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1094

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Jun 2026

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Radio for manufacturing and engineering professionals. New industrial products, news and technical articles.

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June 16, 20268 min

LISTEN: Gen Z in Manufacturing: Digitization Opportunities Hiding in Plain Sight

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 Jerry Klein, a 27-year-old technical support specialist for Artec 3D, a supplier of handheld and portable 3D scanners for multiple industries, including manufacturing, reverse engineering and quality inspection. Klein’s duties at Artec 3D include one-on-one product training, product development, responding to customer inquiries and contributing to 3D scanning projects worldwide.In this episode, Klein discusses:(:56) A fresh way to save time and money(3:19) Where Gen Z is making a difference through 3D scanning(5:37) How young people handle training(7:40) Where Gen Z sees more opportunities for digitization in manufacturingPlease make sure to like and share this episode of Gen Z in Manufacturing. To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. If you are a member of Gen Z and would like to discuss your experience in the manufacturing industry, please get in touch with me, Nolan Beilstein, at nolan@ien.com.#GenZInManufacturing, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingPodcast, #3DScanning, #Artec3D, #Industry40, #DigitalTransformation, #AdvancedManufacturing, #ReverseEngineering, #QualityInspection, #ManufacturingTechnology, #IndustrialTechnology, #WorkforceDevelopment, #GenZ, #Engineering, #Innovation, #SmartManufacturing, #FutureOfWork, #Automation, #TechInManufacturing

June 13, 20262 min

LISTEN: Strike to End at GM Supplier; Workers Win Significant Increases

On Wednesday, some 1,000 union workers who were on strike at GM supplier Dauch Corporation, formerly American Axle, in Three Rivers, Michigan, reached a tentative deal with the company. The new contract will secure the workers' topline demand of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase to the top wage rate over the next four years. Members of the UAW Local 2093 walked out on strike at midnight on June 1, 2026. The plant makes axles for GM’s GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks and commercial vans. In a statement, UAW President Shawn Fain, said, "After 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them."According to the union, American Axle workers made major sacrifices to save the Three Rivers facility from closure during the Great Recession in 2008. "Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50," the UAW said. UAW members hired before May 31, 2012, including those who went from $29 per hour in 2008 to $14, will see an immediate $8 per hour increase once the new contract is ratified. Union workers will also see more paid days off and won't have to make any concessions on their current health care costs. For example, workers won’t experience any healthcare premium cost increases over the next four years. The union also won time off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Veteran's Day, as well as more days off for Christmas. Workers with at least one year of seniority will receive an additional nine vacation days per year as well as a $2,000 ratification bonus.#UAW, #UnitedAutoWorkers, #LaborNews, #Strike, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #Automotive, #AutoIndustry, #GeneralMotors, #GMSupplier, #FactoryWorkers, #UnionStrong, #LaborUnion, #MichiganManufacturing, #IndustrialNews, #SupplyChain, #AmericanManufacturing, #Workforce, #ShawnFain, #AutoParts

