DEARBORN, MI—Ford Motor Co. solidified its position as the No. 1 American automaker in terms of vehicles assembled, vehicles exported from America to other countries, and hourly workers employed.

The new VersaFlex AP10 conveyor from mk North America Inc. is for medium-duty pallet-handling applications. It is ideal for handling automotive components, battery cell applications, machining center operations, and inspection and testing centers.

ALLISTON, ON—Honda Motor Co. plans to build a comprehensive EV value chain in Canada with an approximate investment of $11.2 billion, including investment by joint venture partners, to prepare for a future increase in EV demand in North America. 

AUGUSTA, GA—GF Casting Solutions will invest more than $184 million in a new manufacturing facility here. The project will create 350 new jobs.

KERNERSVILLE, NC—John Deere will invest about $70 million to build a new 380,000-square-foot factory at its manufacturing campus here. The factory will assemble small, 6 to 10 metric ton excavators and is expected to add about 150 new jobs. Currently, about 600 people work at the Kernersville campus.

BIRMINGHAM, MI—BNP Media, the publisher of ASSEMBLY and one of the largest privately held B2B media companies in the United States, has received the first-ever accreditation from the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) for its audience and media management technology platform and Digital Audience Profile reporting system.

SHALERSVILLE, OH—Viega, a maker of metal pipe fittings and valves, is building a $200 million manufacturing facility here, about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland. The 180,000-square-foot plant is expected to be operational in early 2025.

Electric linear actuators can help assemblers increase flexibility, productivity and sustainability.

To meet the production and quality demands of a new contract, a Kentucky automotive supplier implemented Pico MES to error-proof its shop floor operations, consistently build parts in high volume, and ultimately expand its business.

MARTORELL, Spain—SEAT is employing two collaborative robots at its assembly plant here to apply nameplates on the rear doors of Ibiza and Arona hatchbacks. The cobots work at the beginning of the assembly line and apply the badges as the vehicles make their way down the assembly line, with no delay to the process and sharing space with the factory personnel.