MT. PLEASANT, WI–Foxconn is reportedly planning to assemble Google server components at its beleaguered factory here.

MANKATO, MN—Rolls-Royce has announced a $13.9 million investment in its Power Systems business unit for a multi-phase expansion of its power generation manufacturing facility here.

BOSTON—Desktop Metal has been awarded  a three-year, multimillion dollar grant from the Department of Defense to develop a high-volume 3D printing process that makes complex parts from a new cobalt-free hard metal without the use of tooling.

MONTGOMERY, AL—Denmark-based Mountain Top Industries, a manufacturer of aluminum roll covers for pickup trucks, recently announced its expansion into the U.S. market with the opening of a 73,000 square-foot manufacturing facility here.

HAMBURG, Germany—Engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation are working with Airbus to learn how to detect and predict disruptions in aircraft production.

WASHINGTON—New orders for U.S.-made goods increased solidly in September, but further gains could be limited amid an anticipated slowdown in consumer spending as government money for businesses and workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic runs out.

BROOKLYN PARK, MN—Cirtec Medical Corp. will expand its medical device design and assembly operations here.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA—BAE Systems is investing more than $100 million to build a state-of-the-art electronics assembly and R&D lab here.

LORDSTOWN, OH—General Motors is starting the process to hire more than 1,000 positions at its Ultium Cells LLC battery assembly plant here.

In many industries, automation is an afterthought—considered only after a process is stable, “everything works,” and an organization assesses the “risks and paybacks.” Ideally, however, automation should be considered from day one.