June 11, 20262 min

LISTEN: Retired EV Batteries to Support Power Grid in Calif., Texas

The robotaxi company Waymo has announced new capabilities that provide benefits completely distinct from its primary business model.Waymo says that the large, heavy, power-intensive batteries that power its fleet will no longer go to a recycling center at the end of their lives. Instead, they have a new use: supporting the power grid.Through a new partnership with B2U Storage Solutions, Waymo’s batteries will be repurposed in order to store clean energy. But rather than in one-off implementations, the goal for this effort is to establish grid-scale storage systems. Adam Lenz, head of Sustainability & Environment at Waymo, “Our shared fleet of EVs provide a massive opportunity to support the growth of clean energy on the electricity grid while expanding the circular economy,” adding it was important to the company that the batteries continue to provide “economic and environmental value” after they were retired from the road.The plan goes hand in hand with solar power, according to Waymo, who contends that the batteries will primarily be used to store the surplus energy produced during peak hours – namely the middle of the day when the sun is at its highest point. The batteries will then distribute that power during peak demand in the evenings.They say the process is largely plug-and-play, with batteries coming from cars and capable of being online in this power storage capacity within a matter of days.The first deployments derived from the partnership will take place in Texas and California – two states who not only have a significant need for electrical grid support but who also happen to already host Waymo fleets.Fellow automaker GM also recently revealed that it was expanding into different battery cell chemistries for varied uses – notably to increase its vehicle-to-grid capabilities. The automaker hopes to take advantage of the growth in AI data center development and use its batteries to help offset the strain on the nation’s utilities.#Waymo, #Robotaxi, #AutonomousVehicles, #EV, #ElectricVehicles, #BatteryStorage, #EnergyStorage, #RenewableEnergy, #SolarEnergy, #CleanEnergy, #PowerGrid, #BatteryTechnology, #Sustainability, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews

June 9, 20262 min

LISTEN: AI Biffs Design in Dodge RAM T-Shirt Gaffe

In AI oops, Dodge briefly sells T-shirts featuring what appears to be a Toyota Tacoma.For all the things AI does well, it’s also known to have its limitations.These limitations were recently on full display when Dodge RAM enthusiasts discovered what might be considered an odd handful of items on the brand’s online merchandise store.Among the tumblers, coolers, hats and backpacks featuring the RAM logo, was a product dubbed “2026 RAM PATRIOTIC UNISEX T-SHIRT.” The patriotic part was a red, white and blue illustration of a rippling American flag and the RAM part was a graphic of a pickup truck with the words “RAM POWER” underneath.It didn’t take web sleuths very long to point out a few unsettling details about this design, however. For one, the American flag featured just 38 stars and the RAM truck – well, it wasn’t even a RAM.According to a report in Autopia, the truck’s details suggest that it was, in fact, a competitor’s vehicle – a Toyota Tacoma – from model year 2023, at that.It was this indefensible gaffe that led to speculation that the shirt – as well as a complementary banner on RAM’s site that also featured the Tacoma – was a product of AI, and shortly after the web coverage, both offending products were removed.Motor1 underscored the punchline by pointing out that Stellantis had another AI swing and a miss back in March when the Dodge brand used its Instagram account to feature “throwback” photos of some of its old models. Unfortunately, it turned out the vehicles were AI-generated, meaning some of the featured models never, in fact, existed.Perhaps the takeaway here is that, if you’re going to use AI to generate content or designs, make sure you keep enough humans around to check for slop, because anyone who works for Dodge probably could easily tell the difference between their own truck and a Toyota.As Autopia’s report said, what this t-shirt featured was “definitely not a RAM, even if someone or some algorithm slapped a RAM badge on that distinctive Tacoma grille,” adding that RAM “should be embarrassed.”#Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #Automotive, #AutomotiveNews, #RamTrucks, #DodgeRam, #ToyotaTacoma, #AI, #ArtificialIntelligence, #AIGeneratedContent, #Stellantis, #Technology, #DigitalMarketing, #TruckIndustry, #Automation

June 6, 20261 min

LISTEN: 'Spud King' Fined for Illegal Potato Chip Factory

An unlicensed potato chip factory in Australia has been fined after authorities were tipped off by the facility’s grand opening event.According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Western Australia “Spud King” Tony Galati created the house brand chips Spuddies so he could sell them at his Spudshed stores. He established a facility to manufacture the potato chips and acquired all the necessary equipment including an industrial peeler, blancher, fryer and weight checking system to help with portion control and bagging. He just didn’t get any work approvals.The “Spud King” may have gotten away with it, at least for a little bit longer, if he hadn’t planned and notified regulators about a grand opening event for the factory. But now the Galati Group has been caught for manufacturing without a license and for dumping “non-oily chip-making waste” without a license. The company has been fined $20,000, equal to about $14,000 in the U.S.This is not the first time the “Spud King” has gotten salty with regulators. Galati, a well-known potato grower in Western Australia, played a key role in the full deregulation of the state’s potato industry. Even after the Potato Marketing Corporation was cooked, Galati was still found in contempt for purposefully planting more potatoes than allowed.In 2024, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission hit Galati with more than $60,000 in fines for trading with at least four growers without a horticulture produce agreement in place.No matter how you slice it, the “Spud King” sounds like a potato man who doesn’t play by anyone else’s potato rules.#manufacturing, #foodmanufacturing, #foodindustry, #industrialnews, #factorynews, #manufacturingnews, #australia, #businessnews, #operations, #compliance, #regulatorycompliance, #potatochips, #foodprocessing, #industrynews, #supplychain

