DETROIT—A new study has found that factory robots have not hindered manufacturing job growth, but added to it. Between the end of 2009 and the end of 2014, 62 corporations with collectively the largest installed base of robots added 1.25 million new jobs to their payroll, an overall increase of more than 20 percent.
WASHINGTON—Orders to U.S. factories increased in January by the most in seven months, while a key category that tracks business investment plans rose by the largest amount in 19 months.
WASHINGTON—Producers in China and six other countries sold cold-rolled steel at unfairly low prices in the U.S. market and will be taxed as much as 266 percent on the price.
WOOSTER, OH—Gardeners may look at dandelions as weeds, but the auto industry may soon see them as a gold mine. Tire makers and auto parts suppliers are investigating whether dandelions and other plants can be used as alternatives to rubber trees for producing natural latex.
TEL AVIV, Israel—Researchers at Tel Aviv University are developing a new 3D printing technology that can create electronic circuits using nickel nanoparticles.
MILLS RIVER, NC—GF Automotive and Linamar Corp. will invest $217 million to build a new assembly plant here for lightweight powertrain components. The facility is expected to create 350 jobs during the next five years.
EAST SETAUKET, NY—To support burgeoning growth in the U.S. market, collaborative robots manufacturer Universal Robots is opening three new offices in the United States: Ann Arbor, MI; Irvine, CA; and Dallas.
CLEVELAND—Ford plans to invest $145 million to upgrade its engine assembly plant here so it can build the next-generation, 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine and expand the lineup of cars and trucks that are offered with the popular engine.
WASHINGTON—Orders for big-ticket goods surged in January. The Commerce Department said Thursday that new orders of durable goods increased 4.9 percent last month, topping the median estimate of 2.9 percent that economists had been expecting.