ANN ARBOR, MI—Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14 percent in units and 11 percent in dollars over 2014.

Miniature force sensors ensure quality of touchscreens, buttons and other electronic assemblies.

MIRAMAR, FL—JL Audio Inc., a manufacturer of speakers and other audio components, will invest $9.4 million to expand its assembly plant here, retaining 294 jobs and creating 30 new ones.

ANDERSON, SC—Workers at an automotive sensor factory here are wearing smart watches to alert them to production faults on the assembly line.

To be a global leader in the automotive parts market, a company must be able to meet the needs of customers on all seven continents.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM—Delta Group Electronics recently completed renovation of its new assembly facility here. The expanded footprint of nearly 50,000 square feet gives Delta extra space to develop products for its customers in the aerospace, defense and homeland security industries.

Traveling more than 1,800 miles across the Australian outback in a standard automobile is an extremely tough challenge for any driver. Imagine how much more difficult it is to traverse this harsh terrain in a solar-powered vehicle with little or no track record of reliability.

By embracing technology, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. has grown from a tiny company to a leading manufacturer of single-engine turboprop aircraft.

SCARAs perform pick-and-place and other operations.

On Oct. 5, the United States and 11 other countries finalized the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free-trade agreement after seven years of negotiations.