U S Manufacturing

Why Reshoring Is Quietly Reshaping Who Buys Packaging Equipment

Reshoring's headline is jobs. The quieter story is a whole new category of packaging equipment buyer — building a line from scratch, making a seven-figure decision, and shopping on trust because they have no other way to shop.

The global precision parts market is set to add $112 billion by 2031 as OEM demand shifts to higher-value components

The precision parts market is projected to reach $376.96B by 2031, with OEM demand, digital manufacturing partnerships, and equipment safety initiatives reshapi

Can a Finishing System adapt to fluctuating labor availability?

Labor shortages have become a pressing issue across many sectors, including manufacturing, where the availability of skilled workers is increasingly precarious. As businesses strive to maintain productivity and efficiency, the adoption of automated solutions has proven to be a viable strategy to cou

Conveyorized Finishing Systems that are Expandable and Scalable

In today's industrial landscape, flexibility and scalability are essential attributes for manufacturing systems. As labor shortages continue to impact various sectors, companies are turning towards automation to maintain efficiency and productivity. Conveyorized finishing systems, like the one offer

The importance of Data in a Conveyorized Finishing System

In conveyorized finishing operations, the volume of data generated across a single production shift is substantial. Paint batches, carrier timestamps, load bar launches, line speeds, and process recipes all produce records that can either be captured and used or quietly lost. For finishing operation

Emerson, FOBA, and Mitsubishi Electric signal a new wave of purpose-built industrial AI deployments

Three major manufacturers are embedding AI directly into automation hardware, from fault-detecting software agents to laser workstations and US-made IT cooling

IntelliFinishing Systems Adapt Better When Labor is Short

Labor availability has become one of the most persistent operational challenges across manufacturing. Recruiting skilled workers, particularly in specialized roles like painting and finishing, is difficult in most markets. For facilities running traditional finishing lines, a single absent employee

Vention and FANUC America unify industrial and collaborative robots on a single AI platform

Vention and FANUC America have integrated FANUC's full robot portfolio into Vention's AI-driven platform, letting manufacturers design, simulate, and deploy aut

Cranswick deploys Rockwell Automation pick-and-place robots to hit 240 cycles per minute in end-of-line packaging

UK food maker Cranswick replaced manual end-of-line packaging with autonox Delta robots running Rockwell Automation controls, reaching 240 picks per minute.

Cranswick deploys Rockwell Automation robotics at 240 picks per minute to automate its most labor-intensive packaging line

Cranswick's pigs-in-blankets line now runs 240 robotic picks per minute using autonox Delta robots and Rockwell Automation controls, freeing workers for higher-

Cranswick deploys Rockwell Automation robotics to hit 240 picks per minute on pigs-in-blankets line

UK food maker Cranswick replaced manual end-of-line packaging with an autonox Delta robot system that picks and places 240 sausages per minute.

How Many Product Painting Recipies Do You Need?

For custom coaters and some OEM manufacturers, finishing recipe flexibility is not a luxury. It is a core operational requirement. Managing a wide range of part numbers, substrates, and customer specifications means that coating systems must be configurable enough to handle significant variation whi

What is SCADA?

SCADA, or supervisory control and data acquisition, is a foundational technology for plant managers and operations teams that need real-time visibility and control over industrial processes. Despite how widely it is deployed across manufacturing and process industries, the term still draws blank sta

What is a friction driven conveyor used in finishing?

In finishing environments, conveyor selection has a direct impact on cleanliness, noise levels, maintenance costs, and overall operational efficiency. One technology that draws consistent attention from facility managers and finishing professionals is the friction-driven conveyor, a system built aro

The Challenge of Being a Custom Coater

For custom coaters operating as job shops, no two days look the same. Part sizes vary, customer specifications shift, and the shop floor has to adapt quickly to whatever work comes through the door. That kind of environment demands finishing equipment that can keep pace, and it is precisely where th

Agentic automation hits enterprise scale: Automation Anywhere, Yaskawa, and KUKA signal a new operating model for industrial AI

From billion-request IT service desks to robots that write their own work orders, agentic AI is moving from pilot to production across manufacturing and operati

AI kaizens, agentic systems, and pricing pressure: what manufacturers are actually doing with industrial AI in 2026

From TE Connectivity's AI vision gains to outcome-based pricing debates, industrial AI is moving from pilot to operational reality across the plant floor.

Industrial manufacturing M&A hits $173 billion as convergence deals crowd out single-theme bets

PwC's 2026 midyear outlook finds industrial M&A up 28% year-over-year, with mega-deals and strategic buyers driving the surge.

Most mid-sized manufacturers are stuck in AI pilot purgatory, Kaufman Rossin research finds

73% of manufacturing companies remain in AI testing phases, and not one has reached full operational deployment, per Kaufman Rossin research.

ABB Robotics launches AI-powered visual platform as manufacturers push physical AI and data governance to the front of the automation agenda

ABB Robotics' new AI visual platform, physical AI for mid-market plants, and a data-governance push are converging into a practical 2026 automation agenda.

Technology in manufacturing: the operational trends shaping factory floors in mid-2026

From physical AI to an 80% automation gap, here are the manufacturing technology shifts ops leaders need to act on right now.

73% of mid-market manufacturers are still testing AI, with zero at full deployment

New Kaufman Rossin survey data reveals most mid-market manufacturers are stuck in AI experimentation, held back by siloed data and legacy ERP systems.

Global M&A hits record $2.8 trillion in H1 2026 as industrial manufacturing deal value climbs 28% to $173 billion

Global deal value hit a record $2.8 trillion in H1 2026, up 48% year-on-year, as AI infrastructure, grid modernization, and defense reshape who buys what.

Analog Devices maps the semiconductor case for physical intelligence in industrial automation

ADI's Fiona Treacy lays out how AI-driven physical intelligence and humanoid robotics are reshaping factory systems and semiconductor demand.

IMA Group positions "Cognitive Manufacturing" as the next operating model for industrial production

IMA Group's Cognitive Manufacturing framework, debuted at Interpack 2026, combines cloud AI, edge AI, and robotics to help production teams cut downtime and imp

Industrial manufacturing M&A hit $173 billion as deals over $5 billion now make up 56% of value

PwC's 2026 midyear outlook shows industrial manufacturing M&A jumped 28% to $173B, with mega-deals and convergence themes driving premium valuations.

Robots, AI, and IIoT are reshaping the factory floor, but the real work is in integration

Robotics, AI quality control, and IIoT-driven predictive maintenance are converging in manufacturing, pushing ops leaders to rethink how they buy, deploy, and g

AI and automation's adoption gap: what manufacturers must act on now

80% of U.S. factories have zero automation. New tools and C-suite strategy shifts are changing the calculus for operations teams.

80% of U.S. factories have no automation. Here's what's changing in 2026.

Eight in ten U.S. factories still run without any automation, even as AI vendor activity hits a peak. Here's what's actually moving on the floor.

Automation adoption is surging at trade shows. Most US factories still haven't started.

Record attendance at Automate 2026 and new AI-lab deals signal industry momentum, but 80% of US manufacturing facilities still run zero automation.