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Cosmic Building, a construction technology company, uses AI-driven end-to-end software to run mobile robotic microfactories. At the heart of its newest microfactory in Pacific Palisades are ABB's IRB 6710 robots and RobotStudio digital twin software. Both of which are integrated into Cosmic's Workstation Cell and AI-driven Building Information Model (BIM). #ai   #california  #wildfire  #losangeles  #robot #fire

When it comes to global logistics, it seems no news is good news. If a transoceanic journey of goods goes without a hitch, you never hear about it.But when things go wrong, they can go very wrong – and we've seen that play out in several dramatic fires in the past few years that have resulted in high profile tales of doomed cargo ships.Most recently, an incident involving the cargo carrier Morning Midas led to millions in losses after a fire broke out and the ship sank off the coast of Alaska with more than 3,000 vehicles on board. At issue was concern over the electric and hybrid electric vehicles, and suggestions that the fire broke out on the deck with the EVs.

Tesla's brand loyalty has suffered some notable setbacks.According to an exclusive Reutersreport, Tesla did more repeat business with U.S. autobuyers than any other major car brand. But then, CEO Elon Musk backed Donald Trump's reelection efforts and customer loyalty suffered as a result.S&P Global Mobility reports that Tesla customer loyalty reached an all-time high in June 2024, when 73% of households that already owned a Tesla and were in the market for a new car purchased another Tesla.

The Oregon plant dates back more than 70 years.

In January of 2022, Intel unveiled plans to invest $28 billion in building two new chip factories in Licking County, Ohio, to boost production of its advanced semiconductors to serve both Intel projects and other end customers.A lot has happened since – and for Intel, the past few years have brought sluggish sales, layoffs, and a new CEO.With that, the last several updates on Intel's Ohio project have pretty much centered on the same theme – delays.

About a week ago, a team of engineers and fishing enthusiasts debuted a new product on Kickstarter with modest expectations. It's understandable; a little more than 40% of projects launched on the crowdfunding platform reach their funding goals, and about 15% fail to raise a single dollar. 

For this episode, I welcome Maggie Blaney, a 26-year-old solutions engineer at Epicor.Blaney grew up watching How It's Made and always felt drawn to manufacturing. Despite that early interest, she pursued a communications degree in college and joined Epicor after an alum recommended the company.Blaney began her career with Epicor as a business development representative. After 10 months, she transitioned to an associate solutions engineer role and now works as a solutions engineer, where she walks the shop floor and speaks with prospective clients who are exploring new software solutions.

Hertha Metals, a clean steel production startup, says it has successfully demonstrated its single-step process for turning low-grade iron ore into molten steel or high-purity iron. The company built a pilot plant in Texas and it's been churning out one ton of steel per day for months now. Next year, the company plans to build a new facility capable of 9,000 tons per year and soon after, it anticipates scaling to 500,000 tons per year, on par with what commercial U.S. steelmaking micro mills are producing today.

According to Reuters, toy makers are looking for ways to further cut costs to cushion the blow from a 30% blanket tariff on Chinese goods, and it has translated to product and packaging redesigns.The first to go, which may rile the "back in my day" members of the crowd, are batteries.

In 2024, IBM identified the manufacturing sector as the industry most attacked by cyber criminals for the third straight year – which is why we see even the biggest brands being impacted by the work of hackers.Bleach maker Clorox is coming clean about the details surrounding a recent ransomware attack but the fingerpointing extends past the gang of perpetrators and all the way to the company's IT provider.And Clorox believes that the IT firm's faults in this situation were so egregious that it has filed a lawsuit.

