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MI Grows FAME Network with Six New Chapters

The Manufacturing Institute announced the inaugural recipients of the FAME Catalyst Grant, which will seed the formation of six new chapters of the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME) as part of the MI’s new AI Skills Initiative.

FAME, founded by Toyota and led by the MI since 2019, offers earn-and-learn apprenticeship programs to train the next generation of manufacturing talent. As the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI continues to lead the industry in building and strengthening the manufacturing workforce. The expansion of the FAME network comes as artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing technology are rapidly changing the industry and its workforce needs.

Manufacturers have over 400,000 open jobs due to a long-documented skills gap. Left unaddressed, manufacturers could see 1.9 million jobs go unfilled by 2033. The new chapters will create industry hubs to help build durable talent pipelines for years to come.

To start a FAME chapter, local manufacturers partner with industry or economic development organizations and community colleges or technical schools to offer hands-on education and training to students. The MI Catalyst Grants offer $50,000 in early-stage support to the sponsoring economic development organizations to fund staff time and travel involved in starting a FAME chapter.

In total, the first grants amount to $300,000 in funding that will not only help manufacturers develop the skilled talent they need but also help students start lifelong careers in manufacturing.

The six inaugural recipients are:

• East County Economic Development Council in El Cajon, California
• Carroll Tomorrow in Carrollton, Georgia
• One Acadiana in Lafayette, Louisiana
• Hinds County Economic Development Authority in Jackson, Mississippi
• Greater St. Cloud in St. Cloud, Minnesota
• Big Country Manufacturing Alliance in Abilene, Texas

After building a coalition of local manufacturers along with a community college partner to support FAME chapter development, the recipients will enter the FAME Academy by October 2026 to learn how to manage the FAME Advanced Maintenance Technician program to deliver global-best results. Their first cohorts of students will be selected for employment at their selected company in spring 2027 and begin training and classes in fall 2027.

Once open, the chapters in Minnesota and Georgia will be the first in their states, bringing FAME’s total reach to 52 chapters in 19 states.

“As our industry continues to navigate the opportunities that come with integrating artificial intelligence into our operations, we also need to ensure that our frontline workers have the skills they need to make the most of the AI revolution,” said MI President Carolyn Lee. “With six new chapters getting off the ground—and more to follow—FAME is spanning the skills gap and providing manufacturers a workforce solution that meets the needs of today and tomorrow.”

“We are excited to see FAME continue to grow and to welcome six new chapters to the network,” said FAME National Director Tony Davis. “The interest we’ve seen from manufacturers and economic development organizations across the country demonstrates the success of the model. This is just the beginning.”

Google.org provided funding for the MI’s AI Skills Initiative, which includes the creation of a dedicated course in AI Skills for Advanced Manufacturing Technicians and will help grow the FAME network.

In April, Google.org announced $10 million to the MI to support AI skills development in the manufacturing workforce.

In February, Lee gave the annual State of the U.S. Manufacturing Workforce Address, which recognized how AI is accelerating change, creating new opportunities and emphasizing the need to address the skills gap.

For more information, visit https://themanufacturinginstitute.org/.

ESAB Completes Eddyfi Technologies Acquisition

ESAB announced its acquisition of Eddyfi Technologies (“Eddyfi”), a global leader in advanced inspection and monitoring technologies. The addition of Eddyfi’s best-in-class nondestructive testing instrumentation complements ESAB’s expansive fabrication technology portfolio. Eddyfi provides advanced phased array ultrasonic testing, eddy current array, and other ultrasonic and electromagnetic equipment including instruments, sensors, software and robotic solutions to key industries such as aerospace, energy, mining, power generation, and transportation.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Eddyfi team to ESAB,” said Shyam Kambeyanda, president and CEO of ESAB. “By combining Eddyfi's technology leadership with our global scale, ESAB becomes an unrivaled provider of end-to-end workflow solutions spanning fabrication, inspection, and monitoring. Eddyfi strengthens our portfolio, accelerates ESAB's journey toward a business that is faster growing, higher margin, and less cyclical, and reinforces our position as the partner of choice for customers where quality, productivity, and asset integrity are non-negotiable.”

“Joining ESAB marks the beginning of a new chapter for Eddyfi, one that allows us to accelerate what we do best: innovating and solving critical challenges for our customers,” said Jeff Anderson, president, Eddyfi Technologies. “With ESAB’s global reach and resources, we will move faster, expand our impact, and continue delivering the advanced inspection and monitoring solutions our customers rely on every day. Just as importantly, our teams, our technologies, and our commitment to our customers remain unchanged. We are building from a position of strength, with even greater opportunity ahead.”

