Korea clears 20 humanoids for factory floors; D.R. Horton signs Promise Robotics deal
South Korea's trade ministry granted a regulatory exemption for live tests of 20 humanoid robots at four sites.
D.R. Horton signed a multi-year agreement with Promise Robotics for more than 1,250 homes.
AMT reported August manufacturing technology orders at the third-highest monthly total on record.
Factory floor
Northrop Grumman adds AI quality control and a cobot to F-35 module line
Northrop Grumman is using collaborative robots and AI at its Palmdale, CA plant. A cobot that installs bolts on the CNI avionics module cuts what used to take hours down to a few minutes, according to the line's manufacturing manager. AI-driven quality control tools also analyze completed modules.
August manufacturing technology orders reach third-highest monthly total
The Association for Manufacturing Technology reported that August orders were 21% above July and up 36.3% year over year. Orders have totaled $4.76 billion so far this year. AMT said original equipment manufacturers have driven the expansion, in part by buying machinery with more automation.
Plant managers say AI return on investment remains elusive for many
Manufacturing Dive reports that most manufacturers have started using AI and automation for certain tasks, but a solid return on investment remains elusive for many. Leads from Pella, Hexion and other companies weigh in. Augury's Jared Pfeiffer says AI can make plant expertise available to less experienced employees.
IFS launches IFS Intelligence for governed AI actions in industrial operations
IFS launched IFS Intelligence on October 13, 2026 at its IFS Unleashed event in Orlando, Florida. The company says the product draws on live data from IFS and third-party systems and acts only within rules the business defines. Cowork stages actions that execute only after a person approves them.
Robotics
Korea clears first 20 humanoid robots for factory floors
South Korea's trade ministry granted Robros a regulatory exemption for live testing of 20 humanoids at Nepes, Sungwoo Hitech, HD Hyundai Samho and Delivery Lab. The government intends to use data from the tests to rewrite safety standards.
ABB adds AI Robot Trainer to OmniCore EyeMotion vision system
ABB Robotics says AI Robot Trainer can reduce commissioning time by up to 90% and cycle times by up to 50%. It connects image acquisition, AI model training, deployment and ongoing optimization in a single workflow, and is compatible with cameras and sensors from different manufacturers.
D.R. Horton signs multi-year Promise Robotics deal for 1,250 homes
Promise Robotics said it signed a multi-year agreement with D.R. Horton, which will use its Factory-as-a-Service capabilities to produce more than 1,250 homes in the U.S. The Toronto-based company says the model gives builders production infrastructure without developing it themselves.
Energy & process industries
Seeq and Applied Computing pair Orbital model with analytics for energy operators
Seeq and Applied Computing signed a commercial agreement combining the Orbital foundation model with Seeq's analytics platform. The first use will support KBR's INSITE platform, where analysts in Bengaluru will use Seeq to investigate anomalies flagged by Orbital.
Aramco Digital and OrbitronAI form industrial AI partnership
Aramco Digital and OrbitronAI formed a strategic partnership to build and scale industrial AI products that help asset-intensive industries recover lost value in capital projects, supply chains and operations. It starts in Saudi Arabia, according to the report.
Deals & funding
Forgepoint raises $9.8M seed for AI that handles manufacturing quotes
The New York company raised a $9.8 million seed round led by Primary Venture Partners and a16z speedrun. Forgepoint is building an AI inside sales representative called Frank to handle the administrative work of the request-for-quotation process.
Research
Swedish researchers build 147-task framework to move factory AI past prototype
Researchers in Sweden have built a six-stage, 147-task development framework. It is designed to help manufacturing teams integrate human work into AI systems and steer projects beyond the prototype phase.
Review of 74 studies finds mining maintenance AI remains narrow
A systematic review of 74 studies finds AI-driven maintenance for mining processing machinery remains narrow, vibration-obsessed, and disconnected from real-world decisions. The report's headline says AI can predict when mining machines will fail, but almost nobody uses it yet.
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