Big 3 pillar Stellantis issued a rather shocking warning this week when it reported preliminary financial figures that estimate a $2.7 billion first half loss.And as the auto company gets focused on the poor financials – impacted largely by tariff costs and related production losses – it's also unveiled some strategic changes relating to R&D.Stellantis said it will suspend its   development program and - with it - will discontinue the hydrogen powered commercial vans that it had previously planned to begin making this year.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and multiple vendors announced a recall of nearly 5 million swimming pools that the agency believes are linked to nine child drownings. According to the CPSC, the 48-inch and taller above-ground pools were manufactured in China and have been sold by Bestway, Intex and Polygroup since 2002. Retail locations that sold the recalled pools include Walmart, Target, Lowe's, Home Depot and Costco, as well as online at Amazon.

In celebration of Disneyland Resort's 70th anniversary, the ‘Happiest Place on Earth' has unveiled a new attraction; “Walt Disney - A Magical Life.” Debuting at the Main Street Opera House, a cinematic presentation takes you through Walt Disney's journey, featuring a pre-show tribute video, as well as a visit to a rendition of his office.

The family of a man who died in a crash involving a Tesla Cybertruck filed a lawsuit against the automaker, alleging a defective design and other claims. The lawsuit, filed in Harris County district court in Texas, stated that in August 2024, 47-year-old Michael Sheehan's Cybertruck veered off the road, hit a culvert and caught fire, trapping Sheehan inside a blaze that allegedly reached 5,000 degrees Fahrenhei

Italian Designer Andrea Marazzi recently chopped up a 1993 Fiat Panda to create the world's narrowest EV, a historic feat that yielded a fully-drivable car that's only 50 cm (less than 20 inches) wide. Marazzi started with the chassis of an old Fiat Panda, cutting it vertically, and sandwiching the parts together to make a single seat EV from recycled components. Marazzi used his family's auto recycling business and workshop to make about 99 percent of the car from original parts. 

Reports from Forbes and Bloomberg suggest that one of Tesla's executive officers has left the company. Forbes reported Thursday morning that CEO Elon Musk fired Omead Afshar, the head of operations in Europe and North America. Bloomberg rep orted later that day that Afshar “left the company.”

Factory tours commonly come to mind for tourists looking to experience local landmarks. Boeing, Jelly Belly and Louisville Slugger all offer popular behind-the-scenes outings. But it's doubtful any of those are as popular as what Xiaomi is offering in China.The consumer electronics giant has recently broken into the automotive space. It currently offers the SU7 full-size sedan and it's working on the YU7 mid-size. It sold just 135,000 vehicles in 2024, though it expects to more than double that this year. But its factory tours have already become so popular that Xiaomi had to introduce a lottery.

Blue Diamond has announced plans to wind down operations at its plant in Sacramento, California, cutting some 600 jobs in the process. The company says it was founded in 1910 to "ensure the long-term success of small, multigenerational almond farmers and their families in California."To keep that mission on track, the company must shutter its plant in midtown Sacramento, transferring most manufacturing operations from its 53-acre-site to facilities in Turlock and Salida, California. 

The company says a former employee took proprietary recipes and other information to his new job.

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Thomas Lesueur, a 26-year-old student pursuing a Ph.D. in microelectronics at the University of Sherbrooke in Canada, in partnership with IBM. Lesueur said he first became interested in manufacturing during a one-week internship with a company that specialized in composite materials, where his father worked as an R&D director. His education includes a bachelor's degree in physics and chemistry and a master's in nanophysics and microelectronics.His current research involves self-alignment of silicon bridges for high-performance electronics and focuses on leveraging the capillary forces of solder paste to achieve precise alignment of the bridges during the reflow process. Lesueur presented some of the work at this year's Electronic Components and Technology Conference.In this episode, Lesueur discusses:How students pursue education and employment in France versus the U.S (1:13)The best advice a manufacturing mentor can give (8:01)The work-life balance Gen Z searches for (10:06)How to find a generational middle ground regarding dependence on technology (13:31)Top ways to pique Gen Z interest (17:36)Please make sure to like and share this episode. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please contact Nolan Beilstein at nolan@ien.com.

GM didn't fare much better.

