“Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.”
– Suzy Kassem
1. $4.4 Billion EV Battery Plant
Honda and LG have teamed up to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Ohio. The plant will produce batteries for Honda's electric vehicles, as well as for other automakers that use LG's battery technology. The plant is expected to create over 1,000 jobs in Ohio. Here’s a LinkedIn feed with the latest deets.
2. PCT Gets Some New Tools
The faculty and students of the manufacturing engineering technology major at Pennsylvania College of Technology recently got to train on some new equipment that will be used in the college's machining program. The training and benefits of the new equipment will prepare students for careers in the manufacturing industry.
3. Baggage Handling AGV
Alstef has unveiled a robot for baggage handling at airports. The robot, called the BAGXone, is designed to automate the process of loading and unloading baggage from aircraft. The AGV is equipped with a conveyor belt and sensors that allow it to identify and load baggage onto the aircraft. The robot is also equipped with a camera that can be used to inspect the baggage for damage. I swear they better not put a scale on it though! You ever sneak things back in the bag after you get it below 50 lbs? Yeah! We don’t need any snitch bots.
4. Robot Monitoring
The German company igus has developed a monitoring system for its robot e-chains that reduces downtime and increases productivity. The company says that the system can be retrofitted to any brand of robot and can be used to monitor the health of the chain and predict when maintenance will be required. Hey, I have an igus screwdriver I got as swag from a past IMTS! Or maybe it was from FabTech? IDK.
5. COVID Left Japan With a Hot Job Market
The Japanese government is set to offer working visas to foreign nationals in an effort to address the country's shortage of workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The visas will be valid for up to five years and will be available to those who have skills that are in high demand in Japan, such as nurses and caregivers. The government is also considering offering visas to foreign students who have graduated from Japanese universities.
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