NewsfactoryHow Kubota Tractor Farms Technology
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industry week
Feb 14, 2025How Kubota Tractor Farms Technology
Unless manufacturers thoroughly understand the problems they’re trying to solve with technology— and can work with the mercurial nature of tech companies — they’re wasting time, money, and putting tried-and-true processes at risk.
If you don’t really understand the pain point, you could solve for a technology problem, but it’s the wrong problem. You could miss a chance to lock up IP and surrender long term competitive advantage. And you could wind up with multiple companies, organizations and departments who cannot coordinate with one another and figure out how to commercialize anything.
The challenge feels pronounced for a company like Kubota, a venerable component of the heavy industrial sector. Kubota built its reputation on manufacturing tractors and construction equipment – tough solid vehicles built to withstand punishment and the test of time. Kubota’s R&D process takes between 18 months and two years to ensure adherence to the company’s unyielding quality standards.
Technology startups don’t operate that way. They are serial risk takers with high tolerance for failure, creating success from nimble iteration. So how does a company like Kubota manage to blend stable, predictable product design strategies with tech companies whose rapid iteration cycles feel unstable by comparison?
You don’t.
That’s what Todd Stucke, president of Kubota Tractor, finally realized. The solution lies in hooking these two very different ways of operating under a new, shared leadership structure specifically for technology development, giving one room to breathe without sacrificing the quality standards enforced by the other.
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Battery News
Customcells To Build Pilot Production Facility For Round CellsGerman battery developer CustomCells will be participating in a research project in Baden-Württemberg for the further development of battery cells. As part of the “Roundabout” project, a pilot production facility for large-format round cells is to be built in Tübingen. The state government is funding the project with a total of eight million euros. Research partners are the Baden-Württemberg Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW), the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) as well as the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
The research focuses on the development and production of large-format round cells with a diameter of 46 millimeters. This design is expected to offer advantages such as high energy density, efficient heat dissipation, and mechanical stability. The aim of the project is to strengthen innovation in the field of battery technology in Baden-Württemberg and to secure industrial value creation in the state. With the intended pilot production in Tübingen, CustomCells aims to accelerate the transition from research to industrial production. Digital production processes and automated manufacturing technologies are set to enable efficient scaling. In addition to customers in Baden-Württemberg, the production will also address the European market.
Source:https://customcells.com/customcells-advances-development-of-innovative-round-cellfactory
14 March 2025
aviation week network factory
Flight Friday: Spirit Airlines May Be Looking To MergeWith less than a month to go until the aviation community meets in Atlanta for the 2025 edition of MRO Americas, this week’s Flight Friday has a U.S.-focused theme, specifically Spirit Airlines, which has just emerged from Chapter 11 restructuring.
Spirit Airlines has longed for a new suitor, previously having “dates” with both JetBlue Airways and Frontier Airlines, but the Florida-based ULCC eventually entered Chapter 11 in November 2024.
Spirit entered the pandemic with a fleet of almost 150 aircraft and aggressively grew its fleet to over 210 aircraft since then, trying to attract the attention of potential suitors. However, Spirit has been hindered, in part, by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G (GTF) durability issues. Over 50% of Spirit’s current fleet comprises GTF-powered Airbus 320/321neo aircraft.
The impact of the durability issue began in August 2023, following Pratt’s announcement of the issues related to the GTF. The “ground days” of aircraft powered by the GTF (note “ground days” could be for any reason, maintenance, AOG, or regular operations, etc.) began to rise from 15% in August 2023 up to almost 30% in February 2025.
The GTF’s durability issues are not the only reason that utilization varies so much. In the months just before Spirit announced that it was entering Chapter 11, the data shows a drop in utilization as Spirit parked aircraft to deal with its financial issues.
The aggregate highs of the summer of 2024 peaked at a little over 26,000 flights in a month, and aggregate utilization was down to around 18,000 flights per month in early 2025.
Now that Spirit has emerged from Chapter 11 with a reduced debt and a stronger financial position, it will go about its business, probably still looking for a suitor.
This data was put together using Aviation Week’s Tracked Aircraft Utilization database.factory
14 March 2025
BUILDING DESIGN
What Made This Project… Ice Factory By Buckley Gray YeomanBuckley Gray Yeoman transformed a former industrial building into vibrant workspace, retail space and two new restaurants over five floors
Buckley Gray Yeoman’s body of work made the shortlist at last year’s AYAs, as the practice was named a finalist for two awards, including Refurbishment Architect of the Year.
In this series, we take a look at one of the team’s entry projects and ask the firm’s board director, Andrew Henriques, to break down some of the biggest specification challenges that needed to be overcome.
The scheme serves as the next chapter in the redevelopment of a former industrial site into Eccleston Yards
27 Eccleston Place is about the adaptation, reuse and extension of a 19th century industrial brick building set in the heart of London’s trendy Belgravia. We were appointed by the Grosvenor Estate in 2018 to consider how the building could be repurposed for workplace, retail and restaurant use. This followed the success of the Eccleston Yards project on the same urban block.
We arrived at a brick building with great industrial DNA. Its character has evolved through various adaptations and extensions spanning 150 years, starting with a warehouse, changing to an ice store, and a car repair garage in that timescale.
Every historical adaptation has left an imprint on the external fabric. These architectural records are revealed in the variety of brickwork, brick colour, brick coursing types and patch repair infills visible on the external walls, which become architectural tide marks.
We borrowed this honest approach to layering for the new brick addition, informed by the notion of celebrating the new intervention without losing the reference to the building’s past. A new brick insertion was conceived, ensuring the new extensions were sympathetic to the host building, with the new brick blend selected based on the tonal qualities of the host brick architecture.
We worked the site’s orientation to bring daylight into the deeper parts of the plan. Its distinctive roof shape evolved from our daylight studies that culminated in the expression of the sawtooth, a poet nod to traditional factory roofs, the building’s heritage, as well as functionally minimising solar gain through its north-facing orientation. The expression of a contemporary brick portal quartet gives the building a unique angular hat and a new identity.
The design team arrived at a brick building, its character evolved through various adaptations and extensions spanning 150 years
The main challenge was balancing heritage qualities with modern performance requirements whilst creating a flexible, adaptable building for future change. This was addressed through:
The main challenge was balancing heritage qualities with modern performance requirements
The brickwork. They were produced by a British brick manufacturer called Charnwood.
The project involved collaboration with several key consultants, including:
The most significant achievement appears to be the successful transformation of a 19th century industrial building into a modern, sustainable workspace whilst celebrating its traditional architectural characteristics. The new additions continue the retrofit narrative inherent to the building, a process that has seen the building embrace change and evolve over the past 150 years. Therefore, the project exemplifies how industrial heritage buildings can be successfully adapted to balance heritage and environmental standards.
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Architect Buckley Gray YeomanClient Grosvenor Britain & IrelandProject manager TridentM&E consultant Hurley Palmer FlattSustainability consultant Tuffin Ferraby TaylorStructural engineer Heyne Tillett SteelQuantity surveyor Leslie ClarkPlanning consultant Gerald EveApproved inspector Approved Inspector ServicesPrincipal designer AECOMDaylight and sunlight consultants JMR SurveyorsRights of light/party wall surveyors Anstey HorneAcoustic consultant Theatre ProjectsHeritage consultant Donald Insall Associates Fire consultant The Fire SurgeyTransport consultant SystraContractor Collins ConstructionSpecialist brickwork contractor LangsdalePolished concrete flooring Lazenbyskyscraper
14 March 2025
Battery News
Farasis Presents 6C Fast-Charging Battery SystemChinese battery manufacturer Farasis Energy has unveiled a further development of its technology that enables 6C fast charging. According to the company, the battery system has been optimized using a proprietary simulation model (ROM) for a charging time of approximately ten minutes. The technology is offered for both lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and lithium-based ternary batteries, with the latter supporting 5C fast charging.
