Magnetic materials may not be well-known by the general public, but many of the world’s leading manufacturers would be in trouble without them.

Today’s typical automobile features nearly 100 exterior and interior sensors, with the number likely to increase in the near future. Those located on the outside (axle load, steering angle, blind spots, air temperature, etc.) require special protection from the elements and unique production methods.

CAMBRIDGE, MA—Researchers at the Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are developing a mobile phone that can put itself together.

ZHENGZHOU, China—Contract manufacturer Foxconn said on Monday that two workers at its assembly facilities here died last week, even as the company made efforts to improve labor conditions that came under scrutiny after a spate of suicides in recent years.

Once a lagging market segment, automotive electronics has gained significant importance in recent years, as the industry, the culture and consumer expectations have changed. Safety and regulatory requirements for vehicles have increased, manufacturers have new warranty requirements, and what used to be “luxury” features are now expected to come standard with a new car.

Engineers at a major manufacturer of portable electronic devices had a problem. They needed to rivet a small, thin electrical contact to the device’s charger subassembly, but how could they head the tiny rivets—0.02 to 0.03 inch in diameter—without crushing the assembly?

Most people never think about the electrical grid when they turn on their TV, charge their smartphone or surf the Internet. But, without it, none of those things would work.

About 300 miles northwest of Mexico City sits the town of Aguascalientes. Although its name means hot waters, the place is much more well-known for its gentle climate, brave bullfighters and being a stopover point between the mines of Zacatecas and Mexico City.

ANN ARBOR, MI—Foxconn vice president Chia Day has won 2016 Engelberger Robotics Award for automating electronics assembly at the contract manufacturer’s electronics factories in China.

LEBANON, OH—Siemens has opened its first U.S. assembly plant here to manufacture industrial personal computers. By moving production of the computers to Ohio, delivery times to U.S. customers will be cut by 40 percent, Siemens officials said.