Survey: Manufacturing Workers Are Skeptical of Adopting AI
The panel of automation leaders highlighted rapid advances—autonomous mobile robots, AI‑driven vision, digital twins, and predictive maintenance—yet manufacturing workers remain skeptical of AI adoption. Companies are prioritizing quick ROI, data accuracy, and interoperable solutions over technology for its own sake, while labor shortages and geopolitical risks shape buying criteria. Experts stress incremental implementation, strong partner ecosystems, and cultural alignment to overcome skill gaps and integration challenges. The discussion underscores that automation’s future hinges on blending human talent with flexible, open‑architecture systems.
CPEG – SOLVING CEMENT & SCM PROCESSING CHALLENGES
The cement sector is confronting tighter sustainability mandates, volatile raw‑material supplies, and rising energy costs, prompting producers to extract more performance from fewer resources. CPEG’s Test Lab and Innovation Center offers data‑driven validation of custom drying and handling solutions, targeting...
MSC Consolidates USWC, Asian Calls to Boost Trans-Pacific Reliability
MSC announced it will eliminate Oakland from its Orient trans‑Pacific service, effective with the April 30 departure of the 8,827‑TEU MSC Naomi from Qingdao. The carrier says the move reduces exposure to West Coast port congestion and improves schedule reliability. By...
Manufacturers Test AI-Translation Tech to Improve Worker Communications
U.S. manufacturers are increasingly deploying AI‑driven translation tools to bridge language gaps on the shop floor, from translating SOPs and safety signs to providing live captioning for town‑hall meetings. A Pennsylvania foundry with 1,000 employees is piloting real‑time earpieces for...
US Lawmakers Aim to Ban Export of DUV Chipmaking and Etching Tools to Leading Firms in China — Bipartisan Proposal...
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced the MATCH Act, shifting export controls on advanced wafer‑fabrication equipment from fab‑level to company‑level restrictions. The bill would bar DUV lithography, etching and deposition tools from reaching Chinese firms such as Huawei,...
Why TSMC Grew Four Times Faster than Its Foundry Rivals in 2025 — Price Hikes, Vertical Integration, and Commanding Technology...
The semiconductor foundry market hit a record $320 billion in 2025, with TSMC commanding 38% and growing 36% YoY, far outpacing rivals that collectively rose 8%. Its dominance stems from an unprecedented volume of sub‑5 nm wafers, aggressive price hikes, and a...
NeuBird AI Secures $19.3 Million
NeuBird AI, a San Francisco‑based developer of agentic AI platforms for production operations, announced an oversubscribed $19.3 million financing round. The round was led by new backer Xora Innovation and featured existing investors Mayfield, StepStone Group, Prosperity7 Ventures, and Microsoft’s M12...
FDA Warns Resin Change May Have Caused Tubing Danger
The FDA issued an urgent alert that B. Braun’s recent tubing‑resin change in its Streamline Airless System and B3 Low Volume hemodialysis bloodlines is causing small air bubbles to adhere inside the arterial line. These bubbles trigger machine alarms, halt treatment...
UNEP Urges Textile Environmental Permit Overhaul
The United Nations Environment Programme released a report warning that outdated and fragmented environmental permitting systems are impeding the shift to a circular textile value chain. The analysis covers the national environmental laws of ten leading textile producers, including China,...
Hartzell Expands Top Prop Program
Hartzell Propeller has broadened its Top Prop conversion lineup, adding over 150 new aluminum and carbon‑fiber propeller models for general aviation aircraft. The update introduces enhanced search filters linked to FAA and EASA certifications, making it easier for owners to match...
Lift Truck Tips: How to Right Size Your Fleet Through Utilization Metrics
Lift‑truck fleet right‑sizing has moved from guesswork to data‑driven decisions, leveraging telemetry and warehouse management systems to capture real‑time utilization metrics. Key performance indicators such as overall utilization, lift‑to‑travel ratios, and maintenance histories enable managers to match equipment type and...
Packaging Corner: The Wood Pallet Vs. Plastic Pallet Conversation
Wood pallets have long been the supply‑chain workhorse, but plastic alternatives are gaining traction as automation expands and hygiene standards tighten. IMARC Group projects the global plastic‑pallet market to grow from $7.1 billion in 2025 to $10.4 billion by 2034, driven by...
