Manufacturing.net

Nearly eight in 10 factory workers say they have learned about policy changes, procedure updates or safety protocols only after those changes had already gone into effect, according to new research from Firstup. For The Communications Crisis in Manufacturing report, Firstup surveyed 1,000 U.S. factory workers to understand how communication breakdowns on the frontline impact everything from onboarding to safety, compliance, workforce retention and overall operations.

Despite a tempered growth forecast earlier this year as a result of the U.S.-Iran war, Interact Analysis forecasts the global manufacturing industry will experience stronger growth in 2026. In the latest edition of its Manufacturing Industry Output (MIO) Tracker, the market intelligence specialist suggests that semiconductors, data centers, AI and defense are the key drivers of growth and are contributing to investment in other areas, such as power infrastructure and electronics.

USA Rare Earth, Inc. broke ground on a new rare earth metal and magnet manufacturing facility in Blacksburg, South Carolina. The Washington, D.C.-based firm expects the $1.2 billion project to strengthen the U.S. rare earth supply chain, which supports defense, aerospace, semiconductor manufacturing, physical AI, mobility, energy, healthcare and other advanced industries.

Boston Scientific is warning investors that a recent cyberattack is expected to have a material impact on its upcoming financial results. The company last week provided an update on a cyberattack that resulted in a network outage and disruption to the company’s operations. It said the incident affected access to certain operating systems and business applications, including the ability to manufacture products, as well as process and ship customer orders.

TORONTO (AP) β€” The United States is banning the import of some dairy products and motorcycles from Canada along with most alcoholic beverages, the White House said Tuesday, as part of a trade war that shows little sign of cooling off. The ban will take effect Sept. 29 and comes after retaliatory tariffs promised by Canada kicked in earlier Tuesday on $20 billion in U.S. imports.

For John Kaychi, Senior Group Product Manager for Automated Driving at GM, the future of driving will be defined not only by technical progress, but by whether customers are ready to trust it. At GM, he leads the product team working on eyes-off driving and how customers experience it. GM’s next major step in automated driving is planned to launch in 2028 beginning with the Cadillac ESCALADE IQ. “You can have the best technology in the world,” Kaychi said.

Philips said it's investing $1.6 million to expand its ultrasound manufacturing operations in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, with the state kicking in $330,000 for the project. The expansion is expecting to create 101 new jobs over the next three years and retain 518 existing, full-time positions. Philips will add another production line to its facility in Reedsville to increase its ultrasound transducer manufacturing capacity.

A Northrop Grumman-built solid rocket motor powering a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missile for the U.S. Army. ELKTON, Md. – Northrop Grumman yesterday opened its new Propulsion Innovation Center, a 57,000-square-foot facility in Elkton, Maryland, that houses 250 engineers working on advanced propulsion technologies for U.S. and allied defense programs.

LEHI, Utah – Limble, a maintenance and asset management platform, will unveil findings from its inaugural State of Maintenance Report during the virtual 2026 Maintenance Hero Summit on Oct. 7 at 12 p.m. ET. The free event will bring together maintenance, reliability, plant, facilities and operations professionals to explore how organizations can transform maintenance data and workforce expertise into better operational decisions.

Covenant, a Washington D.C.-based defense company building precision strike weapons, today introduced Anthem, a heavy-payload, long-range weapon system designed for production in the thousands. Anthem’s U.S. production will take place in a new 105,000-square-foot facility in Dallas, Texas. It opens today and will begin serial production in the first quarter of 2027, ramping toward 5,000 units per year.