Product Innovation

Berlin – September 16, 2026 -- Makera secured two Best of IFA 2026 media honors for its desktop CNC machines, with the Z1 Pro recognized by Yanko Design and the Z1 selected among The Gadget Flow's Best Products of IFA 2026.

Makera displays four CNC models at Hall 17, Booth 215

The company's booth at IFA 2026 in Berlin features its full desktop CNC lineup: the Z1, Z1 Pro, Carvera, and Carvera Air. The showcase targets creators, designers, educators, and small businesses seeking professional-grade manufacturing capabilities in compact desktop formats.

Z1 series delivers 0.02 mm precision with support for 500-plus materials

The Makera Z1 features a rigid one-piece die-cast frame, auto-probing, auto-leveling, and compatibility with more than 500 materials. The newly developed Makera Studio software streamlines project creation and toolpath generation for both beginners and experienced users.

Monroe, Wash. – September 16, 2026 -- HKX, Inc. has released its first Wheel Loader 3rd Spool Auxiliary Field Installable Kits, extending more than three decades of excavator hydraulic work into a new machine category as it targets a factory lead time of 12 to 20 weeks that has left dealers unable to quickly equip machines for attachment work.

Factory lead times of up to 20 weeks push dealers toward field-installable kits

Ordering a wheel loader with auxiliary hydraulics direct from the plant can take 12 to 20 weeks, a delay HKX says leaves dealers with few options when a customer needs a machine to run a grapple, snow blower or broom within a month. The company says its kits can be ordered and installed in a fraction of that time, allowing a dealer to reconfigure inventory already on the lot.

Sheridan, Wyo. – – September 16, 2026 -- The global ready-to-drink (RTD) tea market is forecast to expand from $45.0 billion in 2026 to $66.7 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 8.2%, according to a new study by Wissen Research.

Sugar-tax rules in the UK and India are forcing rapid reformulation

The UK confirmed in November 2025 it will lower the Soft Drinks Industry Levy threshold from 5g to 4.5g of sugar per 100ml, extending the tax to more pre-packaged beverages, with a January 2028 compliance deadline. In India, the GST Council raised tax on carbonated and caffeinated non-alcoholic drinks from 28% to 40% in September 2025, directly hitting sweetened, caffeinated RTD tea pricing in one of the category's largest consumption markets. More than 116 countries have now implemented sugar-sweetened beverage taxes aligned with WHO recommendations.

Stamford, Conn. – September 16, 2026 -- Philip Morris International's U.S. businesses (PMI U.S.) are expanding the ZYN nicotine pouch portfolio with new strengths and a moist pouch format, building on regulatory clearances secured earlier this year.

PMI U.S. adds 1.5 mg and 8 mg strengths to flagship ZYN dry pouch line

The flagship ZYN dry pouch lineup, previously available in 3 mg and 6 mg strengths, now includes 1.5 mg and 8 mg options across flavors such as Cool Mint, Wintergreen, Citrus, and Dragonberry, among others.

FDA authorizes 11 ZYN ULTRA products in August 2026

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued marketing granted orders in August 2026 for 11 ZYN ULTRA products, comprising ten 9 mg strengths and one 11 mg strength. ZYN ULTRA is a moist oral nicotine pouch positioned as a differentiated option for adults who smoke or use traditional oral tobacco products.

Downers Grove, Ill. – September 16, 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.

Hunt Valley, Md. – September 16, 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.

Livonia, Mich. – September 15, 2026 -- Yorktowne Cabinetry, a Cabinetworks Group brand, has launched its fall 2026 product introduction, adding three new door styles, a new wood species and expanded finish options for the kitchen and bath design trade.

Three new door styles debut alongside expanded finish collection

The release introduces three all-new door styles and expands two existing profiles. The finish lineup gains a Ceruse technique in four expressions, a Paint on Oak collection in six shades, three new paint colors and one new stain option.

Walnut joins Yorktowne's wood species portfolio by customer request

Yorktowne added Walnut to its wood species offerings following demand from designers and dealers. New range hoods and storage solutions were also added to expand functional options for kitchen layouts.

Israel – September 14, 2026 -- Elmo Motion Control has completed Functional Safety certification across its entire Titanium servo-drive line, embedding 20 certified Safety Functions directly into the drive architecture and supporting safety levels up to SIL 3 (EN 61508), PL e, CAT4 (EN ISO 13849), and FSoE (IEC 61784-3).

Certification Covers Both Industrial and Harsh-Environment Servo Drives

The certified portfolio spans four product families. The Titanium Castanet and Solo Castanet deliver up to 1.2 kW per axis (2.4 kW total) at 2 x 15A continuous, 30A peak, up to 100V, while the Titanium Harmonica scales to 2.5 kW per axis (5 kW total) at 2 x 25A continuous, 50A peak, up to 100V, or 2 x 15A continuous, 20A peak, up to 200V. For extreme operating conditions, the Titanium Lizard, Solo Lizard, and Titanium Falcon replicate these power specifications in ruggedized designs built for temperature extremes and demanding industrial settings.

Pittsburgh – September 14, 2026 -- MSA Safety has launched the WinGrip A1X vacuum anchor, a fall-protection device for aircraft maintenance that weighs 7kg, 35% lighter than its predecessor, and shrinks its pad diameter from 480mm to 350mm.

Smaller footprint opens new aircraft segments to WinGrip technology

The reduced pad diameter allows the A1X to be deployed on business jets and private aviation aircraft that previously fell outside the scope of MSA's WinGrip system, alongside commercial airliners. The device is approved for use by Airbus and Boeing, positioning it for adoption as standard equipment across major maintenance operations.