British rock band Coldplay plans to re-release its albums on 140-gram EcoRecords made from recycled plastic bottles and produced through injection molding technology. According to Warner Music Group, manufacturers make each EcoRecord from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic engineered for circular reuse and used by U.S. beverage companies to make bottles. Warner Music Group expects the EcoRecord manufacturing process to cut carbon emissions by 85% compared to conventional vinyl production.

A critical safety flaw could lock you in the car.

The Oregonian reported that chipmaker Intel plans to lay off up to 20% of its factory workforce, citing an internal email the publication says was verified by four employees. According to the report, Intel informed its employees that the cuts would begin taking effect in July and would impact factories worldwide.Intel reportedly employed about 109,000 workers at the end of 2024, but it remains unclear how many work in Intel Foundry, the company's factory division. The unit's roles range from factory floor technicians to specialized researchers. Intel eliminated approximately 15,000 jobs last year through attrition, buyouts, early retirement offers and layoffs. However, according to The Oregonian, Chief Technology and Operations Officer Naga Chandrasekaran stated in the email that this round of job cuts will involve eliminating specific roles and levels, assessing skills for remaining positions and “some hard decisions around our project investments.”

At Home is a retailer that was first established way back in 1979 and has grown significantly since. The brand was acquired a few years back by a private equity firm for $2.8 billion and operates more than 260 stores with 7,000+ employees.So why is At Home filing Chapter 11?

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Friday announced Yaskawa [Yusk-AH-wah] America Inc. will invest some $180 million to expand its footprint in the Badger State, including a new location for its North American headquarters that will create more than 700 new jobs.  The company plans to expand its current facility in Franklin, Wisconsin, about 15 miles southwest of Milwaukee, and a little more than 40 miles north of the company's current operations in Waukegan, Illinois. The project is expected to be completed in the next eight to 10 years.

The Wall Street Journal is calling it “the first big casualty of the tariff war.”Marelli – the auto parts giant and supplier to big names like Stellantis and Nissan – has filed for bankruptcy protection.

Frito-Lay has been making salty snacks at its Rancho Cucamonga facility in California since 1970. It's the birthplace of the Flamin' Hot Cheeto, allegedly.PepsiCo Foods U.S. this morning confirmed to Food Manufacturing that the company will shut down manufacturing operations at the Rancho Cucamonga site. However, the warehouse, distribution, fleet and transportation teams will continue to operate at the location. Still, hundreds of workers will be impacted.

Green Charter Township has been locked in a legal battle with Gotion, a Chinese battery manufacturer, for more than a year now. At one time, Gotion was set to build a $2.6 billion electric vehicle battery factory near the central Michigan town.

He had been on the job just six months. 

A labor union filed an unfair labor practice charge against an insulated cable products manufacturer, alleging the company cut off the health care coverage for over 160 employees after the workers rejected a contract offer. Teamsters Local 986 stated that Okonite, headquartered in New Jersey, terminated the health benefits for workers at the company's plant in Santa Maria, California, on May 19, one day before a strike began.

For this episode, I welcome Ethan Schaefer, a 21-year-old student at Purdue University participating in a co-op with Fluke Reliability. Schaefer said his interest in engineering dates back to middle school, which led to him pursuing a degree in electrical engineering at Purdue.In this episode, Schaefer discusses:How a company can improve its “vibe” (2:54)How to build a workplace where asking questions feels like a strength instead of a weakness (6:32)How young people view factory work (10:31)Why small manufacturers appeal to Gen Z and what those companies can do to capitalize (15:48)Saying, “That's the way we've always done it,” is one of the quickest ways to lose Gen Z talent (18:03)Please make sure to like and share this episode. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please contact Nolan Beilstein at nolan@ien.com.