For more information, visit esab.com or eddyfi.com.

Study Reveals 62% of Manufacturers Believe Tariffs and Trade Barriers Threaten Quality

Lumafield, a leading manufacturing intelligence platform, released the results of its comprehensive Cost of Quality Report. In partnership with NewtonX, Lumafield surveyed quality leaders across the U.S. and Canada and found that shifting global trade policies and the escalating affordability crisis are forcing manufacturers to confront the Cost of Quality (COQ) while remaining cost-competitive. 

The report reveals 62% of respondents believe tariffs and other trade barriers have made it harder to ensure product quality. Furthermore, supplier-related quality issues are the top concern across every industry represented in the research, with 41% indicating that a 25% reduction in supplier-related quality issue costs would have the greatest operational impact. 

Quality costs every manufacturer money, but Lumafield’s findings show many don’t have a clear picture of just how much:

• 40% of the organizations represented in the research estimate that quality-related costs consume 2-5% of their revenue, while 42% place that figure at over 5%.
• 58% of respondents believe at least a quarter of their true quality costs go unaccounted for. 
• While COQ models have existed since the 1950s and are considered a foundational tool for manufacturers, only 35% of decision-makers surveyed use a comprehensive COQ model. 

Despite the availability of advanced technologies, the report highlights a heavy reliance on outdated methods: 

• 77% of organizations surveyed still rely on manual visual inspection.
• Nearly half of respondents spend 5-10% of all production labor hours on inspection.
• The majority of respondents (65%) place the hourly rate of inspection labor cost between $25-34, representing a substantial recurring expense that could be optimized through automation.

Manufacturers in the survey reported that the rapidly shifting tariff and trade barrier landscape has had a significant negative impact on quality.

• 62% of respondents said tariffs and other trade barriers have made it harder to ensure quality.
• The largest impact from tariffs and trade barriers has been component shortages, with 71% citing it as a challenge.
• More than half (54%) indicated suppliers have downgraded product quality in order to offset tariff costs.
• 27% of respondents say overseas suppliers have started to conceal the real country of origin of their products in order to evade tariffs.

“Rising trade barriers and component shortages are creating a minefield for manufacturers,” said Eduardo Torrealba, Co-Founder and CEO of Lumafield. “Quality has a cost, and if you aren't accurately measuring it, you’re essentially gambling with your margins. The research shows an enormous and real technology opportunity as AI and automated inspection are delivering measurable gains in efficiency. But those benefiting the most from this are the ones that have built the data infrastructure to actually make the technology useful.” 

The Lumafield Cost of Quality Report provides complete findings from the research and is available as a free download at https://www.lumafield.com/cost-of-quality-report.

U.S. Should Substantially Boost Support for Manufacturing USA Program, Issue National Industrial Manufacturing Strategy, Says New Report

To better compete globally, the United States should develop a comprehensive industrial strategy to align resources for manufacturing and maximize the national security and economic impacts of the Manufacturing USA program, a proven model that connects the key actors — small and large industry, engineering and science expertise, state and local government, and economic development stakeholders — needed to advance progress in manufacturing technology, says a new report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Nearly all leading competitor nations have detailed national manufacturing strategies that are aligned with their national economic strategies and view manufacturing as crucial to their growth and national security, the report says.

Strengthening the Manufacturing USA program — a public-private partnership coordinated through the National Institute of Standards and Technology comprising 17 institutes that specialize in different types of advanced manufacturing — is essential for bolstering U.S. competitiveness in the next decade, the report says. The network of institutes is a vital national asset that plays a central role in aligning innovation efforts across government, industry, and academia, connecting American businesses of all sizes with state-of-the-art technology and translating the latest breakthroughs into industrial practice.

However, the report says, the nation is missing a coordinated framework to align industry and government efforts, which has led to under-resourcing federal manufacturing programs, including Manufacturing USA, and a lack of investments to scale up production in proven areas.

As a result, U.S. manufacturing productivity — once a hallmark of the economy — has declined markedly in the past 15 years, the report says. China has been the world leader of manufacturing output since 2011, and currently holds around 35 percent of gross world manufacturing, compared to 12 percent in the U.S. The U.S. trade deficit in goods has also risen sharply, reaching a record $1.2 trillion in 2025, which includes a major deficit in advanced technologies such as aircraft, semiconductors, and robots.