According to Farasis, the structural adaptation of the battery, in particular the so-called super pouch solution design, is intended to significantly increase the heat dissipating surface area. This improves the thermal stability of the batteries and increases charging efficiency. The company points out that the temperature of the batteries can be kept below 50°C during the fast-charging process.
Farasis attributes the advancement in charging speed to the companyʼs proprietary simulation model used to optimize battery design parameters. The model enables faster analysis of the optimal cell architecture and is designed to make the development process more efficient. According to the company, the ROM requires only ten seconds to perform a fast-charging simulation, compared to several hours for conventional simulation software.
Source:https://cnevpost.com/2025/03/10/farasis-battery-tech-6c-charging/factory
13 March 2025
industry week
Many Engine Launches, Much Retooling At CumminsAnna Dibble can testify to the staying power of manufacturing careers. The operations leader of Cummins Inc.’s engine business unit, Dibble has spent 33 years with the global engine and power systems company. She started at the Jamestown, New York, plant when she was 19, a summer hire on break from Pennsylvania State University.
“I grew up in Jamestown, and I happened to walk in,” she recalls. “And then after that summer, I came back as an intern.” Since then, “I’ve just had different opportunities that have led me to stay with the company and continue to build a career.” Tuition reimbursement from Cummins led her to ultimately earn an MBA and also a master’s in manufacturing management and engineering from General Motors Institute, now Kettering University.
Today, Dibble manages the 998,000-square-foot Jamestown engine plant, as well as engine plants in Rocky Mount, North Carolina; Columbus, Indiana; Darlington, England; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. “I do get to the other sites pretty often,” says Dibble. “Luckily, we have a lot of advancements in communication that are extremely helpful.”
Recently, Dibble and her teams have been preparing launches of several new engines at the plants she oversees. In September 2024, after undergoing more than $450 million in improvements, the 50-year-old Jamestown plant launched production of the X15N natural gas engine, the first iteration of Cummins’ fuel-agnostic ICE platform for lower-carbon fuel.
IndustryWeek talked with Dibble about the teamwork behind readying plants, people and processes for new launches, practical applications of Cummin’s “Destination Zero” zero emissions energy reduction strategy and more.
Dibble: Right now, we’re launching [the new B-6.7 engine for the Dodge Ram] at the Columbus plant. There are two plants in Columbus. We have the engine plant and a plant where they actually push blocks and heads for our heavy-duty product, which are shipped to the Jamestown plant. We've made investments at both of those sites.
So the way Cummins has established a vision for the future, we talk a lot about our product strategy, which is around what we call our HELM platforms. HELM stands for higher efficiency, lower emissions, multiple fuels. It’s a platform that we use for our fuel-agnostic platform strategy, and as part of that, we talk about how our product strategy is used and flexible across the range of fuels within our Destination Zero strategy.
There's the product side of it, but there's also the facility readiness side. Destination Zero includes improvements in our facilities that allow us to improve our communities, and we do that through improvements in water, waste, energy, pollution prevention.
We are just starting on the product-introduction side. We've introduced the first 15-liter natural gas engine, the first on-highway heavy-duty live haul application, at the Jamestown plant. That is the same platform that will be introduced with advanced diesel, and then the same base engine platform, which can also be used for future engine development for hydrogen or other alternative fuels.
Right now we're in production with the natural gas engine. The advanced diesel version will come out later, and then the other fuels will follow.
We’re investing in the plants for readiness for these products and advanced equipment machining processes—but we’re also investing in the plants for Destination Zero. We have targets that we put out towards 2030 and track all of the sites related to the major environmental initiatives on how we're doing on waste reduction.
We track our energy usage and energy efficiency. We track our water usage. We’re doing a lot around water and recirculating systems so that we reuse water into our process systems and our equipment, and then we're doing a lot around pollution prevention.
We are investing in new equipment for products and making sure that the new machines that we purchase and install are at the latest standards—and from an efficiency standpoint, are the latest and greatest. But we're also investing in some of our older equipment to bring those up to the same standards and actually reduce our footprint and our impact of older processing equipment as well.
At most of our plants, we have our assembly processes, but we also have heavy-machining equipment, and we produce both cylinder blocks and cylinder heads. We have some equipment that's been in place for 40, 45 years, and some brand-new equipment where the technology and tooling have advanced significantly.
We've been able to retool lines, and we're taking away things from high-energy usage machines that would have to run 24 hours a day, to those machines where we can actually reduce our water and energy impact—recirculate as well as having as-needed, on-demand capability [rather than constantly running machines]. It's allowing us a lot of flexibility in the new product programs that we're investing in heavily, and that's allowing us significant improvement as we take out both lines. As they sunset, we're redoing old equipment and trying to upgrade at the same time.
Assembly processes are another area where our plants are upgrading to produce new products. We need new tools and technologies to do so. So, we will do things like reduce compressed air usage and improve our lighting systems in the plants. We ask things like, “Is there more that we can do around dunnage? And how do we recycle the more returnable dunnage?” Those types of initiatives are where we're reducing our environmental impact.
Right now, our business is really strong. We're running really high demand, particularly at the Jamestown plant. We often refer to this as “trying to change some wheels on the buses.” We're going down the thruway. We’re trying to make these investments and changeover while continuing to support the current needs and demands for the plant.
In a couple of cases, we've been able to clear out areas, and we're installing new machines into greenfield types of areas that we've been able to clean.
In other areas, like the 15-liter engine block line, we have a current block line that we’re going to shut down for a small period of time and retool it. And so depending on the product, we are taking multiple approaches. We're installing new where we have space to do so. In some cases, we will shut down ... and then in a lot of our assembly areas, we're actually upgrading as we're continuing to run. During downtimes of holidays, weekends and between shifts, we're using the opportunity to convert and upgrade lines.
There are lot of pieces that do have to come together, but it is really exciting, and the biggest investment that we've seen at the plant level in our career. So the employees are excited, the leadership teams are excited and our communities are excited.
There are certainly some cases where we're bringing in new tools and have to train operators on the technology. So we are seeing upskilling as well as, “How do we get the support levels to understand how this new technology works?” Certainly, we try to make sure we commonize our approach on the equipment that we buy, so that we can streamline, so that we don't have as much specialty type of equipment. We try to make sure that we stick with certain control systems or certain tools so that we can gain that experience across the plant.
But you're absolutely right. We also have to train operators as well as our apprentices, our skilled trades and our mechanics, our electricians, our controls engineers, on how to interact with this new equipment and technology. It is exciting, but it is also a lot of work to make sure that at the end the equipment's ready, the processes established and our people are also trained at the same time.
We have a lot of demand, so I would say the hardest roles to fill are our skilled apprentice positions. Especially for machine-repair electricians. It seems like those apprentice positions are in a shortage everywhere. We run an internal apprenticeship program as well, so that we can put people through the schooling. It's about a five-year program. But we're continuing to see needs beyond that. So we're also hiring externally in addition to developing internal skills to fill those critical roles.
We are looking at expanding what disciplines we have, and reviewing both the quantity, as well as what disciplines we need. The technology has changed, so certainly we're seeing, our control system is a lot different than what we’ve historically used. So we're also looking at variations, and what are the disciplines that we need in those apprentice programs, versus some of the historical programs that we have run.
The Jamestown plant started working on that several years ago. At the back of the plant, we actually have a reverse-osmosis system that the water we use goes through and allows us to reuse as processed water. With a lot of our machining and engine-test processes, we use water as a coolant, and we will put some chemicals in to treat the water. This allows us to clean the water and reuse it so that we aren't just putting it back into the waste stream. We've seen a significant reduction in our water waste stream since we've had this reverse osmosis system. From 2021 to 2024, the system has recycled 15.5 million gallons of water.
The good news is we're really busy and we're making significant investments. And the difficult thing is, we're really busy and making significant investments. So I’d say the biggest challenge is just trying to balance all of that—running really strong demand, meeting our customer needs, while continuing to make these investments and doing it all at the same time.