For many buyers, the concept of the Lemon Law is a good one: when a consumer purchases a product that repeatedly fails to meet generally expected quality standards, they are provided with a legal remedy to pursue a refund.And while many automakers find themselves involved in Lemon Law cases, this next instance is a bit unique. For Ford Motor Company, instead of facing off in lawsuits over defective products it is filing a suit against a group of Lemon Law attorneys alleging widespread fraud.Companies who are found in breach of Lemon Law are often on the hook for the legal fees of the customer, which means there are certain law firms that specialize in – and seek out – these specific types of consumer protection cases. In Ford's instance, the automaker claims that a group of nine attorneys have been presenting them with inflated bills for Lemon Law-pursuing customers, to the tune of millions of dollars.

The US Attorney's Office in Central California recently issued a press release detailing the activities of a crime syndicate that targeted one of the country's largest retailers – Amazon – in a scheme that involved A LOT of stolen goods.Officers in Florida and California are said to have arrested 13 alleged members and associates of Armenian organized crime syndicates.

A factory in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, reliant on automation, looks to help a shoe manufacturer navigate tariffs and labor shortages.The Wall Street Journal reported that Keen Footwear recently closed its facility in Portland, Oregon, with plans to relocate production to a 60,000-square-foot site in the Bluegrass State, scheduled to open next month. The company expects the new location to nearly double its domestic output and credits that growth to increased automation.

From Q1 2017 through the second quarter of 2021, Valdez and Olson allegedly withheld taxes from employee wages but didn't pay the IRS or report them on quarterly tax forms. During that time, according to LinkedIn, both worked for Stella Technology, which is based in Milpitas, a San Jose suburb. Stella specializes in healthcare technology services, primarily custom software development. According to their LinkedIn profiles, both Valdez and Olsen still work for Stella. 

Philips has announced a new strategy to enable its customers to produce spare parts for their trimmers at home using a 3D printer.

The 2024 Cybertruck AWD Foundation Series sold for $100,000. As reported by Electreck, Tesla is offering just $65,400 in trade-in value—a depreciation of nearly 35% in a year. Pickup trucks typically depreciate around 20% in the first year.

On March 28, 2024, at about 12:18 am, the American Mariner was traveling up the St. Marys River about 25 miles south of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, when a steering failure caused the bulk carrier to strike the Munuscong Channel Junction Light, a 31-foot-diameter cylindrical fixed concrete structure with a giant light on top. The vessel took on water, but the crew stabilized it using pumps, and none of the 18 aboard were injured. Still, the American Mariner sustained more than $800,000 in damage, and the light suffered an estimated $1.25 million in damage.

It seems it's been a while where EV maker Faraday Future has been hanging by a thread.In the past year or so, the company has barely avoided bankruptcy and being evicted from its California headquarters. Following a cash infusion, the company has worked hard to stay afloat, even showing off two prototype mules and announcing plans to ultimately offer a sub-$30,000 electric van early this year.So how has it been going since?

Another electric vehicle maker appears to be on the brink of collapse, the latest in a growing trend of EV startups failing to break through in a crowded marketplace.This time it's Bollinger Motors, a commercial EV company founded nearly 10 years ago. According to The Detroit News, the company, which was acquired by Mullen Automotive in 2022, has been struggling to pay employees, contribute to 401(k) accounts and cover debts. Those debts include a $10 million loan from founder Robert Bollinger, who earlier this year filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming it was broke and that production had stopped.

A leading global manufacturer of ammunition plans to spend $300 million to establish a new plant in Oklahoma, state and company officials announced Monday.CBC Global Ammunition, a Brazilian company that also owns the Magtech, MEN and Sinterfire brands of small-caliber ammunition, will establish what would be its third U.S. facility at the MidAmerica Industrial Park in the state's northeastern corner.

