factory
Apr 07, 2025
Manufacturing Net
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — If you have ever bought a pair of jeans from an American brand like Levi's or Wrangler, chances are they were manufactured at a factory in the small southern African nation of Lesotho.
Textile manufacturing is one of Lesotho's key industries, exporting some 75% of its output to the United States.
This is expected to change after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped a 50% tariff on imports from Lesotho, the highest among all countries. According to Trump, Lesotho charges a 99% tariff on U.S. goods, but the government said it doesn't know how the U.S. administration calculated that figure. Government officials did not say Thursday what Lesotho's tariffs on U.S. goods are.
Here is what the high tariffs mean for Lesotho.
Trump made fun of Lesotho in a speech in March, calling it a nation that "nobody has ever heard of." Lesotho's foreign minister reminded him that the U.S. has a diplomatic mission there.
Last year, the landlocked kingdom bordered on all sides by South Africa with a population of 2.3 million people, celebrated 200 years of the founding of the Basotho nation and 58 years of independence from British rule.
Its picturesque scenery and mountainous views draw visitors from Africa and across the world, and during winter, Lesotho becomes one of the most sought-after skiing destinations.
Lesotho does not pay tariffs on exports to Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland since it is a member of regional economic blocs such as the Southern African Customs Union. Main exports include clothing, diamonds, water, power, wool and mohair.
The new tariffs announced by Trump mean that American consumers will pay more for goods made in Lesotho, making them less competitive in the U.S market.
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in 2024, U.S.-Lesotho bilateral trade stood at $240.1 million. Apart from clothing, Lesotho's exports also include diamonds and other goods.
Classified as a lower-middle income country by the World Bank, nearly half of Lesotho's 2.3 million population live below the poverty line, while a quarter are unemployed.
Lesotho's Trade Minister Mokhethi Shelile said his country will be on the prowl for new markets and use the Africa Continental Free Trade Area to increase exports to favorable destinations in Africa.
The government would also urgently send a delegation to the U.S. to negotiate a workable arrangement. Shelile said he's concerned about the possible closure of textile factories, which employ about 12,000 people in Lesotho.
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Industry Week
Live Event: Great Questions About Tariffs & Global TradeSpeakersfactory
21 May 2025
Aviation Week Network-Factory
Embraer E2S Gain Type Certification In MongoliaThe Mongolia Civil Aviation Authority (MCAA) has awarded type certification to the Embraer E190-E2 and E195-E2, which supports the latter aircraft’s introduction in the country by Hunnu Air.
The Mongolian E2 certification is the latest in Asia for the Brazilian OEM following similar nods by Singapore's regulator in 2023 and China's regulator in 2022.
Currently the only E2 operator in Asia is LCC Scoot which has begun flying the E190-E2 on international routes within Southeast Asia. All Nippon Airways in February announced an order for 15 E190-E2 and options for five more.
Hunnu plans to induct two E195-E2s from lessor Azzora, with deliveries expected to take place in April and October. Aviation Week Fleet Discovery data shows Hunnu now operates a pair of E190s, both aged in excess of 12 years old.
The E195-E2 will expand Hunnu’s current network and ply new international points in south China, such as Hainan, and Phu Quoc in Vietnam.factory
16 April 2025
Battery News
Vianode To Receive 37-Million-Dollar Loan From Innovation NorwayVianode has received a loan commitment of equivalent to approximately 37.6 million US dollars from the state funding agency Innovation Norway. The funds will be used to expand research and development activities as well as production infrastructure in Norway, including the Via ONE plant in the Herøya industrial area, the technology center in Kristiansand, and the headquarters in Oslo. The loan is part of the Green Industrial Financing program and is granted at market conditions without being considered state aid under ESA rules.
Vianode, which specializes in the production of synthetic anode graphite, claims it will use the funds to create the basis for international expansion and the establishment of regional supply chains for battery production. The companyʼs goal is to supply materials for three million electric vehicles per year by 2030. Synthetic graphite is produced using high-temperature processes and differs from the extraction of natural graphite. Compared to conventional processes, Vianodeʼs procedure is said to generate only about one tenth of the usual carbon emissions. The company claims to be aiming for a further reduction by 2030.
Source:https://www.vianode.com/news/vianode-granted-innovation-norway-loan-to-strengthen-r-d-and-global-growth-platformfactory
16 April 2025
Industry Week
Manufacturing Business News: Emotionally Expressive Robots, A Pharmaceutical Importation Investigation And Other HeadlinesWhile we have a great staff of dedicated editors here at IndustryWeek, we can’t write about everything. So, here’s a roundup of news from our parent company Endeavor Business Media’s many news brands.factory
16 April 2025
Industry Week
How John Deere Conquered 5G For ManufacturingJohn Deere, founded in 1837, is best known for manufacturing heavy machinery for agriculture, construction and forestry. The company has evolved from manufacturing steel plows to selling smart farming systems and breaking ground on the development of fully autonomous tractors.
While the term 5G has for years been familiar to anyone that uses smartphones, tablets and other consumer electronics, 5G technology is still finding its place in the manufacturing world. At its Waterloo Works plant in Waterloo, Iowa, John Deere has set a gold standard for how manufacturers can harvest the potential of private cellular networks to enhance manufacturing.