It's a balancing act, and there's not one solution that fits everything. And so we just try multiple ways and evaluate what solution works best in each case. We're really blessed to have employees that have been very flexible with us. Our teams are extremely flexible. We'll have people working over the holiday breaks and are really appreciative that they're giving their time and being flexible so they can get in when we’re shut down and do some of the work that's needed. [Converting and upgrading lines] continues to be one of our big challenges.
Flexibility is one of our core concepts—both for what the business needs, and for what the employees need. Cummins allows employees to adjust work hours and schedules to accommodate personal needs when possible, take on new or different roles to gain experience or support development opportunities and cross-train to help during periods of high demand or staffing challenges.factory
13 March 2025
industry week
Struggling Intel Names Industry Veteran Lip-Bu Tan As CeoIntel on Wednesday announced tech industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as its new chief executive, boosting shares of the U.S. computer chipmaker struggling to catch up in the AI race.
Tan told the Intel team his focus would be on engineering, saying it "won't be easy" to overcome challenges faced by the company.
Tan, who was born in Malaysia, will start as Intel chief on March 18, according to the company.
Shares were up more than 10% in after market trade.
Intel is one of Silicon Valley's most iconic companies, but its fortunes have been eclipsed by Asian powerhouses TSMC and Samsung, which dominate the made-to-order semiconductor business.
The company was also caught by surprise with the emergence of Nvidia, a graphics chip maker, as the world's preeminent AI chip provider.
Nvidia's strength is in chips for powering AI, which are coveted by tech companies competing in that technology.
Intel's niche has been in chips used in traditional computing processes being eclipsed by the AI rage.
Tan's predecessor, Pat Gelsinger, was forced out as Intel chief in December after the board lost confidence in his plans to turn the company around.
Gelsinger's abrupt departure came just months after the company vowed to cut more than 15,000 jobs in a draconian cost reduction plan and paused or delayed construction on several chipmaking facilities.
"I believe with every fiber of my being that we have what it takes to win," Tan said in a message to his team, vowing that Intel will be an engineering-focused company.
"In areas where we are behind the competition, we need to take calculated risks to disrupt and leapfrog."
While chief of Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021, Tan transformed the company and more than doubled its revenue, according to the Intel board.
Former U.S. president Joe Biden's administration last year finalized a $7.9 billion award to Intel as part of an effort to bring semiconductor production to U.S. shores.
But Intel in February extended the timeline for completing two new fabrication plants in Ohio, saying it is taking a prudent approach to the $28 billion project.
"We will continue construction at a slower pace, while maintaining the flexibility to accelerate work and the start of operations if customer demand warrants," Intel Foundry Manufacturing General Manager Naga Chandrasekaran told Intel employees at the time.
For the full year 2024, Intel recorded a net loss of $18.8 billion as the U.S. chip giant continues to struggle to stake its place in the artificial intelligence revolution.
In Europe, Intel late last year said it was delaying its plans to build two mega chip-making factories in Germany and Poland as the company faces lower demand than anticipated.
Intel also said at the time that it would pull back on its projects in Malaysia.
All rights reserved ©2025 Agence France-Pressefactory
13 March 2025
manufacturing net
Ge Aerospace To Invest Nearly $1 Billion In U.S. ManufacturingGE Aerospace announced that it plans to invest nearly $1 billion to strengthen manufacturing and increase the use of new materials and parts needed for the future of aviation. The company expects the investment to help increase engine safety, quality and delivery.
The company also announced it intends to hire around 5,000 U.S. workers this year, including both manufacturing and engineering roles.
Most Read on Manufacturing.net:
GE Aerospace aims to grow its capacity and expand several key sites, especially those that support the production and assembly of the narrowbody CFM LEAP engine, where deliveries are expected to increase by 15% to 20% this year.
The company’s investments are also scaling the production of innovative parts made from new materials and advanced manufacturing processes that provide engines with more range, power and efficiency.
This includes additive manufacturing, which reduces part count, increasing fuel efficiency and durability while providing greater design freedom as well as ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). CMCs are one-third the weight of traditional materials but can operate at up to 500 degrees hotter, meaning greater power and durability for engines.
The almost $1 billion investment includes $100+ million dedicated to the company’s external supplier base, providing investments to ensure suppliers are using the newest tools to produce parts, further reducing defects and supply chain constraints.
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13 March 2025
manufacturing net
Tariffs Bite: U.S. Manufacturers Stockpile, Ramp Up PurchasesGEP's Global Supply Chain Volatility Index, which tracks demand conditions, shortages, transportation costs, inventories and backlogs based on a monthly survey of 27,000 businesses, fell to -0.45 in February, from -0.21 in January, its lowest level since July 2023.
While the index shows that overall supply chain capacity became more underutilized globally, regional data reveals significant geographical differences.
In the U.S., manufacturers' demand for raw materials and components saw a notable uptick in February, reflecting a mix of preparations for orders and efforts to avoid higher costs from additional tariffs. U.S. factories also reported accelerating sales growth as their customers acted to front-run price and supply challenges arising from tariffs, driving up procurement. Efforts to mitigate tariffs also propelled stockpiling by U.S. manufacturers in February.
In stark contrast, Mexican and Canadian manufacturers harshly reduced their purchases in response to a rapid reduction in exports as U.S. companies refrained from placing orders due to the threat of tariffs and trade policy uncertainty.
In Europe, manufacturers are making inventories cutbacks. The continent's supply chains continue to be underutilized as the industrial sector remains sluggish. That said, there does appear to be some early indication of recovery as the downturn in factory demand for inputs cooled to its weakest in two-and-a-half years.
Asia supply chains continue to be at full capacity in February, as was the case at the start of the year, making them the most active globally. Factories in parts of the region such as China, Taiwan and India reported strong export growth.
"With tariffs driving uncertainty, U.S. manufacturers are racing to secure materials, while Canadian and Mexican suppliers are feeling the squeeze from weaker export demand," GEP Vice President of Consulting Krish Vengat N. said. "In contrast, Asia's supply chains are operating at full capacity, fueled by strong export growth."factory
13 March 2025
manufacturing net
Evaluating Canada'S, Eu'S Swift Retaliation To Trump'S Steel, Aluminum TariffsBRUSSELS (AP) — Major trade partners swiftly hit back at President Donald Trump's increased tariffs on aluminum and steel imports, imposing stiff new taxes on U.S products from textiles and water heaters to beef and bourbon.
Canada, the largest supplier of steel and aluminum to the U.S., said Wednesday it will place 25% reciprocal tariffs on steel products worth $12.6 billion Canadian (U.S.$8.7 billion) and aluminum products worth $3 billion Canadian (U.S.$2 billion) as well as additional imported U.S. goods worth $14.2 billion Canadian ($9.9 billion) for a total of $29.8 billion (U.S.$20.6 billion.)
The list of additional products affected by counter-tariffs includes tools, computers and servers, display monitors, water heaters, sport equipment and cast-iron products.
These tariffs are in addition to Canada's 25% counter tariffs on $30 billion Canadian (U.S.$20.8 billion) of imports from the U.S. that were put in place on March 4 in response to other Trump tariffs that he's delayed by a month.
Across the Atlantic, the European Union will raise tariffs on American beef, poultry, bourbon and motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans.
Combined, the new tariffs will cost companies billions of dollars, and further escalate the uncertainty in two of the world's major trade partnerships. Companies will either take the losses and earn fewer profits, or, more likely, pass costs along to consumers in the form of higher prices.
Prices will go up, in Europe and the U.S., and jobs are at stake, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
"We deeply regret this measure. Tariffs are taxes. They are bad for business, and even worse for consumers," von der Leyen said.
The EU duties aim for pressure points in the U.S. while minimizing additional damage to Europe. EU officials have made clear that the tariffs — taxes on imports — are aimed at products made in Republican-held states, such as beef and poultry from Kansas and Nebraska and wood products from Alabama and Georgia. The tariffs will also hit blue states such as Illinois, the No. 1 U.S. producer of soybeans, which are also on the list.
Spirits producers have become collateral damage in the dispute over steel and aluminum. The EU move "is deeply disappointing and will severely undercut the successful efforts to rebuild U.S. spirits exports in EU countries," said Chris Swonger, head of the Distilled Spirits Council. The EU is a major destination for U.S. whiskey, with exports surging 60% in the past three years after an earlier set of tariffs was suspended.
Von der Leyen said in a statement that the EU "will always remain open to negotiation."
Canada's incoming Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday he's ready to meet with Trump if he shows "respect for Canadian sovereignty" and is willing to take "a common approach, a much more comprehensive approach for trade."
Carney, who will be sworn in Friday, said workers in both countries will be better off when "the greatest economic and security partnership in the world is renewed, relaunched. That is possible."
"We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs," she said.
The American Chamber of Commerce to the EU said the U.S. tariffs and EU countermeasures "will only harm jobs, prosperity and security on both sides of the Atlantic." "The two sides must de-escalate and find a negotiated outcome urgently," the chamber said Wednesday.
Trump slapped similar tariffs on EU steel and aluminum during his first term in office, which enraged European and other allies. The EU also imposed countermeasures in retaliation at the time, raising tariffs on U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.
This time, the EU action will involve two steps. First on April 1, the commission will reimpose taxes that were in effect from 2018 and 2020, but which were suspended under the Biden administration. Then on April 13 come the additional duties targeting 18 billion euros ($19.6 billion) in U.S. exports to the bloc.
EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič traveled to Washington last month in an effort to head off the tariffs, meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and other top trade officials.
He said on Wednesday that it became clear during the trip "that the EU is not the problem."
"I argued to avoid the unnecessary burden of measures and countermeasures, but you need a partner for that. You need both hands to clap," Šefčovič told reporters at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
The EU could lose up to 3.7 million tons of steel exports, according to the European steel association Eurofer. The U.S. is the second-biggest export market for EU steel producers, representing 16% of the total EU steel exports.
The EU estimates that annual trade volume between both sides stands at about $1.5 trillion, representing around 30% of global trade. While the bloc has a substantial export surplus in goods, it says that is partly offset by the U.S. surplus in the trade of services.factory
13 March 2025
manufacturing net
Customized Bentleys Now Come In 46 Billion Different ConfigurationsOf course we all love to buy products that are tailored to our specific wants and needs, but the idea of a truly one-of-a-kind vehicle seems almost impossible.
But British automaker Bentley is going bespoke to the point of excess, and the automaker has recently announced that it can now offer enough configurations to create a uniquely custom Bentley for every person on earth. And then, every person on earth again. Then, again. You get the idea.
Bentley’s Mulliner division has been tasked with developing customized options for buyers of the brand’s Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible, and those placing an order can configure their ride to an extreme degree. In fact, Bentley claims they can offer an eye-popping 46 billion different configurations.
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To start, the company recently expanded its color palette, and can offer any of the color options on trim and exterior parts in different glosses and finishes. As an example, says Carscoops, “colored accents can be applied to the wing mirrors, the bumpers, the doors, and the wheels.”
And speaking of wheels, you have some choices there too – the report says “spokes and pockets of the wheels can be configured in contrasting colors, or pinstripes can be added around the circumference of the rim.”
Supporting this effort is Bentley’s online car configurator, which displays additional fabrics and color choices for the interior seating and finishes for surfaces – as well as an array of optional upgrades.
While the physical toll might likely be decision fatigue, what’s the financial one? Bentley’s Continental GT starts north of $242,000.
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WEBVTTX-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:000:00.200 --> 00:04.670Of course we all love to buy products that aretailored to our specific wants and needs,00:04.920 --> 00:08.909but the idea of a truly one of a kind vehicleseems almost impossible.00:09.119 --> 00:13.640But British automaker Bentley is going bespoketo the point of excess,00:13.760 --> 00:18.200and the automaker has recently announced thatit can now offer enough configurations to00:18.200 --> 00:21.549create a uniquely custom Bentley for everyperson on Earth,00:21.959 --> 00:27.639and then every person on Earth again, and thenagain you get the idea.00:28.149 --> 00:32.659Bentley's Mulliner division has been taskedwith developing customized options for buyers00:32.659 --> 00:38.099of the brands Continental GT and Continental GTconvertible, and those placing an order can00:38.099 --> 00:40.209configure their ride to an extreme degree.00:40.459 --> 00:46.729In fact, Bentley claims they can offer aneye-popping 46 billion different configurations.00:47.020 --> 00:51.299To start, the company recently expanded itscolor palette and can offer any of the color00:51.299 --> 00:54.790options on trim and exterior parts in differentglosses and finishes.00:55.220 --> 00:57.400As an example, says Car Scoops, colored.00:57.854 --> 01:00.134can be applied to the wing mirrors, the bumpers,the doors,01:00.215 --> 01:03.334and the wheels.And speaking of wheels, you have some choices01:03.334 --> 01:05.974there too.The report says spokes and pockets of the01:05.974 --> 01:10.095wheels can be configured in contrasting colorsor pinstripes can be added around the01:10.095 --> 01:11.485circumference of the rim.01:11.745 --> 01:16.415Supporting this effort is Bentley's online carconfigurator, which displays additional fabrics01:16.415 --> 01:20.724and color choices for the interior seating andfinishes for surfaces,01:20.735 --> 01:25.014as well as an array of optional upgrades.While the physical toll might be decision01:25.014 --> 01:26.974fatigue, what's the financial one?01:27.529 --> 01:32.400Well, Bentley's Continental GT starts north of$242,000.01:32.730 --> 01:34.760I'm Anna Wells.This is manufacturing now.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Spacex Delays Flight To Replace Stuck Astronauts After Launch Pad ProblemCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A launch pad problem prompted SpaceX to delay a flight to the International Space Station on Wednesday to replace NASA's two stuck astronauts.
The new crew needs to get to the International Space Station before Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can head home after nine months in orbit.
Concerns over a critical hydraulic system arose less than four hours before the Falcon rocket's planned evening liftoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. As the countdown clocks ticked down, engineers evaluated the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms clamping the rocket to its support structure. This structure needs to tilt back right before liftoff.
Already strapped into their capsule, the four astronauts awaited a final decision, which came down with less than an hour remaining in the countdown. SpaceX canceled for the day. Officials later said the launch was off until at least Friday.
Once at the space station, the U.S., Japanese and Russian crew will replace Wilmore and Williams, who have been up there since June. The two test pilots had to move into the space station for an extended stay after Boeing's new Starliner capsule encountered major breakdowns in transit.
Starliner's debut crew flight was supposed to last just a week, but NASA ordered the capsule to return empty and transferred Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX for the return leg.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Intel Hires Former Board Member As New CeoStruggling chipmaker Intel has hired former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as the latest in a succession of CEOs to attempt to turn around a once-dominant company that helped define Silicon Valley.
Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next Tuesday, more than three months after Intel's previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired amid a deepening downturn that triggered massive layoffs and raised questions about the chipmaker's ability to survive as an independent company.
This won't be Tan's first time running a semiconductor company, nor his first association with Intel. He spent more than a decade as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, which makes software that helps designs processors, and joined Intel's board of directors in 2022 before stepping down last August. Tan will rejoin Intel's board in addition to becoming CEO.
“Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Intel's interim Executive Chairman Frank Yeary said.
Intel has been led by interim co-CEOs, David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, since Gelsinger walked away from a job that he undertook in February 2021.
Although Gelsinger arrived at Intel amid high hopes, his tenure was a major letdown as Intel's stock price plunged 60%, wiping out $160 billion in shareholder wealth. Leading up to his departure last year, Intel laid of 17,500 of its employees — about 15% of its workforce — and suspended its dividend to save money on its way to an annual loss of $19 billion.
More recently, Intel delayed the opening of two new chip factories i n Ohio to ensure the projects are completed in a “financially responsible manner.” The project is supposed to draw upon the $7.8 billion in funding earmarked for Intel in the CHIPS Incentives Program created during the administration of President Joe Biden.