It so happens that occasionally a worker gets busted for theft that takes place in the workplace, but it's the scale of this next incident that makes it an eye-popping scenario.Four individuals have been charged in a theft ring that allegedly saw millions in car parts lifted from several Michigan Ford factories, and one of them was a Ford employee.Dearborn police say they've uncovered a scheme involving Ford-manufactured parts and accessories. After a monthslong investigation, authorities arrested the men for allegedly stealing Ford vehicle parts – and it wasn't something easily snuck out of a building.

Koenigsegg is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance sports cars that has been credited with some of the most exciting designs to hit automotive since its founding in 1994.And its latest does not disappoint.New reports claim that a recent test of the Koenigsegg Jesko actually resulted in a world record.The vehicle was already known for being one of the fastest production cars of all time – but not THE fastest. That's because the vehicle's zero to 60 has been outpaced by others, specifically the Rimac Nevera which Carscoops says has the Jesko beat from a standstill

LEGO Group and Formula 1 unveiled 10 fully-drivable F1 cars in Miami on Sunday. The effort was the fruit of a partnership with all 10 teams on the grid and they made their debut at the Miami Grand Prix Driver's Parade. Each vehicle is made of some 400,000 bricks and weighs a little more than 3,300 pounds—2,200 of that is just the bricks. The average F1 car weighs only 1,759 pounds, including the driver but no fuel, and typically consists of zero LEGO bricks. The vehicles have a bit of a speed differential as well, the average F1 car tops out at 233 mph and their LEGO counterparts bury the needle at 12 mph, but hey they're twice as heavy. 

Back in February, President Donald Trump said Boeing's progress on the new Air Force One was taking too long, and he threatened to go another way, maybe even dipping into the used aircraft market to find something to convert. Well, it appears that the president has reached the end of his patience and is now repurposing a used Qatari plane to become the new Air Force One, and he's tasked one of Boeing's contractors to get it done.

A new recall, spotted by Electrek, is targeting the ID.Buzz for having too much space for passengers in the third row. The vehicle was designed to have two designated seating positions in the back row, so the bench seat is logically equipped with just two seatbelts. But, as the NHTSA puts it, the calculated seating surface width of the third-row rear bench exceeds the maximum value allowed by federal motor vehicle safety standards. In other words, it's too comfortable, making it too easy to squeeze in a third passenger who'd be left without a seatbelt.

From the inventor of the Jetson ONE hoverbike comes a new innovation in an open-air concept. Designed in stealth, Tomasz Patan gave zero updates on his latest project before the bike's unveiling on May 1st. As part of the announcement, Patan released a video in which he can be seen gliding around a forest and through a valley on his newest creation, which he claims to be a ‘breakthrough in personal air mobility.'

For many automakers the current market is clear as mud. Production shifts are being proposed as tariffs are hitting their supply chains, and pricing and buyer behavior are such a question mark that some have withdrawn their full year forecasts.But one EV brand may have had the foresight to get ahead of the drama.Carscoops recently reported that Rivian has been quietly amassing a “secret stockpile” of key components since before the 2024 election.They say that, because of this “refreshingly proactive strategy,” the California-based company is now sitting on a sizable stockpile of batteries.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced a new lawsuit against body armor manufacturer ShotStop Ballistics from Stow, Ohio, for allegedly importing Chinese-produced plates and labeling them as “made in Ohio” and compliant with standards from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the Department of Justice's testing arm.The lawsuit stated that the alleged actions by ShotStop, its Vallmar Studios affiliate and owner Vall Iliev violated the Consumer Sales Practices Act (CSPA). 

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Abitec makes ingredients used in the pharmaceutical, nutritional and specialty chemical industries. Specifically, the company manufactures functional lipids, products used in everything from making sure CBD stays evenly mixed in beverages to those used in suppositories to make sure they melt appropriately. The company operates a pair of manufacturing sites: a factory in Paris, Illinois that specializes in flaking, blending, and spray chilling, and another in Janesville, Wisconsin that does esterification, surfactants and specialty blending. But the plant in Janesville is old; it dates back to 1907, and Abitec is looking to modernize.