CHARLESTON, SC—Volvo’s decision to open its first U.S. assembly plant in Berkeley County is likely to lure other businesses from the Swedish automaker’s home country. Nearly two dozen of Sweden’s automotive parts suppliers visited South Carolina last week to meet with executives at Volvo and other manufacturers as part of a campaign to expand the burgeoning Swedish car parts industry to other countries.
LAS VEGAS, NV—A second electric car company is planning to build an assembly plant in southern Nevada, and it’s further along in development than Faraday Future. Executives with 2050 Motors, which is showing two car models in Las Vegas this week, are evaluating sites to build a plant in the state.
INDIANAPOLIS—Two Indiana assembly plants that make products for the heating, ventilating and air conditioning industry are shifting their manufacturing operations to Mexico, which will cost about 2,100 workers their jobs, company officials announced Wednesday.
WICHITA, KS—Spirit AeroSystems, which assembles the fuselages for the Boeing 737, is planning to boost production to meet Boeing’s goal of producing 57 jets per month.
No matter which method you use to assemble plastic parts, you would have found the latest technologies at The ASSEMBLY Show. There were at least 10 suppliers of plastics joining equipment on the show floor, including first-time exhibitors Rinco Ultrasonics and Thermal Press International Inc.
ANN ARBOR, MI—Robot orders and shipments in North America set new records in 2015, according to Robotic Industries Association. A total of 31,464 robots valued at $1.8 billion were ordered from North American companies during 2015, an increase of 14 percent in units and 11 percent in dollars over 2014.
CHATTANOOGA, TN—The American Council of Employees at Volkswagen’s assembly plant here is supporting the automaker’s federal appeal of last year’s election, in which a small group of employees agreed to align with the United Auto Workers.
VALENCIA, Spain—Ford Motor Co. has developed a wearable device that, when connected to a smartphone app, enables assembly line workers to make faster and more accurate quality checks on new vehicles.
MOBILE, AL—Broetje Automation, a supplier of automated machinery for aircraft assembly, has opened a facility here to support Airbus’ new assembly plant.