June 5, 20261 min

LISTEN: Tooling Manufacturer Plans $800M Montana Factory

A Washington state manufacturer of tooling and parts for advanced industries plans to establish its third production facility in Montana — and create about 2,000 jobs.Janicki announced Tuesday that it selected Great Falls, Montana, for the $800 million project, which would complement the company’s existing production facilities in Northwest Washington and suburban Salt Lake City.The privately-owned engineering and manufacturing company, established in 1993, says it designs and builds tools, parts, assemblies and prototypes for a wide range of industries, including aerospace, defense, architectural and marine applications. It specializes in composite fabrication and precision machining utilizing its proprietary 5-axis mills, which it says are among the largest in the world.Janicki officials said in a statement that growth in its aerospace and defense programs, in particular, has pushed demand beyond its capacity in Washington and Utah. The Montana plant, they added, will be part of a “multi-state, phased growth strategy.”The company anticipates building a campus that would add 2 million square feet of production space over the next decade. The project would create about 1,000 jobs within the first five years and more than 2,000 jobs overall once construction is complete — a total that would roughly double its current workforce.Montana Free Press reported that Janicki would receive a 50% property tax break from the city and county over five years, which would then be gradually phased out over the following five years. The incentives would reportedly be applied separately to each of the project’s four phases of construction.Janicki expects to begin construction next month and open the first phase of the new facility by the end of next year. #manufacturing, #aerospace, #defense, #advancedmanufacturing, #industrialnews, #manufacturingnews, #economicdevelopment, #jobs, #factory, #engineering, #supplychain, #composites, #precisionmachining, #madeinamerica, #industrynews

June 4, 20261 min

LISTEN: Harley Owners Warned: Checking Oil Could Spray You With Oil

A manufacturing defect may be to blame for an issue potentially impacting some 88,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles.Reports suggest that removing the dipsticks to check the motorcycles’ oil has been linked to a nasty surprise – spraying oil.According to the NHTSA, the issue stems from a design problem where bikes equipped with an airbox baseplate have a breather port that may be blocked. This allows pressure to build up inside the crankcase with nowhere to go – until the pressure is released after the dipstick is withdrawn. Carscoops described it as “akin to shaking up a bottle of coke and then uncapping the lid.”The Wisconsin-based company has recalled nine different models for this possible issue and is also reportedly aware of an incident where a dealer technician was injured by spraying oil while working on one of its bikes.The quickest fix is related to awareness; if technicians and bike owners can release the built up pressure slowly, they can prevent the “coke bottle” effect from occurring. Even better, owners of the motorcycle should bring in their recalled bike for a free repair of the blockage, if necessary.Carscoops says Harley’s own investigation uncovered 192 reports involving blocked breather ports. Of these, just over a dozen resulted in the oil discharge. Harley's North American sales rose 14% in Q1 of 2026, with CEO Artie Starrs saying the company was "pleased" with the results. Still, the company's profits plunged 81% year over year, an outcome attributed to tariff costs, higher sales incentives, and unfavorable product mix. Last month, Harley also unveiled a new strategic plan - "Back to Bricks" - with the goal of adding more affordable models, gaining market share and improving its operating efficiency.#HarleyDavidson, #MotorcycleRecall, #Motorcycles, #Manufacturing, #ManufacturingNews, #IndustrialNews, #Recall, #ProductSafety, #QualityControl, #NHTSA, #Powersports, #MotorcycleLife, #Engineering, #FactoryNews, #IndustryNews