Titagarh Naval Systems Gets In-Principle Approval for ₹610 Crore Shipyard Expansion in West Bengal
Titagarh Naval Systems Ltd has secured in‑principle approval from India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for a brownfield expansion of its Falta shipyard in West Bengal. The project involves a total investment of about ₹610 crore (approximately $74 million), with the...
5 Benefits of Linear Actuators in Robotics and Manufacturing
Linear actuators are becoming essential components in modern robotics and manufacturing, converting rotational motion into precise linear movement. Recent advances in electric designs deliver micron‑level positioning accuracy, up to 80% energy savings, and plug‑and‑play integration with common industrial protocols. Their...
Lean or Six Sigma: The Progress Paradox
IndustryWeek’s latest podcast pits lean against Six Sigma, highlighting the fundamental distinction that lean is a management philosophy while Six Sigma is a data‑driven problem‑solving methodology. Hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer argue that many firms adopt only surface tools—such as...
How Reliability Won Is Building a Global Asset-Reliability Platform
Battery Ventures’ 2024 investment in Mobius Institute launched the Reliability Won platform, a unified condition‑monitoring and asset‑reliability service. Since then the platform has added Noria Corporation’s lubrication expertise and, most recently, Fluid Life’s oil‑analysis labs through three acquisitions. The combined offering now...
Haddy Demonstrates Agile LFAM Production with LPUSV Maritime Project
Haddy Manufacturing used its large‑format additive manufacturing (LFAM) process to 3D‑print the hull of HavocAI’s low‑profile unmanned surface vehicle (LPUSV) in just nine days, moving the vessel from concept to sea trial at unprecedented speed. The hull combines recycled polycarbonate...
ACCM Celeritas™ SF1600 Delivers Zero-Skew for PCIe 7, 224 Gbps and Beyond
Advanced Chip & Circuit Materials (ACCM) launched Celeritas SF1600, a laminate and prepreg that eliminates fiber‑weave skew, a root cause of timing errors in 224 Gbps PAM4 and higher data rates. The material delivers zero‑skew performance, a low dielectric constant of 2.80,...
CEA-Leti, CEA-List and PSMC Collaborate to Integrate RISC-V and MicroLED Silicon Photonics Into 3D Stacking and Interposer for...
CEA‑Leti, CEA‑List and Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) announced a partnership to embed CEA‑List’s RISC‑V processor IP and CEA‑Leti’s microLED silicon‑photonic chiplets into PSMC’s 3D‑stacking and interposer platform. The integration replaces traditional copper interconnects with short‑reach, high‑bandwidth optical links, delivering...
Ford Recalls Nearly 255K SUVs for Camera Image Processing Module Errors
Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 255,000 SUVs—including 2025 Explorers, Lincoln Aviators, 2022‑2025 Navigators and 2024‑2025 Nautilus models—after a software flaw can overload image‑processing module A, causing intermittent loss of the rear‑view camera and several advanced driver‑assist systems. The defect is...
Swiss Researchers Develop Matrix First Concept for 3D Printed Continuous Fiber Ceramic Structures
Swiss researchers at SUPSI and Spain’s Reinforce3D have unveiled "Matrix First," a manufacturing method that designs internal channels within 3D‑printed ceramic parts for continuous carbon‑fiber reinforcement. The workflow combines laser powder‑bed fusion of a polyamide precursor, ceramic conversion, and simultaneous...
Komatsu D175AX-10 Dozer Debuts at ConExpo
Komatsu unveiled its next‑generation D175AX‑10 dozer at ConExpo 2026, replacing the D155AX‑8 with a completely new frame, powertrain and cab. The machine delivers up to 26% more horsepower, 25% higher material‑moving capacity and 15% better fuel efficiency while tightening the turning...
Hesitation From Port Authorities Slows Automation in Southern California
Port authorities in Southern California are stalling approvals for terminal automation, even though the ILWU‑PMA agreement has guaranteed automation rights since 2008. The region’s two largest gateways, handling about 40% of U.S. container traffic, face land constraints that make automation...
MODEX 2026: Rockwell Automation to Highlight End-to-End Autonomous Operations Platform
Rockwell Automation will unveil its end‑to‑end autonomous operations platform at MODEX 2026 in Atlanta, the first time the company presents a fully connected production logistics solution on the Material Handling Industry stage. The platform ties digital‑twin simulation, orchestration software, OTTO...
What the 6th Edition of UL 9540A Means for Battery Storage Safety Certification
The UL Standards Council released the 6th Edition of UL 9540A on March 13, 2026, introducing mandatory large‑scale fire testing for battery energy storage systems. The new edition requires proof that a thermal‑runaway event in one BESS will not propagate to adjacent units,...
Metal Tariff Adjustments Aren’t a Win for Packaging, Trade Groups Say
The Trump administration revised Section 232 metal tariffs, keeping a 50% rate on products made almost entirely of aluminum, steel or copper while lowering the levy to 25% for derivative items substantially composed of those metals. Items containing 15% or less...
Triumph Foods to Begin $30 Million Expansion of Pork Processing Plant
Triumph Foods announced a $30 million expansion of its St. Joseph, Missouri pork processing plant, adding cold‑storage and shipping capacity along with new equipment. The upgrade is designed to support higher production volumes and modernize the facility. Triumph, the city’s second‑largest...
South 8 Technologies Lands $9.2M California Grant to Scale LiGas Electrolyte Production in San Diego
South 8 Technologies secured a $9.2 million grant from California’s PowerForward Battery Manufacturing program to expand its LiGas® liquefied‑gas electrolyte production in San Diego. The funding will enable the startup to reach an annual electrolyte capacity of 100 MWh and produce 2 MWh of battery cells,...
Advanced Carbons Council 2026 Report Maps Global Graphene Industry
The Advanced Carbons Council (ACC) has published its 2026 Graphene Report, mapping the global graphene industry with 194 verified company profiles and strategic market analysis. The report covers production methods, pricing dynamics, applications across all graphene forms, and standards such...
The Price of Progress: How Manufacturers Are Weighing AI’s Energy Demands
Manufacturers are accelerating AI and robotics deployments, with 81% of executives planning higher AI spend over the next three years. While early‑stage robots like Agility Robotics' Digit cost roughly $1 per shift in electricity, experts warn that energy demand can...
Beyond Gravity Composites Expertise Aid NASA Artemis II Mission
Beyond Gravity, a Swiss carbon‑fiber specialist, is supplying critical hardware for NASA’s Artemis II mission. The firm will deliver the universal stage adapter that connects the Space Launch System to the European Service Module, a 9.9‑meter‑tall structure slated for first use...
Govt Extends Implementation Timeline for Quality Control Order on Electrical Appliances Till October
India's Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has pushed back the start date for its mandatory quality control order on a broad range of electrical appliances to October 1, 2026, extending the deadline by six months. The order...
Trump Metal Tariffs Stick Around, with some New Exceptions
The Trump administration has reaffirmed its Section 232 tariffs on imported steel, aluminum and copper, keeping the 50% duty on primary metal products while introducing tiered rates for lower‑content items. Products with substantial metal composition now face a 25% duty, those...
Electra Battery Materials Restarts Construction on North America’s First Cobalt Sulfate Refinery
Electra Battery Materials has restarted full‑scale construction of North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery near Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, after a two‑year pause. The plant is designed to produce 6,500 tonnes of battery‑grade cobalt sulfate per year and is backed by...
Hormel Modernizes Supply Chain with AI Planning Platform
Hormel Foods has rolled out the o9 artificial‑intelligence planning platform across more than 70 of its facilities, linking demand, supply and inventory in a single system. The deployment, completed between March and December 2025, aims to shift the company from...
Avel Robotics Accelerates Aerospace Development with Bordeaux Location, Ongoing Activity Diversification
Avel Robotics, a French specialist in automated fiber placement, opened a commercial office in Bordeaux in January 2026 to sit closer to key aerospace and space players. The move follows the signing of new aerospace contracts, notably a development deal...
A Growing Problem: Lead Testing Uncovers ‘Deeply Concerning Issue’ in Spirulina Supply Chain
Cyanotech’s testing of 37 top‑selling spirulina and greens products found 18 samples—nearly half—exceed California’s Proposition 65 lead limits. Third‑party verification across multiple production lots confirmed the contamination is systemic, originating from offshore sourcing in the Asia‑Pacific region. The study also showed...
Silicon Choices Grow in Importance as Industrial AI Moves Closer to the Factory Floor
Industrial AI is moving from centralized clouds to the factory floor, where real‑time inference must run continuously alongside machines. This shift is driven by latency, data volume, and security concerns that make edge processing essential. As a result, the choice...
Auto, Manufacturing CEOs Remain Upbeat on Growth; Bet Big on AI: KPMG
KPMG’s 2025 CEO Outlook shows automotive and industrial manufacturing leaders remain upbeat, with 87% and 81% respectively expressing confidence in sector growth despite geopolitical and cost pressures. Around three‑quarters of CEOs also trust their firms can execute large‑scale transformations. AI...
Broker’s Call: Emmvee Photovoltaic (Add)
Emmvee Photovoltaic is adding a 6 GW integrated cell‑and‑module plant, boosting its total capacity to 16.3 GW of modules and 8.9 GW of cells, making it India’s fourth‑largest solar manufacturer. Kotak Institutional Equities initiates coverage with an Add rating and a DCF‑derived fair...
India's Jindal Steel Lifts Syngas Use on Propane Crunch
Jindal Steel has begun using synthesis gas (syngas) to power its galvanizing and colour‑coating lines, extending the fuel beyond its original direct‑reduced iron (DRI) application. The move addresses acute natural‑gas and propane shortages in India, which have been aggravated by...
Tirupur Textile Units Accelerate Transition to PNG Amid LPG Shortage
Textile manufacturers in Tirupur are fast‑tracking the shift from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to piped natural gas (PNG) as a prolonged LPG shortage, driven by Middle‑East geopolitical tensions, inflates production costs by roughly 15%. Industry leaders, backed by Adani Total...
In Person Interview: Sai Shivareddy of Nyobolt
Nyobolt CEO Sai Shivareddy says the battery market is booming, with global revenue projected to rise from $154 billion in 2025 to $555 billion by 2033. The company’s fast‑charging cells deliver super‑capacitor power density while retaining lithium‑ion energy, offering ten‑times longer cycle...
5 Ways In-House Warehouse Expertise Improves Project Success
Storage Solutions highlights how its in‑house warehouse expertise drives project success across five core areas. By retaining design, engineering, and project management internally, the company tightens schedule control, anticipates hurdles, and delivers customized layouts that boost operational efficiency. Rapid response...
Japan's Rapidus Ramps up 2nm Chip Plans While Eyeing Factories on the Moon
Japan’s state‑backed chipmaker Rapidus has moved its IIM‑1 plant in Hokkaido from construction to an operating pilot line, delivering working two‑nanometer gate‑all‑around prototypes. The company secured a ¥267.6 billion ($1.7 billion) financing round led by the government and over 30 private partners,...
Why Chemical and Materials Science Engineers Are the Unsung Heroes of Solar Innovation
The solar industry is shifting focus from pure cell physics to materials science as efficiency gains near theoretical limits. With global manufacturing capacity exceeding 1.5 TW and oversupply driving down prices, durability and long‑term reliability have become the primary performance constraints....
Karnataka Government Urged for Fast-Track Implementation of PM MITRA Textile Park
The Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry urged the state government to fast‑track the PM MITRA textile park after a site visit revealed modest progress, including a Rs 100 crore (~$12 million) investment, a 1.5‑km entrance road under construction, and a 110‑metre stretch...
Solar, Mining Groups Partner to Improve Mineral Traceability
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost traceability and sustainability across solar supply chains. The partnership will span the entire value chain, from mineral extraction to...
Plastic Supplies to Remain Sufficient Amid Oil Concerns: MOEA
The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) announced that Taiwan’s plastic supplies will stay ample despite rising oil prices and geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. State‑run CPC Corp. will boost ethylene output by 19,000 metric tons in April and an additional...
Boonray Signs Cooperation Agreement with Major Mining Project Contractor China Railway 21st Bureau
Boonray Technology and China Railway 21st Bureau Group signed a strategic cooperation agreement on March 27, linking Boonray’s electric autonomous mining trucks with the contractor’s massive construction capacity. The state‑owned 21st Bureau, capable of delivering projects worth over $7 billion annually,...