Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

Rochester Hills, Mich. – October 06, 2026 -- FANUC America will demonstrate a collaborative robot that executes packaging tasks from spoken natural-language commands at PACK EXPO International 2026 in Chicago, part of a broader exhibit addressing labor shortages in packaging and food processing.

At Booth N25217, the company's CRX-20iA cobot -- rated for 20 kg payloads -- will respond to verbal production requests by using Generative AI to convert speech into AI-generated Python code and robot actions, a method FANUC calls "vibe coding."

FANUC expands cobot palletizing capacity to 40 kg with new vision-guided unit

The new CRX/30-18A collaborative robot, equipped with integrated 3D vision guidance and a dual-case gripper, handles heavier palletizing loads than earlier cobot models while retaining standard ease-of-deployment features.

Jupiter, Fla. – October 06, 2026 -- Univar Solutions LLC has acquired H.M. Royal, Inc., a 101-year-old family-owned specialty distributor of rubber, plastics, adhesives, sealants and coatings additives, in a deal advised exclusively by boutique investment bank Boxwood Partners. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Deal expands Univar's coastal coverage and rubber-plastics platform

H.M. Royal, founded in 1925 and now in its third generation of family leadership, operates 10 warehouses across the United States, serving the transportation, electronics, medical, construction, agriculture, mining and industrial sectors. The company will join Univar Solutions' Performance Materials business within its Ingredients + Specialties division, gaining access to Univar's broader logistics network and digital capabilities while retaining its existing technical and customer-facing operations.

Dahlonega, Ga. – October 06, 2026 -- RefrigiWear, a manufacturer of insulated industrial workwear with more than 70 years in extreme-cold apparel, announced it will serve as official cold-weather gear sponsor for Team USA Ice Carving ahead of the 2027 International Ice Sculpture Competition in Harbin, China.

RefrigiWear joins a four-sponsor lineup backing Team USA's Harbin bid

The company joins Carveco, a computer-aided design software provider for artistic carving; Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead; and Blue Sky Law as official sponsors of Team USA Ice Carving. RefrigiWear will supply durable cold-weather apparel intended to keep the team's sculptors protected during extended work sessions in sub-freezing conditions.

Maple Grove, Minn. – – October 06, 2026 -- Circuit Check has acquired a partial ownership stake in QualityLine, an Israel-based AI manufacturing analytics provider, and will bundle one year of QualityLine's analytics and security features into every Circuit Check test system at no additional cost starting immediately.

Circuit Check integrates QualityLine analytics directly into its CCI Test Partner platform

CCI Test Partner, Circuit Check's test automation toolset, uses Isolated Networks technology to securely connect automated test equipment to the internet, including legacy systems that conventional IT networks cannot handle. The QualityLine integration adds a layer that correlates test results with production, inspection, repair, MES, ERP, and sensor data across stations, products, and lines, identifying failure root causes and predicting future defects.

Chicago – October 06, 2026 -- S&C Electric Company will build a 295,000-square-foot central warehouse facility in Glenview, Illinois, as part of a broader push to expand U.S. manufacturing capacity for grid-resilience technologies.

Glenview facility consolidates materials to free up production space elsewhere

The new site will serve as S&C's central warehouse, consolidating materials and inventory that currently support production across the company's manufacturing network. Relocating these operations to Glenview will free up space for production at existing facilities, improve material movement, and create flexibility for future assembly expansion.

Calgary – October 06, 2026 -- Borouge International, operating under NOVA Chemicals in North America, has achieved RC14001:2023 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications across its Canadian manufacturing sites, research centres and administration functions.

Canadian operations align with global HSE standard first adopted in 2017

The company began its RC14001 implementation journey in 2017, building the management system as a cross-functional, enterprise-wide effort. The certification confirms that environmental, health, safety and security management across the Canadian footprint now meets ISO 14001 and Responsible Care (RC)® principles.

Geismar facility served as the certification model, recertified twice since 2020

The Canadian certification builds on the earlier success of Borouge International's Geismar facility, which was first certified under the same standard in 2020 and has since been recertified twice.

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho – October 06, 2026 -- Star Gold Corp. (OTCQB: SRGZ) has appointed Tom Power, a current board member, as Chief Operating Officer, bringing more than 35 years of global operational leadership in precious metals and manufacturing to the Longstreet Gold-Silver Project developer.

Power scaled Sunshine Minting from 30 employees to a multinational operation

Power spent nearly two decades as President and CEO of Sunshine Minting, Inc. (SMI), during which the company grew from a 30-employee regional supplier into a multinational enterprise with hundreds of employees across five facilities in the United States and China. SMI served sovereign mints, major financial institutions and the world's largest direct-to-consumer retailers under his leadership.

Dubai, UAE – October 06, 2026 -- Robo.ai Inc. (Nasdaq: AIIO) reported September revenue exceeding US$100 million, driven primarily by Quantum Core Capital Limited (QC Capital), and now expects approximately US$600 million in total revenue for full year 2026. The figures are preliminary and unaudited, the Company said, pending review by its independent accounting firm.

QC Capital anchors revenue since its June acquisition

QC Capital, acquired on June 15, 2026, provides operational management and delivery services to enterprise customers and charges for completed delivery orders accepted by clients. Robo.ai said the unit has maintained stable operations and consistent revenue contribution since the deal closed, which it cited as evidence of smooth integration. The Company cautioned that revenue alone does not establish profitability or positive operating cash flow.

Taipei – October 06, 2026 -- Techman Robot has become the first vision AI cobot manufacturer worldwide to obtain IEC 62443-4-2 Security Level 2 (SL2) cybersecurity certification, following an independent assessment by DEKRA for its TM AI Cobot S Series.

DEKRA certification validates cybersecurity of TM AI Cobot S Series

The IEC 62443-4-2 standard specifies security requirements for components used in industrial automation and control systems. The SL2 certification gives manufacturers and system integrators an independently verified benchmark for assessing the cybersecurity capabilities of Techman Robot's cobot line as factories connect robots to equipment, production systems and data infrastructure.

Nieuwegein, Netherlands – October 06, 2026 -- Konica Minolta, Inc. has launched SpectraMagicTM CMS, a colour matching software platform aimed at cutting material waste and manual trial-and-error in colour formulation for plastics, paints and coatings manufacturers worldwide.

Software combines formulation and batch correction in a single platform

SpectraMagicTM CMS merges colour formulation and batch correction tools into one system, targeting faster first-shot accuracy for manufacturers in colour-critical industries. The platform uses advanced matching algorithms, simultaneous colour and opacity calculations, and batch correction driven by real pigment performance data drawn from laboratory and production samples.