It was the latest sign of distress for Intel, a Santa Clara, California, company that helped launch Silicon Valley by developing the microprocessors that enabled the personal computer revolution under the leadership of its CEO at that time, Andy Grove.
But as its leadership changed Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple's 2007 release of the iPhone, and it's lagged more nimble chipmakers. Intel's troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence — a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech's hottest commodity.
Nvida now boasts a market value of $2.8 trillion compared to Intel's $90 billion. Intel's stock price rose more than 10% in Wednesday's extended trading after Tan's hiring was announced, indicating investors believe he will revive the company's fortunes.
While Tan was Cadence Design's CEO from January 2009 to May 2021, the company's stock price increased by 44-fold.
Tan's past accomplishments resulted him being named winner of the Semiconductor Industry Association's 2022 Robert Noyce Award — an honor named after one of Intel's co-founders.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Q&A: Dolphin Labs Captures Energy One Wave At A TimeDolphin Labs is a four-person startup based in Oakland, California that is pushing the boundaries of wave-generated power with a prototype of their key product, the xNode Wave Energy Converter. The xNode is a renewable energy solution geared towards offshore operators that can produce up to 1 kW of persistent power.
In this exclusive interview conducted at 3DEXPERIENCE WORLD in Houston, Texas, Dolphin Labs Chief Engineer Chris Rauch talks about what it took to get the startup's prototype into the water, the importance of powering remote data systems, and the creative power of SolidWorks and AI.
Devon Verbsky (DV): Give me a rundown of Dolphin Labs, its creation and what's happening today.
Chris Rauch (CR): Dolphin Labs is a spinoff from a company called Cal Wave Power Technologies.
Cal Wave was founded in 2014. They are working to solve grid scale or utility scale power using wave energy with a good percentage of communities being within whatever their distance is from the shore. With their focus being on grid scale, their customer base is different than what Dolphin Labs does, and the size and scope of their projects are different. We'd love a smaller system that can be used remotely. We don't need a cable back to the beach. Cal Wave always has a big cable back to the beach. But they have a patent that covers what we call the xNode, which is the key product for Dolphin Labs.
There are two ways to tell us apart from Cal Wave. Cal Wave is 100 kilowatts and above and a cable back to the beach. Dolphin Labs is less than 100 kilowatts and not necessarily a cable. A lot of our applications are fully remote sensing types of applications. What we're doing at Dolphin really has to do with enabling sensing in remote locations, and what's great about it is we use renewable power to power these at energy densities that are greater than what you get out of wind and solar.
DV: You're the chief engineer of Dolphin Labs, but I know you have experience with L3Harris Technologies and the Navy's MUUV program—and you have a background in both marine and defense instrumentation. How has that previous experience helped you at Dolphin Labs?
CR: I went to school for naval architecture, pursuing an engineering discipline that's focused on the ocean. Early career work, I was in Hawaii designing boats on the water. I did a lot of test engineering on the water. I left there to join Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution working on autonomous underwater vehicles—robots you’d pre-program to dive to the ocean depths. All of my personal interests and professional experience have now come together as an opportunity presented to team up and join a wave energy conversion company.
DV: What's the importance of powering data solutions with a platform like xNode?
CR: Dolphin Labs started in 2022 with an emphasis on the customer discovery side. Talking to people in the Navy, both civilian and uniform sides. Talking to people in oil and gas. In those customer discovery interviews, one of the things that was discovered, NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have this network of buoys around the world that are gathering meteorological data. Most of those buoys, the sensors are only at a 10% duty cycle. They're on six minutes for every hour. The main reason that happens is because of the amount of power they have on board—they can't operate any more than that. Now, you don't necessarily need a 100% duty cycle to be able to predict the weather, but I've never met a scientist who doesn't want more data, so we give them more power to be able to gather more data.
In the case of the Navy or defense, you can see certain things with satellites, which is great looking down, but having a view from the surface, looking out or gathering data underwater, is a whole other problem. It gives you a much different view than a satellite view.
DV: How does SolidWorks benefit you at Dolphin Labs?
CR: Professionally, I've been using SolidWorks for 20 years.
SolidWorks allows us a CAD tool that we can do all of our mechanical design in; some level of simulation; and then—with the recent adoption of 3DEXPERIENCE—having our team on both coasts of the U.S., we're able to do file management in an easy way. I can be working on a file, I can have it checked out; my colleagues on the west coast can come right in and be working on assembly that has that file and they're not impacted. With 3DEXPERIENCE, you have a PDM solution, but you don't have to have an on-premise system. You don't have to worry about firewalls and people at remote locations being able to get into your PDM network.
DV: Do you think the work of Dolphin Labs falls under the same industry trends as Industry 4.0 or even Industry 5.0?
CR: The marine technology space is a low volume, high mix world.
With the xNode, we have this core platform that can produce energy and that can store energy. It has a processor or a capability to do some behaviors. The value is, we can have different customers come to us and say, they have a sensing need. They need to integrate sensors that can do X, Y, and Z, so we will integrate OEM level packages of those sensors. That being said, with the versatility, it’s hard for us to have a fully automated manufacturing line.
DV: What kind of expansion are you looking for or could you potentially expect with Dolphin Labs?
CR: We're currently four and we have job recs out for two more spots right now.
We are trying to be smart, and I don't want to say constrain our growth, but be mindful of our growth. We're taking a very methodical approach, and the marine tech industry is very niched. We do have growth plans, we do have hopes. When we hit a certain revenue level, we expect to have X number of employees, and we have that all mapped out. We are still very much in the prototyping phase.
DV: Would you consider Dolphin Labs at all as a startup?
CR: Absolutely.
The definition I like the most of a startup is “A startup is an organization seeking a repeatable business model.” We right now we have ideas, but until we have customers buying on a repeated level to know what that repeated business model is, we'll be a startup until then.
DV: So what about your AI impact?
CR: We're gathering data, and though we haven't fully implemented this yet because we're still prototyping, but because of our power levels, we can have edge computing on board. This means that we can have a processor on board that's processing the data which is great, but then requires more power, which reduces your endurance and how much data you can collect.
Because the xNode is at sea and it won't be brought up on a ship every day for a data download, we then need to send data back to the beach. By using AI tied in with our edge computing, not only can we then process the data at sea, but then we're only going to send the data back to the beach that's of interest. We'll use AI to help identify those anomalies.
DV: What's next for Dolphin Labs?
CR: We're actively working hard right now to get to our first sea trial.
Our first sea trial is planned to be three months, looking to start towards the end of Q3 or beginning of Q4 2025. We are working very hard on a lot of design details, pulling that all together. Our focus is really on getting this thing in the water. It'll be on the West Coast, California, and we have a couple sites. The West Coast Pacific Ocean has longer period waves, and that's really important. It makes a lot more sense from a logistical standpoint to build the prototype out there.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
The Upsurge And Threats Of Self-Reproducing AiArtificial intelligence (AI) has made incredible progress in the past few years, with computers learning and doing more and more. To me, the most thrilling but divisive field of study in AI may be self-replicating AI—machines that reproduce their own functionality. While full AI self-replication is purely theoretical, current research suggests that AI systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated, particularly in replicating aspects of their own software. As developments in these fields continue, it’s important we ensure self-replicating AI is safe, responsible, and aligned with human values.
At its simplest, self-replicating AI means AI systems that can replicate themselves automatically. This could be achieved by replicating their code in software form. Such AI theoretically would have evolutionary algorithms integrated within, allowing the software to improve itself continuously. Still, actual development currently tops out at the software level of replication, it needs to be human guided, and it has to work in defined spaces.
There are currently studies that focus on self-updating software where the AI models set their parameters without human adjustment utilizing machine learning processes. Those types of self-improving machines are being implemented today already in natural language, predictive modeling, and machine-made decisions. Full AI self-copying however is still entirely hypothetical.
Present outcomes indicate that AI systems have been demonstrated to be capable of copying portions of their functionality. This is a testament to the intelligence of AI, but care should be taken to distinguish between software duplication and independent self-replication. Compared to living things that reproduce and replicate themselves biologically, AI systems continue to require set parameters, human assistance, and engineered environments to be efficient.
