BLUE SPRINGS, MS—Juniors and seniors at New Albany and Union County schools in Mississippi will soon have a unique opportunity to learn and earn. In collaboration with local partners, Toyota is launching its 4T Academy in Mississippi. The hands-on training program is designed to place students directly into Toyota production jobs right out of high school.

The SWIFTI CRB 1300 cobot is fast and accurate, bridging the gap between industrial and collaborative robots.

Trumpf has introduced new sensors that enable its arc welding robot to program its own weld path.

TUCSON, AZ—American Battery Factory (ABF) has begun construction of a new 2 million-square-foot headquarters and factory here to produce lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

The Festo Cobot is the first collaborative robot powered by pneumatics.

ELLABELL, GA—Hyundai Motor Group’s Georgia supplier list has grown longer this month, as three additional auto parts suppliers have announced plans to establish assembly plants in the state.

BLAINE, MN—Ascential Technologies, a manufacturer of custom automation for medical device manufacturers, has opened a new 100,000-square-foot factory here.

PRINCETON, IN—Toyota Indiana celebrated a major milestone today as the plant started production of the first-ever Lexus TX, an all-new, three-row luxury SUV. The 2024 TX is the first Lexus SUV to be assembled in the U.S., and the first Lexus for Toyota Indiana.

TOKYO—Japan will face a labor shortage next year when new overtime regulations for truck drivers come into force. This is being called the “2024 problem,” and the country’s manufacturers are hoping robots and automation can alleviate the issue.

CHICAGO—A new display of Industry 4.0 innovations at MxD is showcasing how state-of-the-art tools can improve efficiency and productivity.