June 3, 20261 min

LISTEN: Missing Equipment Has Sherwin-Williams Facing Legal Battle Over Plant Odors

A new lawsuit accused Sherwin-Williams of releasing “unreasonable noxious odors” from its coatings manufacturing facility in Rochester, Pennsylvania. The complaint alleges damages that exceed $5 million and demands a trial by jury.Court documents stated the facility makes coatings for packaging materials that it delivers to customers, distributors and blending sites. According to the EPA, coating formulation at plants like this generally involves four major steps, which include preassembly and premix, pigment grinding or milling, product finishing and product filling.The lawsuit acknowledged that the solvents used in these processes can emit hazardous air pollutants. However, it pointed to a condition in a Sherwin-Williams permit that limits the company’s volatile organic compound emissions. The condition prohibits the malodors from being detectable beyond the property line.Sherwin-Williams reportedly received notices of violations (NOV) from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality regarding the odors in April 2022, April 2023, January 2026 and March 2026. The January NOV said the plant failed to install a thermal oxidizer and did not perform required stack testing on its scrubbers. One plaintiff complained that she could smell the fumes inside her home even with the windows closed, while another described the odor as a “sweet smell” that leaves an aftertaste. The lawsuit also reported symptoms from putative class members that included upset stomachs and headaches. One putative class member alleged that the odor issue did not exist when Valspar owned the facility. Sherwin-Williams acquired Valspar in 2017.Sherwin-Williams has not responded to IEN’s request for comment.#manufacturing, #industrialnews, #sherwinwilliams, #airquality, #environment, #pollution, #chemicalindustry, #manufacturingnews, #factorynews, #environmentalcompliance, #sustainability, #industrialsafety, #esg, #communityimpact, #industrynews

May 30, 20262 min

LISTEN: Stamp Manufacturer Sees Huge Response to Free Rubber Offer

When a custom rubber stamp manufacturer last week made a plea for people to take his factory’s scraps, the responses started bouncing in.Nic Magnuson, who runs Magnuson Custom Stamps and helps lead operations at Unity Stamp Company in New London, Minnesota, said his companies throw out more than 200 pounds of clean natural rubber scraps each week. He reached out to mulch recyclers, playground surfacing specialists and more about taking the scraps, but no one wanted it. So, he took to Reddit, offering to ship out the rubber scraps to anyone who wanted it, just asking them to cover roughly $1 per pound in shipping costs.Magnuson said the Reddit post has so far racked up around 6.6 million views and that he’s received hundreds of emails and DMs.“I've been working through them one by one and I'm still not caught up. The variety of intended uses has been the best part,” he said in an email.#manufacturing, #recycling, #sustainability, #industrialnews, #smallbusiness, #factorylife, #circular economy, #manufacturingnews, #innovation, #wastereduction, #recyclingideas, #greenmanufacturing, #reddit, #industrialrecycling, #sustainablemanufacturing

May 28, 20262 min

LISTEN: Missing Sticker Triggers Recall for Thousands of Teslas

After a Tesla Cybertruck recall earlier this month warned of wheels potentially falling off vehicles, the latest recall to hit the electric vehicle maker is fairly inconsequential by comparison.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a recall notice potentially impacting 14,575 Tesla Model Y vehicles that might be missing a sticker. Some of those vehicles, model years 2025 and 2026, may not have received a certification label with weight specifications, which the agency warned may lead customers overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.The problem arose in April when Tesla discovered a vehicle with a missing certification label during a routine internal audit of its Fremont factory in California. The company figured out that its automated vision-scanning tool that verifies the presence of a “properly affixed” certification label wasn’t doing its job very well.The Fremont factory team fixed the automated scanning tool and implemented additional manual checks, secondary measures that were also adopted at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas.