US Wafer Origin Rules Put Solar Domestic Content Bonus at Risk
The U.S. Treasury and IRS have issued guidance that could strip the 10% domestic‑content bonus under the Inflation Reduction Act from solar cells that rely on imported silicon wafers, even if the wafers are later coated domestically. The rule hinges on whether the original wafer‑pulling process occurs in the United States, not merely where anti‑reflective coating is applied. This interpretation clashes with recent CBP rulings that tied origin to the coating step, creating compliance uncertainty for developers. With domestic wafer capacity limited, projects must now verify the full supply chain to protect tax‑credit economics.
Advanced Packaging Limits Come Into Focus
Advanced packaging has become the primary performance variable for AI and HPC chips, with substrate, bonding, and process sequence dictating scalability. Engineers now face warpage, glass fragility, hybrid‑bond yield, and substrate limits as the dominant yield‑killers as packages grow larger...
IMI Wins North Sea Contract for Ultra-High-Pressure Chemical Injection Valves
IMI secured a North Sea contract to supply ultra‑high‑pressure control valves for chemical injection, targeting reservoirs exceeding 600 bar. The EroSolve Metamorphic Trim (MMT) valve can manage pressure drops from over 620 bar to near vacuum while maintaining precise low‑flow regulation. A...
Wagon Automotive Implements Inline Metrology Cell for Complex Chassis Components
Wagon Automotive has installed an automated inline metrology cell that combines a KUKA robot, Leica Absolute Scanner AS1 with an AT960 laser tracker, a motorized turntable, and Eleven Dynamics’ EDAS software. The system replaces manual measurement and legacy CMMs, delivering high‑precision,...
High-Speed CMOS X-Ray Detection for AI Chip Inspection Launched
Rayence has launched the Flash Series, a high‑speed CMOS X‑ray detector tailored for semiconductor automated X‑ray inspection (AXI) and 3D CT systems. The platform delivers 49.5 µm pixel resolution at up to 70 frames per second, while withstanding X‑ray doses of 20,000 Gy....
Why American-Made Propulsion Is the Future of Global UAV Missions
Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is reshaping UAS propulsion by delivering heavy‑fuel engines that run on JP‑8, JP‑5, and Jet‑A, eliminating the need for gasoline in tactical drones. The company’s all‑American, AS9100D‑certified supply chain guarantees secure, kill‑switch‑free components, aligning with NATO’s Single‑Fuel...
TRIMEDX-AIQ Adds Supply Chain Automation, Advanced Predictive Failure Intelligence
TRIMEDX unveiled an upgraded AI‑native platform, TRIMEDX‑AIQ, that adds automated parts ordering, purchase‑order automation, and predictive failure forecasting to its clinical supply chain suite. Leveraging a dataset of over 6.1 million device records spanning 25 years, the system anticipates equipment degradation and...
Quality Management and Traceability in Regulated Manufacturing
Regulated manufacturers are confronting a surge in quality data requirements while still relying on fragmented systems that isolate documents, training records, and production data. New regulatory standards such as FDA‑ISO 13485 alignment, revised ISO 9001, and EU GMP Chapter 4 demand...
Inventory Accuracy in Manufacturing
Manufacturers relying on handwritten counts and spreadsheets face frequent stockouts and excess inventory, disrupting production schedules and cash flow. The article argues that manual inventory is a self‑inflicted liability that hampers scaling and compliance. Switching to an ERP‑driven, real‑time inventory...
X-Rite Pantone Launches Series of New Events
X‑Rite Pantone is launching a global textile industry road show that combines live conferences and virtual webinars to promote data‑driven color workflows. The series includes events in Vietnam, a virtual WTIN webinar, a Frankfurt summit, and a four‑part online series...
AI Is Raising the Bar. HR and Supply Chain Must Raise the Workforce
The World Economic Forum’s 2026 Global Lighthouse Network report flags talent as a fourth pillar of manufacturing excellence, alongside productivity, resilience, and sustainability. Leading factories are moving from AI pilots to "cognitive networks" that require a workforce capable of real‑time...
Anduril: New Factory Will Start Making Drone Wingman in Just ‘Days’
Anduril announced that its new Arsenal-1 manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, will start producing the YFQ-44A Fury drone wingman within days, ahead of the originally slated July 2026 start. The 5‑million‑square‑foot facility, adjacent to a dual 12,000‑foot runway airport, enables...
Intellicheck Inc (IDN) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
Intellicheck Inc. reported Q4 2025 revenue of $6.2 million, down from $6.7 million, as the company exited lower‑margin legacy businesses. The shift of all RFID and label production to a new Thailand facility lifted GAAP gross margin to 18.1% and non‑GAAP margin to...
Akọ AI Ltd Launches in the United Kingdom to Bring AI-Powered Decision Intelligence to Manufacturing SMEs
Akọ AI Ltd, a newly incorporated UK AI firm, has launched a decision‑intelligence platform aimed at small and medium‑sized manufacturing firms. The platform applies industrial‑engineering analysis to determine whether automation is the right solution before recommending any technology. Targeting manufacturers...
STRATCOM Boss: Pentagon Eyes Second B-21 Production Line
The Pentagon has approved a $4.5 billion deal to lift B‑21 production capacity by 25 percent and is now weighing a second manufacturing line to accelerate deliveries. Strategic Command chief Adm. Richard Correll urged Congress to expand the fleet to 145 aircraft,...
Dematic Redefines Warehouse Intelligence with Launch of Command Center
Dematic announced Command Center, a vendor‑agnostic, cloud‑based intelligence platform that unifies real‑time monitoring, AI‑driven decision support, and analytics for warehouse operations. Unveiled at LogiMAT 2026 and showcased at MODEX 2026, it aggregates data from automation, software, and manual processes into a single...
Recycled Materials Are Strengthening US Supply Chains
Recycled materials now represent a $183.6 billion economic engine and support 600,000 U.S. jobs, positioning them as a cornerstone of domestic supply chains. Advanced sorting technologies such as AI and laser‑induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) are dramatically improving material recovery and quality....
MAXOLUTION® Introduces a Standardized Mobile Robotic Platform with Contactless Charging
MAXOLUTION, an SEW‑EURODRIVE company, launched the Mobile Robot Platform 1600 (MR P1600), a standardized, modular robot designed for pallet transport in factories and warehouses. The platform offers up to 1 600 kg payload, 1.6 m/s speed, and optional contactless inductive charging via MOVITRANS solutions....
Mentor Zoom Inspection Camera Enables Enhanced Industrial Environment Inspections
Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, launched Mentor Zoom, a new pan‑tilt‑zoom camera system for industrial inspections. The solution includes two HD camera heads—10× and 30× optical zoom—with a 4,000‑lumen light source and a removable touchscreen‑joystick controller that works with gloved...
UNFI Will Close Racine, Wis., Plant, Laying Off 443 Workers
United Natural Foods (UNFI) announced the closure of its 425,000‑square‑foot Racine, Wisconsin distribution center, eliminating 443 positions. Operations will shift to a newer facility in Joliet, Illinois, where the company is installing modern technology to boost capacity. The move coincides...
Trump Admin Waives Jones Act for 60 Days
The White House has temporarily waived the Jones Act for 60 days, easing U.S. vessel restrictions amid heightened geopolitical tension. Simultaneously, the war in Iran and a Greek tanker attack in the Black Sea have driven up container rates and...
Factory III Moves iCOMAT Capabilities Into the U.S.
iCOMAT has opened a 41,000‑square‑foot Factory III in Dayton, Ohio, bringing its patented Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) technology and end‑to‑end composites capabilities to the U.S. defense and aerospace market. At the same time, Austrian aerospace supplier FACC is investing £120 million in...
Coexpair to Fabricate, Demonstrate and Test Lockheed F-35 Composite Parts Using SQRTM 4.0
Coexpair and Lockheed Martin have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop, demonstrate, and test composite parts for the F‑35 using Coexpair’s SQRTM 4.0 technology. The partnership will follow a phased approach, with Lockheed providing process‑qualification support while Coexpair builds and...
New at Mouser: Digi Connect Sensor XRT-M for IoT, Industrial, Sensor, and Gateway Applications
Mouser Electronics has begun shipping Digi International’s new Digi Connect Sensor XRT‑M, a rugged LTE‑M cellular gateway designed for zero‑infrastructure IoT monitoring. The battery‑or‑solar powered device offers edge processing, cloud connectivity via Digi Axess, and IP68 protection for harsh environments. It...
LEGO to Install Over 40,000 Solar Panels at Its First U.S. Factory
LEGO announced plans to build an 80‑acre solar park at its new $1.5 billion Virginia manufacturing complex, its first U.S. factory. The project will install over 30,700 ground‑mounted panels (22 MWp) and 10,080 rooftop panels (6.11 MWp), aiming to meet 100 % of the...
