NORMAL, IL—Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian plans to increase the capacity of its assembly plant here to produce its midsized SUV, the R2. The company has secured an $827 million incentive package from the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity to support the expansion.

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI—FANUC America has introduced the world’s first explosion-proof collaborative robot for painting and finishing applications.

HUNTINGTON, IN—Japanese automotive composites manufacturer Teijin has opened a new topcoat and assembly facility here. The 164,000 square-foot space is an expansion of the company’s existing Huntington site and will be used to support manufacturing the modular painted roof for the Ford Bronco.

Integrating generative artificial intelligence with digital twin technology will transform the manufacturing industry, according to a recent report by Info-Tech Research Group.

VANCE, AL—Workers at two Mercedes-Benz factories in central Alabama voted against allowing the United Auto Workers to represent them, a blow to the union’s campaign to gain ground in the South, where it has traditionally been weak.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI—Michigan-based company HG Automation recently acquired Treva Automation, a leader in the design and integration of automated solutions. Treva Automation, which was founded in 2008, has established itself as a key player in the controls applications, mechanical design, software development, and integration services space. The company is headquartered in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Automation and robotics are crucial to the future of the automotive industry, claims a recent study conducted by ABB Robotics and Automotive Manufacturing Solutions (AMS).

Not all organizations have the resources, capital or talent required to deploy smart factories.

COLUMBUS, IN—Toyota Material Handling will break ground later this month on a nearly $100 million expansion of its assembly plant here.

VANCE, AL—Workers at the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant here began voting Monday on whether to join the United Auto Workers union, a significant test of whether the labor group can maintain momentum in the historically anti-union South.