are already being used in vehicles built at Tesla’s Shanghai...
Same Old Story for Shippers, Asked to Recover From Steep Fuel Surcharges Again
U.S. diesel prices surged to an average $5.64 per gallon in April, up from $3.76 before the U.S.-Israel conflict, pushing fuel costs for truckers and freight carriers higher. The spike inflates per‑mile operating expenses, squeezes carrier margins and fuels broader...
€8m Upgrade Doubles Cygnum’s Irish Timber Frame Output to 2,500 Homes
Cygnum, an Irish timber‑frame specialist, unveiled an €8 million ($8.7 million) factory extension in Macroom, County Cork, creating 150 jobs and raising annual output from 1,400 to 2,500 homes. The company reported 2024 turnover of €34.6 million ($37.7 million) and operating profit of €5.46 million...