ENCY Partners with Factory of the Future to Expand Connected Manufacturing
ENCY Software has become a partner in the Dutch Factory of the Future initiative, joining 21 other technology firms to showcase a connected manufacturing ecosystem. The collaboration emphasizes linking engineering data, CAM post‑processing, and CNC automation into a continuous digital...
MANUFACTURING & AUTOMATION eXCHANGE (MAX) DEBUTS NEXT WEEK IN NASHVILLE, SPOTLIGHTING THE FUTURE OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING IN THE SOUTHEAST
The Manufacturing & Automation eXchange (MAX) launches March 24‑26 in Nashville, bringing together the full manufacturing ecosystem to spotlight AI, robotics, and digital transformation in the fast‑growing Southeast. Produced by BNP Media, the event features six pre‑conference workshops, a two‑day...
FedEx to Shutter 9 New York Parcel Centers
FedEx announced the closure of nine parcel centers in New York and one in Pennsylvania as the final phase of its Network 2.0 integration. The program consolidates legacy express and ground operations into a single surface network, aiming to cut excess...
HarborLab, Danaos Collaborate on Fully Integrated Port Cost Management Solution
HarborLab has partnered with Danaos Management Consultants to launch the first fully automated port cost management solution, linking HarborLab’s platform directly with Danaos’ Port Expenses, Voyage Estimation and Protocol modules. The integration replaces manual XML file exchanges with real‑time bi‑directional...
CAR T Production Bottlenecks Best Tackled with AI, Automation, and Skilled Staff
Patient‑specific CAR‑T therapies face a global production bottleneck due to centralized facilities, manual processes, and high variability in patient cell quality. Researchers highlight that decentralizing manufacturing, eliminating cryopreservation, and accelerating in‑process monitoring can cut vein‑to‑vein times. Automation and artificial intelligence...
Mars Canada Invests $180M in Ontario Manufacturing
Mars Canada completed a $180 million multi‑year investment across its Ontario manufacturing network, spanning 2022‑2026. The funding upgrades packaging lines and expands capacity at four sites—Bolton, Newmarket, Guelph—boosting production for snacking, pet nutrition and food brands. Sustainability measures cut water, electricity...
Black Swan Graphene Completes Production Capacity Expansion at Its United Kingdom Facility
Black Swan Graphene has completed a major capacity expansion at its Consett, UK plant, tripling annual output to over 140 tonnes of graphene nanoplatelets. The upgrade centers on a custom‑built GEA 3160 Ariete homogenizer, delivering flow rates up to 22,000 litres per...
Teradyne Launches Photon 100 Opto-Electric Automated Test Platform
Teradyne announced the Photon 100, an opto‑electric automated test platform designed for high‑volume silicon photonics (SiPh) and co‑packaged optics (CPO) manufacturing. The system merges optical and electrical instrumentation on the UltraFLEXplus chassis, covering wafer, optical‑engine and module‑insertion testing. By delivering scalable,...
J.B. Hunt Says Fuel Spike Not yet Driving Intermodal Conversion
J.B. Hunt’s intermodal division reported strong margin improvement despite a 30% surge in diesel prices since the Iran conflict, yet shippers have not begun shifting freight from truckload to rail. Intermodal still delivers roughly 22.8% cost savings versus truckload, well...
Engel Fully Automates the Production of Composite Rotor Blades for Drones
Engel Austria unveiled a fully automated production line for composite drone rotor blades at JEC World, merging reinforcement placement, core injection, and final trimming in a single injection‑moulding cycle. The process uses carbon‑fibre‑reinforced thermoplastic tapes as load‑bearing skins and a...
MVTec at HANNOVER MESSE: Securing Competitive Advantages with the MVTec Software Portfolio
Munich‑based MVTec Software GmbH will exhibit its machine‑vision suite at Hannover Messe from April 20‑24, 2026, highlighting HALCON, MERLIC and its Deep Learning Tool. The company will demonstrate MERLIC 5.8, which adds robust error handling and streamlined configuration for faster deployment. MVTec experts...
Piraeus Declines 6% for Second Year, Cosco Ports Results Show
Cosco‑controlled Piraeus port reported a 6% drop in 2025 throughput, handling 3.97 million TEU, marking the second consecutive year of decline. Analysts attribute the loss to Red Sea disruptions that rerouted cargo to Spain and northern Europe rather than pure demand...
