FRANKFURT, Germany—German suppliers of robotics and automation technology are forecasting record-high sales of 16.2 billion euros in 2023, an increase in sales of 13 percent. In 2022, the industry recorded sales of 14.3 billion euros, and increase of 5 percent.

DETROIT, MI— Throughout June 2023, GM announced a handful of major assembly plant investments, including four U.S. manufacturing facilities – Flint Assembly, Flint Metal Center, Fort Wayne Assembly, and Arlington Assembly. 

FRIBOURG, Switzerland—Volvo Cars is using ampliTex flax fiber composites from Swiss company Bcomp to make optional trim for the dashboard and doors of the new EX30 compact electric SUV. It is the first production vehicle to use the new, lightweight material.

MUNICH—Simulation is helping BMW design assembly lines at the company’s new factory under construction in Debrecen, Hungary, more than two years before the scheduled official launch of series production.

The new Telso Terminal TT7 ultrasonic welding system from Telsonic gives machine builders a range of options for both system integration and parts presentation.

MOLINE, IL—John Deere is at the forefront of agricultural technology, revolutionizing precision agriculture by integrating space technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced data analytics to provide farmers with actionable insights.

The global demand for 3D printed components is on the rise because of reduced weight; since geometry-oriented structures and lattice structures can be employed in the space industry to reduce weight, there is a decreased environmental effect and increased return on investment.

SPARKS, NV—Panasonic is expected to noticeably increase lithium-ion battery cell production for Tesla at the Gigafactory 1 site in Nevada, which is jointly operated with Tesla.

FLINT, MI—General Motors plans to invest more than $1 billion to re-tool two manufacturing sites in Flint, Michigan, to prepare for a new generation of its internal combustion engine heavy-duty (HD) trucks.

KARIYA, Japan—Denso Corp. has launched a pilot program to test a new energy management system at its assembly plant in Nishio, Japan, as part of efforts to eliminate CO₂ emissions from the facility.