Concerns about self-replicating AI for security and ethics are increasing. 2024 was a breakthrough year for AI governance and safety, with the AI Action Summit in Paris playing a prominent role. The experts during the summit emphasized that AI development should be weighed against strong security controls, pushing for international minimum safety standards to lower the risk potential. One of the key concerns is ensuring AI systems are not able to reproduce in an uncontrolled manner, which could lead to unforeseen consequences or misuse by malicious parties. Some potential risks include:
To keep such threats under control, security testing and regulatory oversight should be implemented. Product security testing can identify vulnerabilities in AI models that may be employed to reduce unintended replication. Penetration testing and security audits can discover vulnerabilities in AI code, preventing unauthorized control. And adversarial testing can be used to anticipate when cybercriminals may attempt to employ self-replicating AI to design autonomous malware or cyberattacks.
Independent security researchers and regulatory bodies have a duty to make sure AI replication is safe and doesn't evade checks preventing uncontrolled proliferation.
The most crucial safety measures against AI replication threats include:
As development in AI increases, ethical aspects must always remain a top concern in future innovation in self-replicating AI. The combination of ethics and AI is more than a matter of safety; it is also about issues of autonomy, responsibility, and the overall effect of self-replicating systems on society. Once AI reaches a level where it can optimize its own capabilities without human intervention, it will be essential to ensure that such advances are in line with human values and for the benefit of society.
The Paris AI Action Summit illustrated the need for coordination between policymakers, researchers, and AI creators in establishing safety standards. One of the proposed answers that came from the conference is the placement of AI watchdog bodies that track progress in self-replicating AI and provide guidelines for their appropriate use. An open dialogue between governments, technology companies, and researchers can further help craft policy to encourage innovation as well as anticipate the risks.
While self-replicating AI is only theoretical today, its influence on the future of technology, security, and ethics is immense. As AI advances, proactive safety protocols, regulatory guidelines, and rigorous testing will be crucial to mitigating threats. By ensuring a responsible approach to AI development, we can unlock its potential for progress while avoiding unintended consequences.
In the coming years, AI research will certainly explore the possibilities of self-replicating systems but with an even stronger emphasis on security and ethics. The secret to a peaceful approach will be to make AI replication controlled, traceable, and aligned with our human values. If handled responsibly, self-replicating AI can revolutionize industries from automation to scientific research. But left uncontrolled, it can give rise to fresh security challenges for us to face.
Douglas McKee is the Executive Director of Threat Research at SonicWall.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
What'S A Recession, And Why Is Rising Anxiety About It Roiling Markets?WASHINGTON (AP) — Stock markets are plunging, consumers and businesses have started to sour on the economy, and economists are marking down their estimates for growth this year, with some even seeing rising odds of a recession.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index slipped into a correction last week, defined as a 10% drop from its most recent peak. The broader S&P 500 neared that level Tuesday.
It's a sharp shift from just a month ago, when stock indices were at record highs and consumer sentiment was rapidly improving. Many business executives were optimistic that President Donald Trump would cut taxes and pursue deregulation, which they expected would bolster growth.
Instead, Trump has aggressively implemented tariffs — and tariff threats — against the United States' largest trading partners. On Tuesday, Trump boosted import taxes on steel and aluminum from Canada to 50%, from 25%, in response to Ontario's imposition of duties on electricity it sends to the United States.
For now, the economy appears to be stable. Stock prices often fluctuate and sharp, temporary drops typically don't harm the economy. Most analysts still think the chances of a recession are fairly small. Goldman Sachs expects slower growth this year than last but still puts the odds of a recession at just 20%.
Still, fears of a downturn are rising as investors, economists, and business executives are realizing that Trump's import taxes are much more at the forefront of his economic policy this time than his last term in the White House. Tax cuts and deregulation appear for now to be on the back-burner. During Trump's first term, tax cuts came before the import duties.
Tariffs can slow the economy in a variety of ways: By raising prices for consumers, they can slow spending. Businesses may pull back on investing in new projects if they face higher costs from tariffs. And the uncertainty from Trump's on-again, off-again approach can also cause firms to delay hiring and investment.
"The longer the tariffs stay on, the more the risk of recession grows," says Luke Tilley, chief economist at M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust.
Here are some questions and answers about recessions:
Are there any signs a recession is imminent?
Not really. But one development that has sparked widespread fears is a real-time economy tracker maintained by the Federal Reserve's Atlanta branch. Last week it showed a sharp downshift and is now projecting that the U.S. economy will shrink at an annual rate of 2.4% in the first three months of this year.
The Atlanta Fed's tracker is not technically a forecast but instead a running tally that is updated as economic data is released. It turned negative after trade data showed a surge in imports in January, which likely reflected an effort by businesses to get ahead of tariffs.
Most economists still expect the U.S. economy to expand in the first quarter, though at a slower pace. JPMorgan sees growth slowing to just 1% at an annual rate in the first quarter, down from 2.3% in last year's fourth quarter.
Still, Harvard University economist Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary for the Clinton administration, on Monday put the odds of a recession at 50-50.
"All the emphasis on tariffs and all the ambiguity and uncertainty has both chilled demand and caused prices to go up," Summers posted on X. "We are getting the worst of both worlds -- concerns about inflation and an economic downturn and more uncertainty about the future and that slows everything."
Typically, a recession occurs when some short of shock hits the economy, such as the pandemic in 2020, or the bursting of the housing bubble in 2007. It's not yet clear that tariffs will have a large enough impact to knock the economy into reverse.
Dan North, senior economist at Allianz Trade Americas, a financial services firm, doesn't expect a recession, but says a "full-blown trade war" with all Trump's proposed tariffs taking effect and sparking retaliation by other countries overseas "could constitute a shock."
What else has caused the stock markets to drop?
Trump helped spark the sharp market selloff Monday by refusing to rule out a recession during a Sunday interview on Fox News.
When asked whether he expected a recession this year, Trump said, "I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what we're doing is very big. ... It takes a little time."
Some of Trump's advisers, however, have dismissed recession concerns and have said the economy should continue to grow.
Why didn't Trump's tariffs spark recession fears last time?
The import taxes Trump is threatening to impose this time are far more sweeping than the duties he put in place in 2018-2019, which were mostly focused on China and a few targeted items, such as steel, aluminum, and washing machines.
Now, Trump has placed 20% duties on all imports from China, has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all imports from Canada and Mexico — the United States' two largest trading partners — and also says the U.S. will place reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have tariffs on U.S. exports, including Europe, India, and Japan.
All told, Jan Hatzius, chief economist at Goldman Sachs, estimates that the average U.S. tariff on imported items could rise 10 percentage points as a result, five times the increase he imposed in his first term.
And most economists say that Trump's 2018-2019 duties did cause a downturn in the manufacturing sector. The Federal Reserve ended up cutting its benchmark interest rate three times in 2019 to shore up the economy.
Other things also could take a toll on the economy: Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, is seeking to cut tens of thousands of federal government jobs and sharply cut government spending, which could weigh on the economy. Major commercial airlines said this week that they are seeing a slowdown in government travel.
Delta Air Lines said Monday that declining consumer and business confidence amid widespread economic uncertainty is weakening demand.
What signals would suggest that a recession has begun?
The clearest signal would be a steady rise in job losses and a surge in unemployment. Companies generally stop hiring, and sometimes lay off workers, if they see their business shrinking.
The unemployment rate did tick up last month, to 4.1% from 4%, though that is still quite low. But employers added 151,000 jobs, a sign that businesses are still seeking to add workers.
Many economists monitor the number of people who seek unemployment benefits each week, a gauge that indicates whether layoffs are worsening. Weekly applications for jobless aid remain quite low by historical standards.
Who decides when a recession has started?
Recessions are officially declared by the obscure-sounding National Bureau of Economic Research, a group of economists whose Business Cycle Dating Committee defines a recession as "a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months."