Interpack 26: COPA-DATA Presents Automation Software for Transformation
COPA‑DATA will showcase its zenon automation platform at interpack 26 in Düsseldorf from May 7‑13, 2026, highlighting smart manufacturing solutions for the packaging sector. The no‑code/low‑code system supports standards such as MTP, PackML and OMAC, enabling flexible, data‑driven production. Live...
India’s PV Module Manufacturing Capacity Tops 210 GW
India added 119 GW of solar module capacity and over 9 GW of cell capacity in 2025, pushing cumulative module capacity to roughly 210 GW and cell capacity to 27 GW, according to Mercom India. The surge was driven by robust utility‑scale pipelines, the...
RenewSys Commissions 3GW Module Plant in Maharashtra
RenewSys, the ENPEE Group’s PV encapsulant and backsheet arm, has commissioned a 3 GW AI‑powered solar‑module plant in Raigad, Maharashtra. The fully automated 16‑acre facility raises the company’s total module capacity to 5.6 GW and will produce TOPCon glass‑to‑glass modules. RenewSys recently...
Understanding the Current State of Module Quality – Key Takeaways From PVRW 2026
At PVRW 2026, experts highlighted a surge in photovoltaic module quality problems, from rear‑glass hail breakage to wind‑induced fractures. Field data showed module failure rates of 1‑5 % under normal conditions and degradation averaging 0.7 % annually, outpacing warranty assumptions. The conference...
TCE Reports Ongoing Demand for TCM Services From Leisure Airlines
Air cargo supervisor TCE reports that leisure airlines continue to demand Total Cargo Management (TCM) services, a trend that accelerated during the Covid pandemic. Previously, cargo was a peripheral revenue stream, but airlines now view it as a core profit...
LG, GM to Make LFP ESS Batteries in Tennessee, Recall 700 Laid Off Workers
General Motors and LG Energy Solution’s Ultium Cells will convert its Spring Hill, Tennessee plant to produce lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) battery cells for stationary energy‑storage systems, investing $70 million in the retooling. Production is slated to start in the second quarter of...
The Wrong Question: Why the TMS Debate Is Distracting Forwarders From What Comes Next
Freight forwarders are fixated on the "which TMS?" debate, especially around CargoWise pricing, but industry veteran Brian Glick argues the real issue is integration and what comes after traditional TMS. He positions Chain.io as a neutral integration layer that separates...
Segway Navimow Robotic Lawn Mowers Earn TÜV Certification for Minimal Lawn Impact
Segway Navimow’s X420 and i206 AWD robotic lawn mowers have secured TÜV Rheinland’s Lawn Care certification, the first for any robotic mower. The certification confirms Level 2 minimal lawn impact after a simulated year of high‑frequency mowing. Both units demonstrated exceptional...
IWT Expands Use of Aras Innovator PLM Platform
IWT has broadened its reliance on Aras Innovator, turning a CAD‑centric PLM into an enterprise‑wide product data platform. Since the 2019 go‑live, the system now supports engineering, project, spare‑parts, and quotation processes, with 80% of staff using it as their...
Bull of the Day: Sanmina (SANM)
Sanmina (SANM) was spotlighted as the Bull of the Day, earning a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) after analysts upgraded earnings estimates for 2023 and 2024. The consensus forecast rose from $9.64 to $10.06 for the current year and from...
Researchers Propose CAD-Based Method to Identify New 3D Printed Parts without Retraining
Researchers from KU Leuven, Materialise and Iristick introduced a CAD‑based prototype matching system that identifies newly printed parts without retraining a vision model. The approach renders multiple views of each part’s CAD file, creates a feature prototype, and compares it...
Hitachi Unveils 800 VDC Architecture for AI Data Centers
Hitachi announced an 800‑volt DC (800 VDC) power and control architecture, fully integrated into the Vera Rubin DSX reference design and compatible with NVIDIA Omniverse DSX Blueprint. The solution uses an OpenUSD‑based 3D simulation that mirrors the entire electrical chain from...
Belotti and Moi Composites Launch Belotti Powered by Moi Machining Centres
Belotti S.p.A. and Moi Composites have launched a strategic partnership that embeds Moi’s Short Fiber Manufacturing (SFM) additive technology into Belotti’s gantry CNC machining centres. The hybrid platform, branded “Belotti Powered by Moi,” combines UV‑cured thermoset composite deposition with high‑precision...