Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

San Jose – October 13, 2026 -- QuickLogic Corporation (NASDAQ: QUIK) has won a six-figure initial contract for its embedded FPGA (eFPGA) Hard IP, to be used in a programmable system-on-chip (SoC) built on a 16nm automotive process technology.

The SoC targets battery management, precision motor control and industrial robotic applications. QuickLogic expects the contract to generate license revenue over the next six months. Royalty revenue is anticipated once the customer begins production shipments.

Shanghai – October 13, 2026 -- HSG Laser has unveiled a five-year product strategy that shifts its focus from high-performance standalone machines to intelligent manufacturing cells and integrated production lines, announced at its 20th anniversary event on October 11 in Shanghai.

The event brought together customers, strategic partners, industry experts and media from around the world. Ricky Wu, Rotating CEO, traced the company's path from a local laser equipment maker in Guangdong to a global provider of high-end laser solutions.

HSG sets three strategic priorities for global fabricators

The company will focus on product and technology innovation, global service capability, and localized operations. HSG says these priorities are meant to strengthen its delivery of high-performance solutions and support for fabricators worldwide.

Houston – October 13, 2026 -- Median maintenance backlog across benchmarked plants reached 12.1 weeks against a 2-4 week norm, according to Innovapptive's new Frontline Execution Benchmark 2026, which accompanies the launch of a metric called Frontline Execution Effectiveness (FEE).

FEE is a single score from 0 to 100% that rates how quickly and how well a plant responds to every problem it detects. Innovapptive says it complements Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) rather than replacing it. The benchmark draws on operational walkthroughs of approximately 120 plants and sites across 22 organizations and seven industries.

FEE averages latency and resolution across every valid problem

The score combines two measures. Latency is the share of a problem's closure window the plant kept, from detection to verified closure. Resolution tests whether the fix held, with no repeat failure on the same asset within 90 days.

Oslo – October 13, 2026 -- Nordic Semiconductor (OSE: NOD) is marking 10 years of its ultra-low-power wireless technology inside the BBC micro:bit, a board that has helped an estimated 73.5 million young people in more than 85 countries learn coding, according to the Micro:bit Educational Foundation.

Foundation targets 100 million young people by 2028

The Foundation is calling on industry and education to work together so children can understand, question and create with technology. Its goal is to reach 100 million young people by 2028.

The program began in 2016, when up to one million micro:bit boards with Nordic wireless technology were distributed to school-children across the UK through the BBC Make it Digital campaign. Foundation CEO Gareth Stockdale said Nordic supplied a million components for the original board, which went to every Year 7 student in the UK.

Columbus – October 13, 2026 -- Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) has appointed Frieda He as Chief Procurement Officer, placing a executive who oversaw more than $3 billion in annual global spend at Polestar in charge of its global procurement organization.

He will focus on strengthening supply chain resilience, enabling growth, optimizing cost and value, and driving supplier quality. Her remit covers Vertiv's portfolio of end-to-end power and thermal management solutions for data centers, communications networks, and commercial and industrial applications.

PUNE – – October 13, 2026 -- The global robotics market will grow from USD 92 billion in 2025 to USD 480.1 billion by 2034, a compound annual growth rate of 20.15% over 2026–2034, according to a new analysis by Maximize Market Research.

The firm attributes the expansion to industrial automation, adoption of AI-powered robots, advances in smart manufacturing and rising demand from automotive, electronics, healthcare and logistics. Demand spans industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), service robots and humanoid robots. The report covers 154 data tables across 327 pages.

Ordos – October 13, 2026 -- LGMG says its ultra-fast charging electric mining truck can recharge its battery from 20% to 90% in 23 minutes under test conditions, with peak charging power of approximately 3.6 MW. The company presented the truck at its inaugural Global Mining Customer Service Festival in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, held Oct. 9-11 and attended by more than 500 representatives of mining companies, industry organizations, technology partners and the media.

LGMG reports nearly 800 kWh delivered in 18 minutes

The company said its charging system can deliver nearly 800 kWh in 18 minutes under extreme operating conditions. The truck uses a 3C fast-charging architecture and a high-density, large-capacity battery pack. Its dedicated thermal-management system is engineered for temperatures from -30°C to 50°C.

Milwaukee – October 13, 2026 -- A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE: AOS) raised its quarterly cash dividend rate 6% to $0.38 per share, extending a record of more than 30 consecutive years of dividend increases.

Board approves increase for both Common and Class A Common Stock

The board of directors approved the higher rate, which applies to the company's Common Stock and Class A Common Stock.

Payment set for Nov. 16 to holders of record on Oct. 30, 2026

The dividend is payable on Monday, Nov. 16, to shareholders of record as of Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.

Chairman and CEO Shafer points to cash generation and business resilience

Steve Shafer, chairman and chief executive officer, said the 30-plus-year run of annual increases reflects the resilience of the business and the strength of its cash generation. He added that the increase reflects the company's confidence in its future.

Seattle – – October 13, 2026 -- EHT Semi has embedded Bird RF measurement probes in its semiconductor power platforms, delivering power regulation to within 2% of the set point through fast, dynamic load changes.

Embedded probe covers power, voltage, current and impedance

The integration spans the OrionTM Direct RFTM System and EHT Semi's tailored waveform generators. An embedded Bird probe with NIST-traceable calibration serves as the primary measurement of power, voltage, current, and impedance. The probe is available now in selected OrionTM Direct RFTM System and tailored-waveform power systems.

Fort Worth – October 13, 2026 -- Professional freestyle wrestling league RAF has named Fort Worth-based Dollamur the Official Mat of RAF and RAF NEXT GEN, its youth division, locking in a single supplier for competition surfaces as the league expands in the US and abroad.

RAF Co-Founder and CEO Chad Bronstein described Dollamur as the only manufacturer able to keep pace with the league's growth. He said the company has acted as a true partner from the start.

Dollamur mats have already covered 9 US states and 2 international cities

Dollamur surfaces have been used at RAF events in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin and Ohio. Internationally, they have been used in Tbilisi, Georgia, and Moscow, Russia.