The committee considers trends in hiring. It also assesses many other data points, including gauges of income, employment, inflation-adjusted spending, retail sales and factory output. It assigns heavy weight to a measure of inflation-adjusted income that excludes government support payments like Social Security.
Yet the organization typically doesn't declare a recession until well after one has begun, sometimes as long as a year afterward.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Cost Of Hacks In Manufacturing Up 17%While overall costs of cybersecurity breaches fell in 2024, that’s not true in manufacturing, where the cost of an average hack soared 17.5% from $4.73 million to $5.556 million. The $830K jump is the priciest of any industry.
The study examined IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach research, grouping breach targets by year and industry, to find that many industries once considered low-priority for hackers saw their costs increase. Among the worst hit? With manufacturing and retail, technology companies also saw their breach costs soar more than 17% year over year.
With this year’s increase in costs per hack, industrial organizations in manufacturing or chemical processing and engineering now see the average hack price tag 10.5% above the all-industry average. Because they were previously perceived to have a low vulnerability to hacks, many manufacturers still go without robust proactive cybersecurity protection. The result is that new hacking events, even when relatively small, can snowball into major incidents.
A minor breach can quickly escalate into a catastrophic event if left unchecked. Breaches have resulted in settlements ranging from $30 to $50 million, with customer data exposure affecting anywhere from nine to over 300 million records. Companies that fail to invest in robust cybersecurity platforms risk prolonged recovery periods, severe financial penalties, and the erosion of customer trust. These costs that far exceed the price of proactive defense.
Manufacturing is especially challenged by factors that may lead to increased costs. It has high operational disruption risks, complex interconnected environments, and an increasing reliance on digitization technology, from automation and robotics to networked IoT devices. Uncoincidentally, the industry is also seeing increasing attacks by sophisticated threats, from ransomware to supply chain attacks and zero-days.
When production lines can be halted or held hostage, threat actors find value in the attack. Manufacturing can yield an attractive bounty in the form of intellectual property, and design or trade secrets. As rapidly digitizing manufacturers continue to scale and diversify their ecosystems, they may be seeing that breaches are increasingly likely to impact large-scale operations and systems in ways that are expensive to fix.
As some fields reduce their overall costs, attackers turn to less prepared industries, like manufacturing, along with retail and technology. These bastions of consumer data haven’t found themselves as heavily targeted in the past, but they have also accelerated their digital transformation in recent years with new remote work infrastructures, cloud adoption, digital collaboration, client portals, digital payment systems, and even virtual betting apps and online gambling platforms.
In manufacturing, increasingly interlinked companies, along with their vendors and contractors, are beginning to see that cyberattacks on one supplier can have cascading consequences on entire ecosystems, and that attackers who enter one part of their ecosystem can create large-scale impacts across systems. The future isn’t about undoing increased connectivity. It’s about digitizing with smarter security that thwarts attacks before they turn into big costs.
The study demonstrates that even well-known targets can significantly decrease their exposure.
Today, sectors like healthcare, with breach costs down 10.6% year over year, likely find that heavy regulation and proactive security have helped manage the fallout of breaches. With compliance pressure comes the need to implement strong cybersecurity defenses or face fines, and proactive security means breaches get caught in real time, before they can spread, along with costs and damages.
For manufacturing, a similar one-two punch can cap rising costs and reverse the trend. With regulation has come accountability: but all organizations can embrace regular security audits and testing, as well as improve incident response planning. And as breach costs rise, security investment is naturally incentivized; teams that identify breaches as they’re happening are positioned to head off high-ticket damages.
The next phase of cybersecurity will likely be defined not just in how well companies can prevent breaches from happening, but in how they minimize their financial and operational impact.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Trump Threatens 200% Tariff On European Wine After Eu Floats Whiskey TariffWASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened a 200% tariff on European wine, Champagne and spirits if the European Union goes forward with a planned tariff on American whiskey.
The European import tax, which was unveiled in response to steel and aluminum tariffs by the U.S. administration, is expected to go into effect on April 1, just ahead of separate reciprocal tariffs that Trump plans to place on the EU.
But Trump, in a morning social media post, vowed a new escalation in his trade war if the EU goes forward with the planned 50% tax on American whiskey.
"If this Tariff is not removed immediately, the U.S. will shortly place a 200% Tariff on all WINES, CHAMPAGNES, & ALCOHOLIC PRODUCTS COMING OUT OF FRANCE AND OTHER E.U. REPRESENTED COUNTRIES," Trump wrote. "This will be great for the Wine and Champagne businesses in the U.S."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday that the EU trade commissioner would be having a phone call Friday with his U.S. counterpart.
"We don't like tariffs because we think tariffs are taxes and they are bad for business and they are bad for consumers," she said. "We have always said at the same time that we will defend our interests. We've said it, and we've shown it, but at the same time I also want to emphasize that we are open for negotiations."
The U.S. president has defined his opening weeks in the White House with near daily drama regarding tariffs, saying that taxing imports might cause some economic pain but would eventually lead to more domestic manufacturing and greater respect for America. The S&P 500 stock index fell roughly 1.5% in Thursday afternoon trading, while European alcohol stocks also tumbled.
But with the EU and Trump now tussling over alcohol tariffs, the impact of a trade war could surface directly in ways consumers could quickly see. It's unclear how the import taxes would be absorbed among vintners, distillers, brewers, distributors, retailers and consumers.
Because of Trump's threat, a previously untariffed $15 bottle of Italian Prosecco could possibly increase in price to $45. Similarly, Europe's response to Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs means that the cost of a 30-euro bottle of bourbon in Paris could increase to 45 euros.
Holly Seidewand, owner of First Fill Spirits, a shop in Saratoga Springs, New York, said before Trump threatened the tariffs on European alcohol, the spirits industry was already reeling from layoff announcements in the Kentucky Bourbon sector and the tariffs planned by the EU on American spirits.
"This ongoing tariff war doesn't just harm importers — it weakens domestic brands, disrupts distributors, and squeezes retailers who rely on global selections," she said. "In the end, consumers will bear the brunt of it all."
Gabriel Picard, who heads the French Federation of Exporters of Wines and Spirits, said 200% tariffs would be "a hammer blow" for the sector. He said the U.S. market is worth 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) annually for French exporters of wines and spirits.
"Not a single bottle will continue to be expedited if 200% tariffs are applied to our products. All exports to the United States will come to a total, total, halt," Picard said in an interview with The Associated Press. "With 200% duties, there is no more market."
As of now, Europe seems unwilling to back down.
"Trump is escalating the trade war he has chosen," Laurent Saint-Martin, the French delegate minister for foreign trade, said on X. "France, together with the European Commission and our partners, is determined to fight back. We will not give in to threats and will always protect our industries."
Trump's latest tariff threats suggested that even companies that have publicly stood by him could be collateral damage, raising questions about whether the wider business community would be willing to openly challenge a series of trade wars that have hurt the stock market and scared consumers who worry about inflation worsening.
Bernard Arnault, the CEO of French luxury goods company LVMH, attended Trump's inauguration in January. His company's wine and spirits brands, which include Moët & Chandon, Krug, Veuve Clicquot and Hennessy, could be subject to the retaliatory tariffs the U.S. president is seeking. The Italy-based Campari Group could also be hurt, after the White House highlighted it at Tuesday's press briefing for possibly opening a U.S. factory.
Still, Trump feels aggrieved by the EU, complaining to reporters on Thursday about the lack of U.S. auto sales there as well as the lawsuits and fines filed against Google and Facebook parent Meta.
"They are suing all of these companies, and they're taking billions of dollars out of American companies," Trump said. "And I guess they're using it to run Europe or something."
Trump, in announcing the new steel and aluminum tariffs on Wednesday, openly challenged U.S. allies and vowed to take back wealth "stolen" by other countries, and he drew quick retaliation.
He has separate tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, with plans to also tax imports from the European Union, Brazil and South Korea by charging "reciprocal" rates starting on April 2.