“Even though the U.S. develops many manufacturing technologies, the nation continues to outsource most of its manufacturing and lags far behind other nations in production capacity,” said Theresa Kotanchek, chief executive officer of Evolved Analytics LLC and chair of the committee that wrote the report. “This presents risks to our supply chains, our economy, and our national security if we can’t access critical technologies when we need them most. Our report outlines actions to strengthen the Manufacturing USA program and U.S. advanced manufacturing so that we can grow the businesses and produce the technologies we need at home.”

The report calls on the National Economic Council, Office of Science and Technology Policy, the departments of Commerce, Defense, and Energy, and other agencies to develop within the next two years an industrial strategy — in concert with the National Security Strategy — that integrates technology development, scale-up financing, and leadership in standards, trade, and workforce development so that resources are aligned for a more robust U.S. advanced manufacturing posture.

Informed by tools available in leading advanced manufacturing countries, Congress and federal agencies should set policy to create new federal manufacturing and financing mechanisms that include long-term investment vehicles such as patient-capital funds, a sovereign wealth fund with a strategic focus on manufacturing, and intellectual-property backed lending financing. In addition, Congress should create a globally competitive research and development tax credit for manufacturing processes and technologies, as well as explore expanding other tax reforms that support manufacturing.

Congress should provide sustained, dedicated funding above current appropriations by 2030 to establish business development offices at each Manufacturing USA institute, the report says. These offices would support commercialization, scale-up, and regional ecosystem integration, particularly for entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized manufacturers (SSMs) working in coordination with regional economic development organizations and federal manufacturing programs.

Technology transfer is central to the Manufacturing USA mission. Institutes need to support two small firm extremes, both of which often lack the capital and resources to scale up — at one end, small, innovative entrepreneurs with good ideas to develop nascent technologies and at the other, SSMs that need to implement proven technologies. Additionally, large, multinational corporations that are institute members want to accelerate technology transfer to reduce their risks in scaling up investments. The report recommends establishing dedicated in-house technology transfer teams to help bridge the innovation “valley of death” between early-stage research and full-scale production.

Supporting robust pathways to careers in advanced manufacturing is necessary to cultivate a skilled workforce that can operate, maintain, and improve complex emerging manufacturing technologies in areas such as robotics, data analysis, digital production, and new materials. Yet, attracting and retaining talent remains a challenge, the report says.

“Collaboration across institutions and work sectors, to align student outcomes with industry needs, is necessary for the U.S. to become a leader in advanced manufacturing,” said National Academy of Engineering President Tsu-Jae Liu. “This report highlights the importance of workforce development for achieving and maintaining a competitive edge in advanced manufacturing, for economic prosperity and national security. 

Manufacturing USA institutes should adopt a broad range of programs to address workforce education needs that are built around a unified advanced manufacturing curriculum, the report says. In collaboration with regional stakeholders, this should include broad support for manufacturing apprenticeships and the development of comprehensive online advanced manufacturing courses.

The report also calls for a new interagency council to enable cross-agency and cross-institute collaboration, reduce administrative barriers, develop a digital manufacturing strategy, and establish an integrated strategy for the manufacturing institutes. Cross-agency collaboration is important between institute sponsoring agencies as well as between the institutes and other federal programs, including the national laboratories and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, to ensure advanced manufacturing technologies developed by the institutes are disseminated widely. Federal funding on par with comparable effective programs abroad is critical for supporting these activities.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, engineering, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

For more information, visit https://www.nationalacademies.org/.

Advantive Acquires Insequence

Advantive, a provider of mission-critical software for specialty manufacturing and distribution businesses, announced its acquisition of Insequence, a leading provider of automotive sequencing and manufacturing execution system (MES) software headquartered in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Automotive manufacturers and suppliers are navigating increasing production complexity, evolving OEM requirements, and ongoing supply chain volatility. In this environment, real-time sequencing accuracy, plant floor visibility, and AI-driven production intelligence have become critical to operational success.  Insequence has been at the forefront of just-in-sequence (JIS) and MES innovation for three decades, enabling automotive suppliers to synchronize production, optimize inventory, and meet stringent delivery requirements with precision and reliability.

Insequence delivers a comprehensive suite of automotive-focused solutions, including sequencing, MES, scheduling, inventory management, and data warehousing capabilities. Its software supports hundreds of facilities across North America, South America, and Europe, serving more than 20 global automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their supplier networks. By combining sequencing expertise with deep manufacturing execution functionality, Insequence empowers customers with end-to-end production control and enhanced supply chain coordination.

