LOUISVILLE, KY—GE Appliances recently announced that it is the first manufacturer to offer full suites of connected appliances that work directly with the virtual Google Assistant, which is powered by artificial intelligence. This capability helps consumers more easily build and operate a Smart home.

RENTON, WA—Boeing Co. is facing a problem as it races to meet demand for single-aisle, fuel-efficient jets: Where to store unfinished 737s piling up at its factory near Seattle.

DUBLIN—The global collaborative robots market is expected to be worth almost $9 billion by 2025, according to a report by Research and Markets. The forecast pointed to vast growth from 2017, when the market accounted for little more than $420 million.

AURORA, OR—Van’s Aircraft will soon begin building complete aircraft on a new assembly line the company is creating here for future RV-12iS and RV-12-iST SLSA models.

TEMPE, AZ—U.S. manufacturing unexpectedly jumped to the highest since May 2004 as orders, production and employment all picked up, according to the Institute for Supply Management's August report.

WASHINGTON—U.S. manufacturing output rose a solid 0.3 percent last month, led by increased production of cars, electronics and appliances, the Federal Reserve said last week.

CLIFTON PARK, NY—Fuel-cell manufacturer Plug Power recently cut the ribbon on its new production facility here. The company says it is anticipating increased demand for its high-tech products, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as the byproducts.

EVERETT, WA—Boeing’s factory complex here is the world’s largest building and has produced more wide-body planes than all other competing manufacturers combined. It also just got a lot bigger. The new additions are two buildings for Boeing 777X construction that increase the factory space by another 25 percent.

AUBURN HILLS, MI—Engineers at FCA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory recently developed a new aluminum alloy that stays strong up to 572 F. The new alloy can also be cast and machined using existing technologies.