The highly networked plant generates millions of data points every day, from registering the position of tools on the shop floor and recording their performance, to analyzing product test results and recording safety step compliance for automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
Wired ethernet, a tried-and-true networking technology on plant floors for decades, presents serious challenges for manufacturers that want to remain flexible in their shop floor layouts. Uninstalling and reinstalling cables takes time.
WiFi, or wireless internet, provides one solution to maintain connectivity without depending on wires, but requires the installation of physical nodes, “hotspots,” where devices can access the network. In manufacturing, WiFi is susceptible to interference from machines on the floor, however, which means installing an increasing number of hotspots across the plant as the size of the network increases.
5G technology, the third option, offers higher network capacity with smaller infrastructure requirements and less vulnerability to the same interference. Manufacturers that want to take advantage of private 5G networks commonly depend on vendors like Bosch-Rexroth, Rockwell Automation and Siemens to run their 5G networks.
John Deere, on the other hand, developed the internal expertise to manage its 5G system without dependence on any other company.
For this first episode of Smart Manufacturers, I toured Waterloo Works and spoke with Jason Wallin, chief architect of the plant’s 5G network, about why Deere chose 5G, how it takes advantage of the technology, and how to measure the success of private cellular.
—Dennis Scimecafactory
16 April 2025
Manufacturing Net
New U.S. Controls On Ai Chip Exports Will Cost Nvidia $5.5 BillionBANGKOK (AP) — Shares in computer chip makers slumped early Wednesday after Nvidia said tighter U.S. government controls on exports of computer chips used for artificial intelligence will cost it an extra $5.5 billion.
The company, which announced Monday that it will produce its artificial intelligence super computers in the United States for the first time, said the government told it that its H20 integrated circuits and others of a similar bandwidth would be subject to the licensing requirements for the "indefinite future."
In a regulatory filing, it said the government said the controls addressed risks that the products "may be used in or diverted to, a supercomputer in China."
Nvidia's shares fell 5.8% in pre-market trading. Shares in rival chip maker AMD dropped 6.5%.
Asian technology giants also saw big declines. Testing equipment maker Advantest's shares fell 6.7% in Tokyo, Disco Corp. lost 7.6% and Taiwan's TSMC dropped 2.4%.
The news of the new controls came after Sen. Elizabeth Warren urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to impose restrictions on exports of Nvidia's H20 and other advanced AI chips to China.
"I write with great concern regarding reports that the Commerce Department has paused its plan to restrict the export of powerful advanced AI chips like Nvidia's H20 to the People's Republic of China (PRC)," Warren wrote in a letter posted on the website of the U.S. Senate's Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
It said former President Joe Biden had not included the H20 chips in controls his administration placed on exports of advanced AI chips.
The emergence of China's DeepSeek AI chatbot in January renewed concerns over how China might use the advanced chips to help develop its own AI capabilities.
Commerce Department officials were not immediately available for comment early Wednesday.
Nvidia said Monday it has commissioned more than one million square feet of manufacturing space to build and test its specialized Blackwell chips in Arizona and AI supercomputers in Texas — part of an investment the company said will produce up to half a trillion dollars of AI infrastructure in the next four years.
The announcement came after President Donald Trump and other officials said tariff exemptions on electronics like smartphones and laptops were only a temporary reprieve until officials develop a new tariff approach specific to the semiconductor industry.
Trump claimed Nvidia's decision as a victory for his effort to expand manufacturing in the U.S.factory
16 April 2025
Manufacturing Net
As Tariffs Put China-U.S. Trade In Peril, Chinese Businesses Ponder The FutureWhen the first two rounds of 10% tariffs hit, Zou Guoqing, a Chinese exporter, groaned but didn't find the barriers insurmountable. He gave up some of his profits and offered his client, a snow-bike factory in Nebraska, price cuts ranging from 5% to 10%. It seemed to work: The factory agreed to a new order of molds and parts.
But when President Donald Trump announced an additional 34% universal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2, Zou, who has been exporting to the United States for more than a decade, was incredulous.
"There's not a thread of feasibility," said Zou, who does business in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo. "It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the U.S."
Then came 50% more from Trump, followed by another increase that pushed the universal tariff on Chinese goods to 145%, and Zou said he now could only hope that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping can communicate. "We are pausing the shipments," he said, "until the leaders talk."
That U.S. tariff and the retaliatory 125% tariff from China are putting businesses that trade between the U.S. and China on edge. They are fretting not only about their next orders but also their viability if there is no quick relief. Experts are worried the decades-long trade ties that have underpinned the relationship between the world's two largest economies could be unraveling.
If the high tariff is sustained for the next six months or longer, "that would actually lead to a real effective decoupling between the American and Chinese economies," said Chen Zhiwu, professor of finance at Hong Kong University Business School.
Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, said the tariff, if kept in place, amounts to "almost a trade embargo," making it impossible for China to export low-value items such as apparel to the U.S. It also would force U.S. businesses to source elsewhere, away from China, if there should be alternatives, he said.
The Trump administration late Friday said it would exclude electronics such as smartphones and laptops from the reciprocal tariffs, which means they won't be subject to the 145% tariffs levied on China. The exemption seemed to reflect Trump's realization that his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones, computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon.
In China, the central tariff office declared there was "no possibility for market acceptance" of U.S. goods exported to China at the current tariff level.
