SOUTH BEND, IN—Manufacturing Technology Inc. (MTI) has shipped North America’s first linear friction welder capable of joining full-sized parts to the Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT) facility in Detroit, where it will contribute to cutting edge light-weighting research in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

TUSCALOOSA, AL—Mercedes-Benz has begun construction of a new factory here to make batteries for electric SUVs.

NEW YORK—A survey by product sourcing specialist Thomas shows that 61 percent of Americans prefer products made in America. The results are included in the organization's “Manufacturing Perception Report,” which examines Americans’ views about the manufacturing industry.

WASHINGTON—The United States, Canada and Mexico came to a last minute agreement last Sunday on a revised trade deal called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA. President Donald Trump and his Mexican and Canadian counterparts are expected to sign the deal by the end of November. It will then be up to Congress to approve the deal, which is likely to come up for a vote next year.
 

LOUISVILLE, KY—GE Appliances announced Monday investments totaling more than $200 million to expand its dishwasher and laundry manufacturing facilities and add 400 new jobs here.

FARNBOROUGH, England—Rolls-Royce engineers are developing miniature robots that could be used in future jet engine maintenance applications.

CHICAGO—A measure of the U.S. economy from the Chicago Federal Reserve steadied in August, due to a modest ramping up of output at the nation’s factories compared to earlier in the summer. The Chicago Fed’s index of national economic activity registered at a positive 0.18 last month, unchanged from a slightly upwardly revised July reading.

STUTTGART, Germany—Sports car maker Porsche said Sunday it would become the first German auto giant to abandon the diesel engine, reacting to parent company Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal and urban driving bans.

KALAMAZOO, MI—One year after announcing a collaborative effort with Grand Rapids Community College and West Michigan manufacturers, the Advance Manufacturing Partnership lab at Western Michigan University opened its doors here last week for industry leaders to have a first look at the new 15,000-square-foot instructional facility.

GENEVA—More than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines by 2025, organizers of the Davos World Economic Forum said in a report released last week that highlights the speed with which the labor market will change in coming years.