Leak Test News Today

DENVER, CO—TractEasy has been chosen to supply its “EZTow” autonomous tow-tractor to John Deere globally. TractEasy was awarded the contract after initial proof of concept last year where an EZTow moved combine harvester cabs from staging to the assembly line at John Deere Harvester Works (East Moline, Illinois) on an exterior route. 

NASHVILLE, TN—Flexco Products, a producer of tubing and steel and aluminum fabrication, plans to establish manufacturing and distribution operations in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The $17.5 million project is expected to create 60 jobs in Lawrence County.

BAGSVAERD, Denmark—Novo Holdings, the Danish drugmaker’s controlling shareholder, said it acquired New Jersey-based Catalent Inc. in a deal that values the contract manufacturer at $16.5 billion. Novo Nordisk, in turn, said it will acquire three manufacturing sites from Novo Holdings for $11 billion.

FRANKFURT, Germany—The United States ranks 10th in the world in robot density, the number of operational industrial robots relative to the number of employees. 

TOULOUSE, FRANCE—As well as expressing sorrow for the loss of life, Airbus also said it will provide technical assistance to the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of France and to the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) in charge of the investigation.

CHICAGO, IL— Ford agreed to invest $400 million in the Chicago Assembly Plant and another $30 million in the Chicago Stamping Plant as part of the tentative four-year contract United Auto Workers members are considering now. Calumet Region Ford workers will vote on the proposed contract on Nov. 6 and 7.

GREENVILLE, SC— When COVID began impacting the world, Ubillus and his team took advantage of the lull to streamline their processes using lean, the management philosophy at the heart of GEs turnaround. "Leans core purpose is to eliminate waste, with respect for people as the foundation," Ubillus says. For a manufacturing plant like Greenville, that means getting the most out of their equipment, inventory, space, and time.

BURLINGTON, VT— On Monday, October 2, Electric aerospace company/aircraft developer Beta Technologies opened a new factory at the Burlington International Airport (KBTV) in Vermont for large-scale production of its all-electric aircraft, the Alia eCTOL and eVTOL.

DETROIT, MI—The United Auto Workers union is putting pressure on Detroit’s Big Three by threatening to expand its strike unless it sees significant progress in contract negotiations by Friday.

STANTON, TN—The U.S. auto industry is accelerating its move south as car companies pour billions of dollars into new factories in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Automakers are now rushing to construct assembly plants and battery-making facilities—some sitting on sites the size of 60 football fields.