The EU announced its own countermeasures. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that as the United States was "applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros," or about $28 billion.
Those measures cover not just steel and aluminum products but also textiles, home appliances and agricultural goods.
European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said Thursday shortly before Trump's announcement that the EU was "prepared for whatever might come, and we have been preparing for over a year."
"We call on the U.S. to immediately revoke the tariffs imposed yesterday, and we want to negotiate to avoid tariffs in the future," Gill added. "They bring nothing but lose-lose outcomes, and we want to focus on win-win outcomes."
U.S. whiskey makers, meanwhile, encouraged Trump to broker a deal.
"We urge President Trump to secure a spirits agreement with the EU to get us back to zero-for-zero tariffs, which will create U.S. jobs and increase manufacturing and exports for the American hospitality sector," Chris Swonger, president and CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council, said in a statement.
When Europe responded to Trump's 2018 tariffs with a 25% tax on U.S. whiskey, exports to the EU fell by 20% through 2021, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. Trump's separate 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico could put 31,000 jobs at risk in the sector.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
The Hidden Security Gaps In Manufacturing: A Case Study On Risk Acceptance Gone WrongManufacturers are rapidly embracing digital operations, yet many still depend on outdated risk assessments, which can lead to critical vulnerabilities remaining unchecked. I've been in manufacturing cybersecurity long enough to know one thing: most company leaders think they're safe – until they're not.
Consider the case of a global manufacturing organization that believed it had a strong handle on cybersecurity when, in reality, half of the facility's critical systems were operating with significant security vulnerabilities. This critical gap surfaced not because of a new threat, but because of risks the organization had deemed "acceptable" years ago.
This approach to cybersecurity risk management is all too common in manufacturing. Old, seemingly harmless risks that your team "accepted" years ago—and then promptly forgot about—could be a ticking time bomb sitting right under your nose.
On paper, this manufacturer appeared to have everything right.
Imagine driving a car and never checking the oil or the tires after the first inspection. Sounds crazy, right? But that's exactly what many manufacturers are doing with their technology. This oversight created a "set-it-and-forget-it" approach to risk management that exposed critical operational technology (OT) systems to evolving cyber threats.
Manufacturing isn't like other industries. You're not just managing computer networks – you're dealing with a complex ecosystem where business systems meet factory floor technology. It’s a delicate balance of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Your robotic arms, temperature controls, and assembly line systems weren't originally designed with cybersecurity in mind, creating inherent vulnerabilities. These are legacy systems trying to survive in a hyper-connected digital world.
When these systems connect to IT networks—often necessary for modern digital manufacturing—they create an expanded attack surface that cybercriminals are eager to exploit. If attackers breach these systems, the consequences are immediate and severe—production lines grind to a halt, quality control systems fail, and an entire operation can be shut down within minutes—creating ripple effects throughout your entire supply chain.
Consider a ransomware attack targeting one of these unprotected OT systems. Years ago, when the risk was initially "accepted," ransomware might have been a minor concern. Today, with manufacturing becoming a prime target for cybercriminals, such an attack could devastate operations and result in millions in losses.
Recent history proves this isn't hypothetical. In 2021, Foxconn, a massive electronics manufacturer supplying tech giants like Apple and Google, faced a single ransomware attack that cost them over $100 million in estimated losses. How? Through a simple social engineering trick that was able to exploit vulnerable systems and encrypt files and data. Exactly the kind of evolving threat that outdated risk assessments fail to address.
How can manufacturing security teams fight back? Organizations can protect themselves by implementing five critical strategies:
As manufacturing continues its digital transformation, a proactive and adaptive cybersecurity strategy is essential. Organizations must evolve their approach to risk management from a static, one-time assessment to a dynamic, continuous process that acknowledges human vulnerabilities and the changing threat landscape.
The manufacturers who will be standing strong five years from now aren't the ones with the most expensive technology. They're the ones who treat cybersecurity as a critical part of their business strategy, not just another checkbox.factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Cisa, Fbi Issue Medusa Ransomware AdvisoryThe Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency —in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC)— has released joint Cybersecurity Advisory, #StopRansomware: Medusa Ransomware. This advisory provides tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), indicators of compromise (IOCs), and detection methods associated with known Medusa ransomware activity.
Medusa is a ransomware-as-a-service variant first identified in June 2021, and has been used to conduct ransomware attacks. As of December 2024, over 300 victims from critical infrastructure sectors have been impacted, including medical, education, legal, insurance, technology and manufacturing. Medusa actors use common techniques like phishing campaigns and exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities. The Medusa ransomware variant is unrelated to the MedusaLocker variant the Medusa mobile malware variant, per the FBI’s investigation.
According to CISA, immediate actions organizations can take to mitigate Medusa ransomware activity include:
Medusa originally operated as a closed ransomware variant, meaning all development and associated operations were controlled by the same group of cyber threat actors. While Medusa has since progressed to using an affiliate model, important operations such as ransom negotiation are still centrally controlled by the developers. Both Medusa developers and affiliates employ a double extortion model, where they encrypt victim data and threaten to publicly release exfiltrated data if a ransom is not paid.
Medusa developers typically recruit initial access brokers (IABs) in cybercriminal forums and marketplaces to obtain initial access to potential victims. Potential payments between $100 and $1 million are offered to these affiliates with the opportunity to work exclusively for Medusa. Medusa IABs (affiliates) are known to make use of common techniques, such as phishing campaigns and exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities. Medusa actors also use living off the land (LOTL) and legitimate tools Advanced IP Scanner and SoftPerfect Network Scanner for initial user, system and network enumeration.
Roger Grimes, a defense evangelist at cybersecurity solutions provider KnowBe4, offered the following comments in response to the advisory:“This continues CISA’s long tradition of warning people about ransomware that spreads using social engineering that then does not suggest security awareness training as a primary way to defeat it. I’ll never understand it.
"Social engineering is involved in 70 percent - 90 percent of all successful hacking attacks. CISA notes that one of the two main ways this ransomware variant spreads is through social engineering, and then in its three top-level recommendations and 15 recommended mitigations, it does not recommend end-user education to prevent them from being tricked into revealing logon credentials or executing the malware.
"It’s like learning that criminals are breaking into your house all the time through the windows and then recommending more locks for the doors. It does a huge disservice. It is this continued misalignment between the ways we are most often attacked by hackers and their malware programs and how we are told to defend ourselves that allows hackers to be so long-term successful.”factory
13 March 2025manufacturing net
Surge In Machine Identities Leaves Organizations More Vulnerable To AttacksCyberArk, a leading provider of global identity security solutions, has released its 2025 State of Machine Identity Security Report, revealing that machine identity-related security incidents are on the rise, as the volume and complexity of machine identities continue to multiply. According to the report, 72 percent of organizations have experienced at least one certificate-related outage in the past year, marking a significant increase compared to previous years.
Additionally, 50 percent of security leaders reported security incidents or breaches due to compromised machine identities.
Machine identities—including certificates, keys, secrets and access tokens—are exploding amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, cloud native innovations and shorter machine identity lifespans. As a result, organizations are struggling to keep up, and siloed approaches to securing machine identities creates its own risks.
The report shows the substantial business impacts of not securing machine identities effectively, leaving organizations vulnerable to costly outages and breaches. Some highlights of the report include:
“Machine identities of all kinds will continue to skyrocket over the next year, bringing not only greater complexity but also increased risks,” said Kurt Sand, GM of Machine Identity Security at CyberArk. “Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting machine identities – from API keys to code signing certificates – to exploit vulnerabilities, compromise systems and disrupt critical infrastructure, leaving even the most advanced businesses dangerously exposed.
This research highlights the urgency for security leaders to establish a comprehensive, end-to-end machine identity security strategy that tackles the non-human identities that matter most to prevent potential attacks and outages—especially as AI agents continue to rise and the quantum attack timeline shortens.”
To read the full report and access additional findings, please visit https://www.cyberark.com/2025-state-of-machine-identity-security-report/.factory
13 March 2025