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When Figure, a company developing humanoid robots, needed ideas for disposing of its previous generation, an elegant solution came from a somewhat unlikely source.The company said that with its fleet of Figure 03 bots growing, it no longer had the time and space to support Figure 02. But it couldn’t just throw out the humanoids and risk someone getting their hands on all types of proprietary...

When the pigeons started getting a little too familiar at one Ford factory, plant managers turned to another bird for help.Ford’s 12 million-square-foot facility in Hermosillo, Mexico employs more than 4,000 workers and builds more than 300,000 pickup trucks and SUVs every year. It also used to have a serious pigeon infestation issue. According to the Wall Street Journal, the stout-bodied birds...

Researchers from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have created a new biomimetic autonomous drone. Released from the air, the Albatross falls like a maple seed, lands on the water and then rights itself to sail autonomously by harvesting wind energy. These drones could one day monitor environmental conditions for weeks at a time.After all, remote waters are difficult to...

Ultium Cells, the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, announced plans to retool its Spring Hill, Tenn. facility to manufacture prismatic lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells for future GM electric vehicles. The companies anticipate construction and upgrades will begin this year, with completion scheduled for 2028. The project also intends to create 500 jobs.Ultium...

On Friday afternoon, a massive industrial fire erupted at the East Jordan Plastics Factory in South Haven, Michigan. The blaze started at 3:47 pm and firefighters remained on the scene until the site was finally cleared around 6:00 am Saturday. A giant column of smoke could be seen for more than 40 miles, and at least 16 different fire departments used about 2 million gallons of water to contain...

Welcome to another episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing, a podcast that asks young people about their journeys in manufacturing, how they intend to influence the industry and what they are looking for from an employer.For this episode, I welcome Nick Knotts, a 25-year-old graduate research assistant for Advanced Steel Processing and Products Research Center at the Colorado School of Mines.Knotts...

A recent situation at a Purina plant in Flagstaff, Arizona resulted in a visit from the local Fire Department.Responders were called to an active chemical leak at the plant, which produces hundreds of thousands of tons of dog food annually for brands like Alpo, Beneful and Pro Plan.According to reports, the factory team came upon a chemical spill of approximately 10 gallons and evacuated its...

The new facility will consolidate its current locations in Iowa and California.A century-old Iowa honey producer has broken ground on what it says will eventually be the largest honey bottling plant in the world.The Sioux Honey Association Co-op held a ceremony Tuesday to officially start construction on a 440,000-square-foot facility in Sioux City. The $130 million project, KTIV-TV reported,...

The Lego Group today announced a massive $400 million expansion in Monterrey, Mexico. The project will add 62,000 square meters, increase total production capacity by 35% and create additional packing and warehousing capacity. It will also add 1,300 jobs by 2029. The facility currently has some 7,300 employees.The Lego Group has continued to expand its Monterrey factory since it opened in 2008....

A West London man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison after police uncovered an “underground vinyl manufacturing plant operating on an industrial scale.” According to officials, the facility generated more than $3.5 million by producing and distributing thousands of counterfeit vinyl records across the UK.The City of London Police estimate the underground plant, led by 40-year-old...