“Advantive focuses on transformational manufacturing and distribution-centric software. This acquisition significantly expands our capabilities in automotive manufacturing and sequencing,” said Duane George, CEO of Advantive. “Insequence has built a powerful platform and a strong reputation within the automotive ecosystem. By bringing Insequence into Advantive, we are strengthening our ability to support complex, high-precision manufacturing environments while advancing our Advantive ONE AI platform strategy, connecting plant floor data with AI-driven insights to enable smarter, faster decision-making across the automotive ecosystem.”

Advantive is a leading provider of specialty distribution and manufacturing software with capabilities across industries, including food & beverage, aerospace & defense, packaging, construction, and automotive. The acquisition of Insequence enhances Advantive’s MES and plant floor execution portfolio, further expanding its ability to deliver integrated, real-time production intelligence and supply chain synchronization to global manufacturers. As part of Advantive’s broader Advantive ONE innovation framework, Insequence customers will benefit from continued advancements in connected data and AI-enabled insights designed to enhance decision-making across complex manufacturing environments.

“We are proud to join Advantive and begin an exciting new chapter for Insequence,” said Tom Mitchell, president and CEO of Insequence. “Our team has remained focused on helping global automotive suppliers and logistics organizations meet the mission-critical demands of their automotive manufacturing customers through operational excellence powered by sequencing and manufacturing execution technology. With Advantive’s scale, expertise, and resources, we are well-positioned to accelerate innovation — including the adoption of AI-driven capabilities — while continuing to deliver the high-performance solutions our customers rely on every day.”

For more information, visit https://advantive.com.

UTEX Scientific Announces Acquisition of PA-CAT Inc. from Holloway NDT & Engineering

UTEX Scientific, a leading developer of advanced nondestructive testing (NDT) software, instrumentation, and automated inspection systems, announced the acquisition of PA-CAT Inc., an innovative phased array corrosion analysis technology company, from Holloway NDT & Engineering Inc.

PA-CAT, a patented phased array ultrasonic technique and cloud-based analysis service originally developed by Holloway NDT & Engineering, delivers quantitative corrosion assessment results using industry-standard phased array equipment and powerful modeling algorithms. The technology has been licensed and used globally by NDT service providers to accurately measure contact point corrosion on piping and vessels.

"PA-CAT's advanced phased array analysis capabilities align perfectly with our mission to deliver intuitive and flexible software to the NDT industry. Integrating PA-CAT into the UTEX portfolio strengthens our ability to simplify ultrasonic inspection workflows," said Walter Weber, CEO of UTEX Scientific.

Under the terms of the agreement, UTEX Scientific will assume ownership of the PA-CAT technology, including its algorithm development, client licensing, and future enhancement roadmap. Existing PA-CAT users will continue to receive support and access to future upgrades through an integrated team which includes existing PA-CAT engineers and UTEX Scientific's subject matter experts. Paul Holloway, founder of Holloway NDT & Engineering, commented, "PA-CAT has proven to be an effective inspection approach for a difficult inspection problem. We are proud of what we've accomplished, and we are excited to see it advance even further through UTEX Scientific's expertise in NDT software and instrumentation."

The integration of PA-CAT into the UTEX Scientific lineup will begin immediately, with plans to showcase the combined capabilities at upcoming industry events in 2026. Customers and partners can contact UTEX Scientific for more details on licensing and support.

For more information, visit www.utex.com.

PCN24 Update: BINDT/PCN introduces Dual Certification for Levels 1 and 2 in MT, PT and VT

The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) has announced an important update under PCN24, introducing a new Dual Certification option for Level 1 and Level 2 candidates within the magnetic particle testing (MT), penetrant testing (PT) and visual testing (VT) methods.

This development provides greater flexibility for NDT professionals by allowing certification for single-sector, dual-sector and multi-sector across product sectors within a single qualification pathway.

The applicable product sectors are as follows and are as have always been addressed by the PCN scheme:

• Welds (w)
• Castings (c)
• Forgings/Wrought products (f/wp).

Candidates now have the following options:

• Single-sector: any one of the product sectors listed above.
• Dual-sector: any two of the product sectors listed above.
• Multi-sector: all three of the product sectors listed above.

