Industrial Manufacturing

London – September 15, 2026 -- KraftPal Holdings Ltd has completed construction of the KP25039, a new semi-automatic paper pallet production machine capable of producing up to 100 pallets per hour, as the company accelerates its licensing-based manufacturing network.

KraftPal cuts entry costs to speed licensing partner adoption

The KP25039 is designed as a lower-cost, entry-level alternative to KraftPal's existing production lines, aimed at lowering the barrier for businesses to become licensing partners and manufacture lightweight corrugated pallets locally. The machine requires greater manual labor to operate than KraftPal's fully automated systems, but its faster engineering build cycle allows the company to produce more units and enable quicker in-country production start-ups.

Milford, Utah – September 15, 2026 -- Milford Mining Company Utah (MMCU) has received a conditional commitment for $25 million in financing under the USDA Rural Development Business & Industry Loan Guarantee Program, funds it will use to double copper throughput and valuation by the end of next year.

USDA-backed loan targets facility expansion and job creation

The 16.5-year financing arrangement will be privately funded through Magnolia Guaranteed Lending, a division of Kentucky-based Magnolia Bank and a USDA-approved lender. MMCU plans to use the capital to modernize processing equipment, remove operational bottlenecks and double production capacity at its Milford, Utah facility. The expansion is expected to create approximately 100 new jobs, adding to the company's current 180-person workforce.

Winston-Salem, N.C. – September 9, 2026 -- Reynolds American Inc. unveiled a nearly 33,000-square-foot mural on the north-facing wall of its Reynolds Central Distribution Center building at 1133 Reynolds Boulevard, a piece the artists believe is the largest mural on the East Coast by wall area.

Mural marks 150th anniversary of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Commissioned in early 2025, the artwork commemorates the 150th anniversary of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, founded in 1875. Local artists Leo Rucker and Joey Allen completed the piece using roughly 9,000 spray paint cans and 50,000 square feet of paint coverage, logging nearly 2,000 hours of work over 15 months.

Denton, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- CBS ArcSafe has introduced the RRS-3 VY Toshiba, a remote racking system that lets technicians operate Toshiba VY-30M25A circuit breakers from up to 300 feet away, keeping crews outside the arc flash boundary.

System eliminates manual contact during breaker racking operations

The RRS-3 VY Toshiba handles rotary racking only and requires no modifications to existing switchgear. Because operators never make manual contact with the gear during racking, the system reduces or eliminates the need for arc flash hazard suits.

Unit weighs 18.5 pounds for portability across multiple breaker sites

The device draws 100 watts and runs through the RSO-IV-M18 control console, powered by a Milwaukee M18 REDLITHIUM battery pack. Operating distances range from 12 to 300 feet, allowing crews to position setups according to room layout, equipment configuration, and site safety protocols.

Downers Grove, Ill. – September 15, 2026 -- Blackmer, part of PSG, a Dover (NYSE: DOV) company, has launched a behind-the-rotor seal for its G Series Internal Gear Pumps, targeting improved durability in abrasive material handling.

New seal isolates drive components from abrasive process fluids

The behind-the-rotor seal prevents process fluids and abrasive materials from contacting the drive components of the G Series pumps. Blackmer states this reduces wear, simplifies maintenance and increases uptime for operators across industrial applications.

Seal supports lower-cost bushing option for abrasive service

The design is available in Type 1 or Type 8 configurations, giving operators flexibility based on application requirements. It also supports use of a lower-cost bronze bushing when pumping abrasive materials, a feature aimed at reducing total cost of ownership for customers handling starches, inks, pulp, resins and adhesives.

HYDERABAD – September 15, 2026 -- Indian deep-tech firm Hylenr Technologies has detected signatures corresponding to 32 elements -- including rare earth metal yttrium, noble gases and the actinide uranium -- inside artificially engineered metal lattice structures, opening a potential manufacturing route for strategic materials that bypasses traditional mining.

Hunt Valley, Md. – September 15, 2026 -- GEARWRENCH has launched a three-product shop cleaning lineup targeting professional mechanics, expanding beyond its core hand tool business into hand and surface care.

GEARWRENCH introduces Heavy-Duty Hand Soap in two sizes for shop use

The Heavy-Duty Hand Soap ships in an 8 oz. handheld bottle and a 64 oz. refill size, formulated with finely ground pumice and natural clays to remove grease, oil and grime while reducing skin drying common with traditional mechanic soaps. The 64 oz. version includes a patented dispenser usable free-standing or wall-mounted for garage and shop settings.

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Midea has sold more than 10 million air conditioners using R290 natural refrigerant since 2018, cutting an estimated 5.2 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions, the company said at IFA 2026, an impact it compares to the carbon absorption of 6.2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest.

Midea marks 16 years as top global manufacturer of R290 air conditioners

The company has led global production of air conditioners using R290 refrigerant for 16 consecutive years, driving compressor safety and performance advances tied to the gas. R290 carries an extremely low global warming potential, near-zero CO2 emissions, no PFAS content, and delivers roughly 10% higher energy efficiency than conventional refrigerants, according to Midea. A transparent unit on the IFA stand let visitors view the refrigerant system operating in real time.

Alexandria, Va. – September 15, 2026 -- Woodpack Global has launched Crate Design SystemTM (CDS), a new software tool aimed at replacing decades-old methods still used across the wooden crate and industrial wood packaging industry.

Crate design tools have lagged behind industry needs since the 1960s

Much of the foundational research underpinning wooden crate design dates back more than six decades, forcing engineers and manufacturers to rely on outdated calculation methods not built for modern crate applications. CDS is positioned as the first purpose-built software option for this segment, adapting fastener behavior, wood property, and structural performance models from Woodpack Global's existing Pallet Design SystemTM (PDS).

Birmingham, Ala. – September 15, 2026 -- SJE Inc. has appointed Andrew Baines as Senior Vice President of Sales & Commercial Operations for its Engineered Control Solutions (ECS) Division, tasking him with accelerating growth across water and wastewater, OEM, and industrial markets.

Baines takes charge of a multichannel commercial organization spanning direct sales, manufacturers' representatives, and channel partners

He will work with Operations, Engineering, Marketing, and Product teams to strengthen pipeline management and forecasting, advance strategic pricing and quoting practices, and improve quote-to-order velocity.