"Everyone's pretty worried," said Hu Jianlong, founder of Brands Factory, a consultancy that works with Chinese companies trying to break into overseas markets. "At this point in time, there's no good way forward. This situation has not resolved ... there's no final number. And so everyone's still waiting to see how this will develop."
The tariff war has come more than 20 years after China, with the help of the United States, joined the World Trade Organization and began to see its economy soar on luring foreign investments and exporting to the U.S. and other Western markets. By last year, China-U.S. trade was $582 billion, but tensions have flared over China's widening trade imbalance with the U.S. That led to the first tariff skirmish during the first Trump term.
The trade deficit has since narrowed but stayed stubbornly high, at a time when the U.S. and other Western markets have also grown concerned about another onslaught of Chinese products such as electric vehicles.
During his term, Democratic President Joe Biden stressed that the U.S. was not trying to decouple from China but to "de-risk." He took the "small-yard, high-fence" approach, under which his administration put up barriers in targeted sectors such as advanced chips, artificial intelligence and quantum computing that have national security implications.
Now, Trump is declaring universal tariffs on Chinese goods but has said he's also willing to talk with Beijing. It remains unclear what the Republican president's goals might be.
"What are they looking for in those negotiations? How much is it possible to reduce these tariffs? What are the other demands apart from China removing its retaliatory tariffs that the United States wants to put forward. We don't know what that would be," said Greta Peisch, who served as the general counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in 2021-2024.
The message from China's leadership is loud and clear. It will talk only when the U.S. stops "maximum pressure and capricious and destructive behavior," said Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Li Cheng, professor of political science at the University of Hong Kong, said the Chinese leadership is upset over being singled out by Trump when the U.S. president paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days for all other countries. Beijing wants to make sure that "Donald Trump not state one thing in the morning and say other things in the evening," Li said, and that Trump's policies on China are not hijacked by his anti-China, hawkish advisers.
With no leadership-level negotiations in the immediate future, businesses are exploring their options.
Lisa Li, who works in sales for an athletic wear manufacturer in the northern Chinese province of Hebei, said her business was negotiating with clients over whether they could split the increased costs. It's too early to say if her company is to give up on the U.S. market, she said, but it will "definitely expand other avenues for sales," such as in Australia or Europe.
In the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, a manufacturing hub, a holiday lights maker was less optimistic. Bo, who shared only his surname out of concern for retaliation, said he could "only give up" if the tariff hikes were here to stay because other markets might not work.
"In the past few years, the European market has been in a slump," Bo said. "So we had wanted to try and develop our business in the United States."
In Hong Kong, Danny Lau, who runs an aluminum-coating factory in the nearby southern Chinese city of Dongguan, said one of his U.S clients would keep buying from him for an ongoing project but was unsure about the next project. Another client told Lau that the chances are slim to strike a deal when tariffs are so high. Lau has been exploring other markets, but he says it's not easy because some may find his high-quality products too expensive.
At a port in the Chinese city of Shanghai, ships heading to the U.S. had almost vanished by Thursday, the day after Trump's tariff on China took effect, according to a report by the financial news site Caixin. Major shipping lines were drastically cutting back on trans-Pacific routes, the report said.
For the longer term, the tariff war is likely to prompt Chinese businesses to diversify their supply chains and move part of their manufacturing capacity outside of China, and even to the United States, said Hu, the consultant.
Some might follow in the footsteps of the Tianjin steelmaking business, which gave up trading with the U.S. after both Trump and Biden raised tariffs on Chinese steel. "The best plan is to not come into contact," said David Yu, who works in the company's foreign sales department.
However, not everyone is ready to give up on the U.S. market. Zou, the exporter in Ningbo, describes the U.S. market as "reliable and without finicky demands."
"It's the best market on Earth," he said. "I am waiting for the rainbow after the storm."factory
16 April 2025
Manufacturing Net
Illinois Pipe Plant Destroyed By FireAn Illinois pipe manufacturing plant is considered a total loss after a three-alarm fire ripped through the facility early Monday, according to local reports.
Two employees arrived to work at Rovanco Piping Systems in Joliet at about 4 a.m. to find smoke, WGN-TV reported; by the time firefighters arrived, flames had spread to the plant’s roof. Local authorities told the station that the fire caused at least four explosions at the facility.
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One firefighter reportedly suffered burn injuries after entering the complex with others in an attempt to prevent the spread of the fire to an office area. He was reported to be in stable condition at a hospital near Chicago. No other injuries were reported, and authorities noted that favorable winds prevented the fire from threatening nearby homes.
But the plant’s open design, as well as delays in getting water to the unincorporated area of Joliet — where no hydrants are installed — hindered firefighters’ efforts at the facility itself. The building was considered a loss with damages estimated to be between $25 million and $30 million.
Rovanco makes pre-insulated diesel exhaust and fluid piping systems. The company had recently invested some $40 million in an expansion in Joliet, officials noted.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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WEBVTTX-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:000:00.009 --> 00:04.280An Illinois pipe manufacturing plant isconsidered a total loss after a 3 alarm fire00:04.280 --> 00:07.320ripped through the facility early Monday,according to local reports.00:07.510 --> 00:11.640Two employees arrived to work at Ravanco PipingSystems in Joliet at about 4 a.m.00:11.640 --> 00:13.960to find smoke.WGNTV reported.00:14.159 --> 00:17.270By the time firefighters arrived, flames hadspread to the plant's roof.00:17.399 --> 00:20.879Local authorities told the station that thefire caused at least 4 explosions at the.00:21.562 --> 00:25.273One firefighter reportedly suffered burninjuries after entering the complex with others00:25.273 --> 00:28.232in an attempt to prevent the spread of the fireto an office area.00:28.402 --> 00:31.632He was reported to be in stable condition at ahospital near Chicago.00:31.802 --> 00:35.283No other injuries were reported, andauthorities noted that favorable winds00:35.283 --> 00:38.673prevented the fire from threatening nearbyhomes, but the plant's open design,00:38.682 --> 00:41.763as well as delays in getting water to theunincorporated area of Joliet.00:42.326 --> 00:46.316Where no hydrants are installed, hinderedfirefighters' efforts at the facility itself.00:46.566 --> 00:51.326The building was considered a total loss withdamages estimated to be between $25 million.3000:51.326 --> 00:54.326million dollars.Raveco makes pre-insulated diesel exhaust and00:54.326 --> 00:57.765fluid piping systems.The company had recently invested some $4000:57.765 --> 01:00.395million in an expansion in Joliet, officialsnoted.01:00.726 --> 01:02.916The cause of the fire remains underinvestigation.01:03.125 --> 01:05.195I'm Andy Szal.This is manufacturing now.factory
16 April 2025
Manufacturing Net
New Infor Velocity Suite Accelerates Process Innovation With Generative AiInfor announced the general availability of Infor Velocity Suite, a complete offering of solutions and services to simplify process innovation and help customers stay agile, adaptable and innovative.
Built on the Infor Industry Cloud Platform, Infor Velocity Suite is designed to eliminate barriers to process innovation through a package of Infor technologies and services.
Infor Velocity Suite enables customers to realize greater business value as they:
Included in the Infor Velocity Suite is access to Infor Value+, a catalog of industry-specific solutions that leverage technologies such as generative AI and RPA to deliver efficiency and value in weeks.
Infor reported that these offerings have delivered positive outcomes for its customers, such as saving thousands of hours of manual and repetitive tasks, 90%-plus faster issue resolution time for customer support issues and millions of dollars of additional profit margins.
Infor Value+ includes dozens of carefully curated solutions that address processes across finance, customer service, supplier management, and customer management. Infor Value+ solutions include:factory
16 April 2025
Manufacturing Net
Trump Exempts Nearly 70 Coal Plants From Biden-Era Rule On Mercury, Other Toxic Air PollutionWASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has granted nearly 70 coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene.
A list quietly posted as of Tuesday on the Environmental Protection Agency's website lists 47 power providers — which operate at least 66 coal-fired plants — that are receiving exemptions from the Biden-era rules under the Clean Air Act, including a regulation limiting air pollution from mercury and other toxins. The actions follow an executive order last week by President Donald Trump aimed at boosting the struggling coal industry, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been in decline.
Among plants receiving exemptions is the Colstrip Generating Station, a massive power plant in Colstrip, Montana, that emits more toxic air pollutants such as lead and arsenic than any other U.S. facility of its kind, according to the EPA. Other plants with exemptions include Coal Creek Station, a large power plant in North Dakota that is among the nation’s top producers of mercury emissions, and the Oak Grove plant in Texas, another large polluter.
The exempted plants are owned by some of the nation’s largest power companies, including Talen Energy, Dominion Energy, NRG Energy and Southern Co.
The exemptions also apply to four plants operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's largest public utility.
The EPA said in a statement Tuesday that the presidential exemptions “will bolster coal-fired electricity generation, ensuring that our nation’s grid is reliable, that electricity is affordable for the American people, and that EPA is helping to promote our nation’s energy security."
Michelle Bloodworth, president of a lobbying group for coal-fired plants, said Trump recognizes that the nation’s coal fleet is “essential to maintaining a healthy and secure electricity supply – the backbone of our economy."
Rules imposed under former President Joe Biden “were inconsistent with the Clean Air Act and based on an improper analysis of data,” she said.
The mercury rule, finalized last year, could have contributed to the premature retirement of dozens of coal units, Bloodworth said, adding that the plants are needed to support reliability of the electric grid.
Environmentalists called the exemptions — which require a presidential finding that technology required to meet the new rules is not widely available and that continued activity of the plants advances national security — a dereliction of duty by Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“These passes to pollute carve a ragged hole through the heart of federal protections for the air we breathe,” said Maya Golden-Krasner, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. “To suggest that it’s a matter of national security to force people from Montana to Alabama to inhale more neurotoxins is offensive. This is what it looks like to put polluter profits ahead of the wellbeing of Americans and the planet.”
Environmental groups and public health advocates have denounced the administration’s plan to grant exemptions, which they say could allow hundreds of companies to evade laws meant to protect the environment and public health.
Critics call the new email address set up by the EPA to request the exemptions a “polluters’ portal.”
Exemptions can be given for nine EPA rules, including limits on mercury, ethylene oxide and other hazardous air pollutants. Mercury exposure can cause brain damage, especially in children, and birth defects can occur after exposure in a mother’s womb.
Last week, in a series of executive orders, Trump used his emergency authority to allow some older coal-fired power plants set for retirement to keep producing electricity to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. Trump also directed federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining and prioritize coal leasing on U.S. lands.
Trump, a Republican, has long promised to boost what he calls “beautiful” coal to fire power plants and for other uses.factory
16 April 2025Aviation Week Network-Factory
China Eastern Widens European Reach With Milan, Copenhagen RoutesChina Eastern Airlines is set to add two more new European destinations to its network this summer, as Chinese carriers continue to capitalize on access to Russian airspace to grow their long-haul operations.
The airline has opened reservations for new services from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Copenhagen and Milan. While it already serves Milan from Xi’an—a route launched in September 2024—Copenhagen will be a new addition to its network and mark China Eastern’s 15th destination in Europe, including points in Russia.
Flights to Milan Malpensa Airport will start on June 20, operating daily using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Service to Copenhagen Kastrup Airport—the main hub of SkyTeam alliance partner Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)—will begin on July 17, operating three times per week using A330-200s.
China Eastern will compete with Air China’s daily service on the Shanghai–Milan route, while the Shanghai–Copenhagen market remains unserved—positioning China Eastern as the sole operator on that city pair.
According to OAG Schedules Analyser, Copenhagen’s only current connection to mainland China is Air China’s daily flight from Beijing Capital International Airport. SAS previously operated Copenhagen–Shanghai, but discontinued the service in November 2024, citing market conditions.
In contrast, Milan Malpensa enjoys wider connectivity, with nonstop flights to nine Chinese cities: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wenzhou, Xi’an and Zhengzhou.
The latest additions by China Eastern, first reported by Aeroroutes, come ahead of the airline’s upcoming launch of a Shanghai–Geneva service, scheduled to begin on June 16 with four flights per week. The carrier is also increasing frequencies on its Shanghai–Venice Marco Polo Airport route, adding a fourth weekly flight to the service that began last September.
The move is part of a broader trend among Chinese carriers, which are actively rebuilding and expanding their European networks. A key driver of this resurgence is China’s continued access to Russian airspace—a corridor that remains closed to most Western airlines due to sanctions related to the war in Ukraine.
This access gives Chinese carriers a notable competitive edge on Europe-bound routes, enabling them to fly shorter, more fuel-efficient paths compared to their European counterparts, who are forced to take longer detours around restricted airspace.
Other new routes scheduled by Chinese airlines for the summer 2025 season include Sichuan Airlines’ four-times-weekly service between Chengdu Tianfu and Madrid Barajas Airport, launching April 27; Hainan Airlines’ weekly flight from Haikou to London Heathrow, starting May 7; and Air China’s resumption of its Chengdu Tianfu–Paris Charles de Gaulle route on April 28, returning after a five-year hiatus.
OAG data shows that total two-way seat capacity between mainland China and Europe, excluding Russia, is projected to reach approximately 10.3 million during the northern summer 2025 season—a 7% increase year-on-year. Chinese carriers will account for around 82.5% of that capacity, up from their 66% share in summer 2019, prior to the pandemic and the closure of Russian airspace to most Western operators.factory
16 April 2025Property Forum
Segro Completes Bts Warehouse In Central PolandThe grand opening of 18,000 sqm logistics hub at Segro Logistics Park Stryków took place on 14 April 2025. The main tenant is DPD. The courier company currently leases a total of more than 35,000 sqm in the Segro portfolio in Poland.
The logistics hub at Segro Logistics Park Stryków is DPD Poland's fourth sorting facility. Its 18,000 sqm of space consists of 16,300 sqm of warehouse and 1,700 sqm of offices and social areas. One of the hallmarks of the facility is a gantry equipped with tablets through which TIR drivers can register their entries and exits, helping improve the efficiency of operations. In addition, due to DPD's needs at this location, the warehouse space has been equipped with a two-level loop sorter, which significantly improves the process of picking and segregating parcels.
Maksymilian Pawłowski, Head of Corporate Communications, DPD Polska, said: "A new nationwide sorting facility has been established at Segro Logistics Park Stryków to handle general cargo shipments destined for DPD's OOH Pickup network - that is, 32,000 points and parcel machines. Ultimately, we plan to employ between 320 and 350 people there. We are pleased that our new employees will be able to use the chill-out zones prepared by Segro, and the fact that the facility provides a comfortable working environment and biodiversity around the site."
The facility benefits from 50 kW photovoltaic panels, which will help DPD reduce its energy costs and carbon footprint. At the same time, Segro provides energy exclusively from wind and solar to customers in all its parks in Poland.
Bartosz Michalski, Director, Logistics, Poland, Segro, explains: "The new building for DPD at Segro Logistics Park Stryków is first and foremost an eco-friendly space. It has a BREEAM certificate at the Excellent level, in which the management of water, waste and energy, as well as the care for the well-being of the customer's employees, were particularly highly rated. Our latest project in Stryków sets market trends in Poland for green warehouse facilities."
Segro Logistics Park Stryków is the flagship and largest park in Segro's portfolio in Poland. Its current size is almost 320,000 sqm with the potential to expand and build more facilities with a total area of almost 44,000 sqm. The park's location near the intersection of the A1 and A2 highways facilitates quick transportation in all directions, while its proximity to Łódź guarantees access to human resources.factory
16 April 2025Manufacturing Business Technology
Helping U.S. Manufacturers Navigate Tariffs With Automated Documentation, Compliance ManagementCofactr, a source-to-pay and logistics platform for hardware manufacturers, announced its work with U.S. manufacturers to comply with tariff regulations and manage evolving trade policies in real time.
The company helps manufacturers mitigate the impact of newly imposed tariffs on U.S. imports by increasing the end-to-end visibility of their supply chains and automating critical documentation processes within its platform.
As a result, manufacturers can accurately classify products and calculate tariffs on each of their individual imports and seamlessly prepare records for regulatory procedures like duty drawbacks, temporary import bonding and de minimis exemptions.
Even U.S. manufacturers who assemble products onshore source at least some of their parts internationally, putting them and every other U.S. manufacturer in a period of transition as they navigate the new tariffs and changes to their supply chain operations.
As part of this, manufacturers must track millions of components as they move along the supply chain and properly classify each product by country-of-origin and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes, or codes used to identify products for duty rates, to calculate tariffs.
For many manufacturers, these processes are still completed manually, based on packing slips, commercial invoices, spreadsheets and physical files. This leaves little room to scale to the requirements of the new tariffs and results in increased errors.
Manufacturers can use Cofactr’s platform to manage the impact of tariffs and prepare for changing trade policies and processes in real time:
“Manufacturers often don’t know there’s an issue with their shipment until it’s being held up by customs, and it could be for something as simple as a misclassified part or a single blank space among a stack of documents, but by then they’re already facing fines and production delays,” Cofactr Co-founder and CEO Matthew Haber said.factory
16 April 2025PR Newswire
Bluefin Strengthens Environmental Responsibility Commitment By Achieving Iso 14001:2015 AccreditationLAFAYETTE, La., April 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BlueFin, a 100% employee-owned, GATE Energy company, and a leading provider of field services to the energy industry, is proud to announce that they have achieved ISO 14001:2015 accreditation by DNV, a globally recognized certification body. This milestone highlights BlueFin's commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable business practices.
Building on their foundation of quality and safety excellence, BlueFin achieved ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certification through DNV in 2023. The company has since expanded their focus into environmental management, ensuring that their operations align with internationally recognized environmental standards.
Crystal Yoes, President of BlueFin's Pipeline, Process and Industrial division, said, "Achieving this certification demonstrates our ongoing commitment to minimizing environmental impact while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. We take pride in implementing best practices that not only enhance operational efficiency but also contribute to a more sustainable future for our industry."
ISO 14001:2015 certification sets the framework for effective environmental management systems (EMS) by helping organizations improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and comply with environmental regulations. BlueFin's achievement reinforces its dedication to responsible business practices while supporting clients in meeting their own environmental goals.
With this accreditation, BlueFin continues to uphold its values of innovation, integrity, and sustainability, ensuring its operations align with global environmental and regulatory standards.
About BlueFin
BlueFin, a 100% employee-owned, GATE Energy company, is the field services arm of GATE Energy. BlueFin provides completions, flushing, testing, cleaning and joint integrity for energy facilities and assets. Their core services are centered around construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning and decommissioning of pipelines, process piping and umbilicals. Their operational maintenance field services are centered around both onshore and offshore process facilities, pipelines and industrial plants.
For more information on BlueFin, visit www.bluefin.energy
About GATE Energy
GATE Energy, a 100% employee-owned ESOP, provides predictable project delivery services to the energy sector. They design, build, commission, and start energy facilities and assets without cost and schedule blowouts by using parametric prediction models, providing tight project controls and by actively eliminating operation problems during the project's design phase.
For more information on GATE Energy, visit www.gate.energy
SOURCE BlueFinfactory
15 April 2025Battery News
Man Launches Battery Assembly In NurembergMAN Truck & Bus has started production of battery packs for electric commercial vehicles at its Nuremberg site. According to the company, it invested around 250 million euros in the respective infrastructure. Production is said to be initially designed for 50,000 battery packs per year and could be doubled to 100,000 packs if demand is sufficient.
The production process is organized on a modular basis, not line-bound, and supported by automated transport systems. According to MAN, this structure makes it possible to adapt to different product variants. MAN has also announced that for future battery generations it will produce not only the battery packs but also the modules in Nuremberg. The externally sourced battery cells are based on NMC chemistry.
Both the German federal and state governments are funding the project to the tune of around 18 million euros. The Free State of Bavaria is providing an additional 30 million euros for research into cell chemistry, aging behavior, and battery safety. Series production of the new eTrucks is scheduled to start at the companyʼs Munich plant in June 2025. MAN currently expects that by 2030 around half of all trucks in Europe and around 90 percent of all city buses will be delivered with zero-emission drives.
Source:https://press.mantruckandbus.com/corporate/man-invests-half-a-billion-euros-in-nuremberg/factory
15 April 2025Manufacturing Net
Did Humans Summon The Ai Demon?About 10 years ago, Elon Musk said, “With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon.”
Musk referred to AI as humanity’s “biggest existential threat” and later posted on social media that AI could be “more dangerous than nukes.”
Musk also posted that humans could serve as the “biological boot loader for digital superintelligence.”
Most Read on Manufacturing.net:
Artificial intelligence continues to evolve and has become a buzzword in the manufacturing industry, sparking debate whether it will eventually replace human labor. However, AI experts prefer to describe the technology as a tool that complements humans.
In this Q&A, Manufacturing.net spoke with Stephen Graham, executive vice president and general manager of Hexagon Nexus, and Ivan Madera, the CEO and founder of Adaptiv AI, to explore if Musk’s concerns from a decade ago still stand and what modern day issues AI presents.
Stephen Graham (SG): No. Although that deserves a bit of unpacking. As a concept, Musk’s argument holds, but today’s technology is nowhere near advanced enough to create this kind of existential threat.
Achieving artificial general intelligence would require intentional design, and we are far from that reality. In this sense, the concern remains more science fiction than immediate threat, one that may not materialize for decades, if ever.
Ivan Madera (IM): If unconstrained or not monitored, yes, AI can become an existential threat to humanity. For example, if AI surpasses human intelligence, it could potentially pursue goals misaligned with human values.
However, there are benefits that counteract the potential risks of AI if applied properly. For manufacturing, AI-led solutions can provide a path toward an autonomous workforce to augment complex tasks for a depleted and vanishing skilled workforce.
SG: AI has become more powerful and more accessible due to increased cloud processing capabilities. Now, AI concerns are no longer about the theoretical risks of superintelligent machines, but driven by rapid advancements.
The rise of generative AI, which can even pass the Turing test in some cases, has made the idea of artificial general intelligence feel more tangible, even though it remains theoretical.
IM: The increased use of AI and automation in handling sensitive information has raised valid concerns about data privacy and security. However, if models or AI are used in private environments, they can be highly impactful in safeguarding sensitive data.
SG: There are two major concerns with AI today.
First, AI is a powerful productivity tool that can be used for good or has the potential to be misused. For example, a bad actor could leverage generative AI to create harmful pathogens. It’s an ongoing arms race rather than a unique threat, but one that warrants attention.
The second, and arguably more significant, issue is the unintended consequences AI can have. A classic example is the parable of the paper clip factory, where AI was instructed to maximize productivity and it eventually turned the entire planet into paper clips. AI succeeded in its task but created overwhelming unintended consequences.
While this is a fictional story, it illustrates a real-world risk we see today, particularly in social media. AI-driven engagement algorithms can inadvertently fuel mental health crises, political polarization and even threaten democracy.
IM: There are several present dangers and challenges posed by AI systems that are already having real-world impacts.
Bias and discrimination: AI systems can perpetuate or even amplify human biases present in the data they are trained on, leading to unfair and discriminatory outcomes, particularly for marginalized groups.
Lack of transparency and accountability: The complexity of AI systems can make it difficult to understand how they make decisions, leading to a lack of transparency and accountability when things go wrong. The intersection of human intelligence in pre-training models is paramount.
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15 April 2025Manufacturing Net
South Korea To Boost Support Of Semiconductor Industry In The Face Of Trump'S TariffsSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Tuesday it will expand its financial support package for its crucial semiconductor industry to 33 trillion won (about $23 billion) in part of efforts to address uncertainties posed by the Trump administration’s tariff hikes.
The package represents roughly a 26% increase from the 26 trillion won (about $18 billion) announced last year. Officials are focusing on providing low-cost loans, subsidies and other financial incentives to stimulate investment in the semiconductor sector. The government aims to facilitate the development of advanced chips by expanding financial assistance for research and development activities and high-tech manufacturing equipment
Officials also plan to boost spending on industrial infrastructure, including covering the larger part of the costs for building underground power transmission systems in semiconductor clusters in the cities of Yongin and Pyeongtaek, which have attracted investments from chip giants Samsung and SK Hynix.
The government said in a statement that the plans aim to address uncertainties stemming from U.S. trade policies and to maintain the competitiveness of South Korea’s chip industry. There are growing concerns that South Korean companies are falling behind rivals in Taiwan and other countries in producing high-tech chips for artificial intelligence and advanced applications, while Chinese competitors are rapidly closing the gap in memory chips.
“The U.S. government has postponed its plans for reciprocal tariffs for 90 days. There’s anticipation that product-specific tariffs will be announced for sectors such as semiconductors or pharmaceuticals,” South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok said in a policy meeting on Tuesday. “This is a valuable time to strengthen the competitiveness of our companies in the face of a global trade war.”
South Korea plans to dispatch a delegation to the United States soon to address recent tariff hikes and other trade concerns, part of Seoul’s ongoing efforts to shield the country’s export-driven economy from negative impacts.
The government also last week launched an emergency funding program worth 3 trillion won ($2 billion) to help its automobile industry cope with the impact of increased tariffs imposed by the United States. That package includes expanded low-cost financing from state-run lenders, as well as a new financing program backed by auto giants Hyundai and Kia, along with financial institutions, aimed at supporting struggling carmakers and auto parts manufacturers.factory
15 April 2025Manufacturing Net
Raw Materials To Keep British Steel Plant Operating Reach UkLONDON (AP) — The U.K. government said Tuesday that it had bought enough raw materials to keep Britain’s last steelmaking blast furnaces operating for the “coming weeks.”
The announcement came amid fears that the government’s decision to wrest control of British Steel from its Chinese owners would deepen tensions between the U.K. and China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday warned against “politicizing” the issue as British officials raised concerns about Chinese investment in strategic industries.
The issue has dominated British politics since Saturday, when Prime Minister Keir Starmer recalled lawmakers from their spring recess so Parliament could pass emergency legislation allowing the government to take operational control of British Steel.
That move was spurred by reports that the company’s owners, China’s Jingye Group, were trying to shut down steelmaking operations in Scunthorpe, northern England, by starving the plant of the iron ore and coking coal needed to keep the blast furnaces operating. That raised the prospect that Britain would lose its last plant capable of making high-quality steel from scratch because once blast furnaces are shut down it is difficult and expensive to restart them.
The Department for Business and Trade said shipments of the raw materials that had been waiting at the port of Immingham will be unloaded on Tuesday after the government agreed to pay for them. A separate shipment is on the way from Australia after the government resolved a legal dispute with Jingye.
“After intensive work over the weekend, the government has secured coke and iron ore pellets for the blast furnaces and is confident there will be enough materials to keep the furnaces burning,” the department said in a statement.
While Jingye remains the owner of British Steel, the government has said temporary nationalization is likely as it looks for other investors to rescue the company.
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday warned Britain to treat Jingye fairly and avoid “politicizing and over-securitizing” the issue, “so as not to affect the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing and cooperating in the U.K.”factory
15 April 2025Manufacturing Net
U.S. Moves Ahead On Tariffs With Investigations Into Computer Chips, PharmaceuticalsBANGKOK (AP) — The Trump administration has taken its next steps toward imposing more tariffs on key imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chip making equipment and pharmaceuticals.
The Department of Commerce posted notices about the probes late Monday on the Federal Register, seeking public comment within three weeks. It had not formally announced them earlier.
Although President Donald Trump paused most of his biggest tariff hikes last week for 90 days, apart from those for imports from China, he has said he still plans tariffs on pharmaceutical drugs, lumber, copper and computer chips.
The Commerce Department said it is investigating how imports of computer chips, equipment to make them and products that contain them — which include many daily necessities such as cars, refrigerators, smart phones and other items — affect national security. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 permits the president to order tariffs for the sake of national security.
The probe includes assessing the potential for U.S. domestic production of computer chips to meet U.S. demand and the role of foreign manufacturing and assembly, testing and packaging in meeting those needs.
Among other aspects of the entire computer chip supply chain, the government intends to also study the risks of having computer chip production concentrated in other places and the impact on U.S. competitiveness from foreign government subsidies, "foreign unfair trade practices and state-sponsored overcapacity."
After Trump said electronics would not be included in what his administration calls "reciprocal" tariffs of up to 50% on some nations, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick explained in an interview on ABC News that pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and autos will be handled with "sector specific" tariffs.
"And those are not available for negotiation," Lutnick said. "They are just going to be part of making sure we reshore the core national security items that need to be made in this country. We need to make medicine in this country," he said. "We need to make semiconductors."
The investigation into pharmaceutical imports includes ingredients used to make such drugs and touches on many of the same aspects of relying on imports to make them.
Asked about his plans for more tariffs on pharmaceuticals, Trump said Monday, "Yeah, we're going to be doing that."
He said it would be in the "not too distant future."
"We're doing it because we want to make our own drugs," he said.
More than 70% of the materials, or active pharmaceutical ingredients, used to make medicines made in the United States are produced in other countries, with India, the European Union and China leading suppliers. The U.S. produces about a fifth of all pharmaceuticals made worldwide, but consumes about 45%, far more than any other country.
The U.S. also is a major producer of semiconductors, but only in some areas. It relies heavily on imports from Taiwan and South Korea for certain kinds of advanced chips. In particular, Taiwan dominates advanced logic chip production at 92% of all fabrication capacity according to the International Trade Administration, with South Korea making 8%.
Products like laptops, smartphones and the components needed to make them accounted for nearly $174 billion in U.S. imports from China last year. The administration's plans suggest that such electronics will still be taxed by previous (non-"reciprocal") tariffs — and potentially under additional, sector-specific levies.
Although major computer chip makers like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. are investing heavily in U.S. manufacturing facilities, partly due to incentives put in place during former President Joe Biden's time in office, the costly process of changing entire supply chains would take years.
Separately, the Commerce Department said Monday that it was withdrawing from a 2019 agreement that had suspended an antidumping investigation into imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, effective in 90 days. It said the current arrangement failed to protect U.S. growers from "unfairly priced" imports of tomatoes. Most tomatoes from Mexico will be subject to a 20.91% tariff, it said.factory
15 April 2025Aviation Week Network-Factory
Delta Subsidiary Starts A220 Part-OutOne of the youngest aircraft types in the world fleet, the Airbus A220, is undergoing its first part-out under a deal between Delta Material Services and lessor Azorra.
The former EgyptAir aircraft, an A220-300, is currently undergoing teardown to provide parts that will support the repair needs of Delta Air Lines’ fleet and other global airlines. In addition, Azorra is leasing the engines to Delta to support its existing A220 fleet.
The Pratt & Whitney PW1500G engines that power A220 aircraft have been subject to similar inspection and maintenance challenges—and spare engine shortages—as the PW1100G on the A320neo family.
Azorra said it is the first lessor to develop such a solution for the A220, the -300 variant of which entered service at the end of 2016, when it was named the Bombardier CS300.
“Our collaboration with Azorra is vital to ensuring we minimize the disruption caused by the parts shortages and supply chain issues our industry faces,” said Mike McBride, vice president of maintenance operations at Delta Material Services.
There are 457 A220 aircraft in service, according to Aviation Week Network’s Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast 2025, of which 391 are the larger -300 variant. Of the total A220 fleet, 75 are between 7-12 years old, according to the data, while the rest are six years old or younger.factory
15 April 2025