The new dual-sector certification is designed to better reflect the practical demands of industry, where technicians are often required to work across multiple material and component types. Instead of pursuing separate certifications for each sector, candidates can now achieve broader recognition of competence more efficiently.

Benefits of Dual Certification:

• Increased Versatility: technicians certified in two sectors can expand their employability across a wider range of projects and industries, including oil and gas, aerospace, manufacturing, power generation and fabrication.
• Reduced Duplication: by combining sectors within one certification route, candidates may reduce the time, administration and costs associated with obtaining multiple standalone qualifications.
• Industry Alignment: many employers require personnel capable of inspecting diverse products. Dual certification aligns more closely with real-world operational requirements and workforce flexibility.

This update applies specifically to PCN Level 1 and Level 2 certifications, making it particularly relevant for:

• New entrants building broader qualifications early in their careers.
• Existing technicians seeking to expand their sector coverage.
• Employers looking to develop more adaptable NDT teams.

The introduction of dual certification demonstrates BINDT/PCN’s continued commitment to modernizing certification pathways and supporting industry needs.

Candidates and employers are encouraged to review the latest PCN24 documentation for full details on eligibility, examination requirements and implementation timelines at: www.bindt.org/Certification/PCN24download. For more information, visit http://www.bindt.org.

March 2026 US Cutting Tool Shipments Totaled $259.3M, Up 24.6% From March 2025

Shipments of cutting tools, measured by the Cutting Tool Market Report, a collaboration between AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), totaled $259.3 million in March 2026. Orders increased 15.2% from February 2026 and were up 24.6% from March 2025. Year-to-date shipments totaled $705.1 million, up 15.9% from the same period in 2025. Unit shipments increased in each of the past two months, with a modest rise from January to February followed by a larger increase from February to March.

“Most machine shops are booking customer orders for all types of manufactured components at a pace not seen for several years, driving the demand for tooling and new equipment,” said Jack Burley, chairman of AMT’s Cutting Tool Product Group and president of Big Daishowa, a cutting tool manufacturer. “As a result, the March total for cutting tool shipments broke all records, a clear indication that toolmakers are working hard to meet delivery demands and maintain inventory. Behind the good news are concerns about increasing costs and shortages of tungsten carbide and high-speed steel, as well as the escalating price of oil and gas due to the conflict in the Middle East.”

Costikyan Jarvis, president of cutting tool manufacturer Jarvis Cutting Tools, said: “Anyone reviewing this data should be cautious about interpreting dollar growth as demand growth in an environment where the cost inflation of raw materials is running at historic levels. However, the March 2026 results may also reflect a significant buy-ahead effort, with customers anticipating price increases or supply disruptions. Sustained demand strength will need to be confirmed over the coming months before the industry can draw meaningful conclusions about the underlying trend.”

For more information, visit amtonline.org.

Lake Superior State University’s Devaprasad Named 2026 A3 Educator of the Year

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a leading global advocate for robotics and automation technologies, has named Jim Devaprasad of Lake Superior State University (LSSU) the recipient of the 2026 A3 Educator of the Year Award, sponsored by Siemens. Devaprasad was selected for his decades of leadership in robotics and automation education, his deep industry engagement and his success preparing students to thrive in real-world automation careers. He and his students will be part of Automate 2026 in Chicago, where LSSU will exhibit in the Education Pavilion.

A professor in LSSU’s School of Engineering and Technology, Devaprasad has spent 40 years helping shape the next generation of automation professionals. He serves as director of the university’s Center for Advanced Robotics Engineering and has helped secure more than $3 million in robotics and automation equipment for the center, along with more than $2 million in grants for engineering programs. He also helped advance LSSU’s pioneering robotics programs, including the first nationally ABET-accredited bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering technology in the United States. His students gain hands-on experience in areas such as PLCs, robotics programming and simulation, machine vision, robot safety, collaborative robotics, mobile robotics and systems integration, with many graduates going on to leadership roles across the automation industry.

“To me, A3’s Educator of the Year is a deeply meaningful recognition because it comes from the organization that represents the very industry our students are preparing to serve,” said Devaprasad. “What I have always loved about teaching is bringing foundational ideas to life through hands-on experience, then watching students take those skills into the field. I am so proud of our alumni and the impact they have made over the years. As robotics and automation continue to grow across nearly every part of industry, the role of education in preparing the future automation leaders has never been more important, and I am honored to be a part of it.”

As the 2026 A3 Educator of the Year, Devaprasad and Lake Superior State University will receive a cash prize from the Siemens Cooperates with Education program (SCE), along with a hardware and software technology bundle to further expand hands-on learning opportunities for students. Siemens will also award Devaprasad and the top five nominated educators with a technology bundle of Siemens software valued at more than $250,000 each to support automation education and workforce development in the United States.

“Siemens is proud to support the 2026 Educator of the Year Awards, celebrating the dedication, innovation and expertise of exceptional educators nationwide,” said Amanda Beaton, US program manager, SCE. “It is a privilege to work with inspiring teachers and nominees who continue to transform STEM education. Their real-world industry experience, hands-on and career-relevant teaching approaches, and passion for learning reflect what it takes to prepare today’s students to become confident, work-ready contributors in the modern workforce.”

Devaprasad’s recognition comes as A3 expands its focus on students, educators and emerging professionals at Automate 2026, North America’s largest automation event, taking place June 22-25 in Chicago. The Automate Education Pavilion, presented by A3 NextGen, is dedicated to the schools, training programs and industry leaders helping build tomorrow’s workforce. New this year, the A3 NextGen Theater will feature sessions on curriculum, career pathways, hiring and talent development for students, educators and employers. Devaprasad and his class will exhibit in booth #33051 in the Education Pavilion, offering attendees a firsthand look at the kind of hands-on robotics and automation experiences that have become a hallmark of LSSU’s program.

For more information, visit www.lssu.edu/robotics.

ESAB Awards $5K Grant to Princeton, TX, High School

As part of National Welding Month in April, ESAB awarded $5,000 to support welding programs at Princeton High School and Lovelady High School, part of the Princeton Independent School District, through its ESAB Future Fabricators Charlie Monschke Welding Education Grant. ESAB, a world leader in fabrication technology, also surprised the school with an equipment donation with a combined retail value of more than $8,000. The award and gifts were presented during a tour of ESAB’s Denton facility.

“We only have a limited number of working welding machines, so this grant will help us get more students under the hood instead of waiting for booth time,” said Pete Salazar, the welding instructor for Princeton ISD. “We work hard to prepare these kids for careers in the trades. The grant means a lot to our program. We truly appreciate ESAB’s support and everything they do for welding education.”

Dedication to Education

“The annual Charlie Monschke Education Grant, along with ESAB’s Future Fabricators program, will carry forward Charlie’s enduring legacy by investing in the next generation of skilled welders,” said Purushothama “Purushi” Doddanna, senior director of NAM Equipment Operations at ESAB Denton.

ESAB started the grant in 2024 to honor Charlie Monschke’s memory by supporting high school welding programs in Denton and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Monschke was a manager of advanced mechanical engineering at ESAB’s Denton facility for years and passionately supported high school welding programs before his death in 2023. He began working at what was then Victor Equipment Co. in 1966. ESAB acquired the Victor brand in 2014. Today, the 436,000-square-foot Denton facility serves as one of ESAB’s flagship manufacturing, research and North American distribution locations.

ESAB donated equipment including a Rogue™ EMP 210 PRO multiprocess MIG/Stick/TIG welder, two Rogue EM 125 MIG welders, a Thermal Dynamics® Cutmaster® manual plasma cutter, a Victor® Journeyman EDGE 2.0 oxyacetylene outfit, PPE including five Savage A50 LUX automatic helmets and a carton of ESAB 7018-1 Prime stick electrodes. The equipment is commonly used in light fabrication, construction, HVAC and sheet metal work, farm and ranch applications, maintenance, automotive, hobby work and school settings, giving students the opportunity to learn with real-world equipment.

For more information, visit esab.com.

A3 Officially Releases GigE Vision 3.0, Opening New Possibilities in Machine Vision

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) officially announced the release of GigE Vision 3.0, which is now available for download on the A3 website along with licensing information.

During the spring International Vision Standards Meeting (IVSM), held April 13–17 in Prague, the GigE Vision Technical Committee officially approved the specification. The IVSM was hosted by company imavix and the European Machine Vision Association (EMVA). The update integrates RDMA (remote direct memory access) over Converged Ethernet version 2 (RoCEv2), which enables direct memory access from a device such as a camera to a computer without involving the operating system. The committee also introduced the GigE Vision RDMA Streaming Protocol (GVRSP).

During the GigE Vision session of the IVSM, 57 engineers met to vote on the standard, which passed unanimously, making the long-awaited release official.

“GigE Vision 3.0 will make data transfer faster than ever by freeing system resources for real-time processing and decision-making, which is critical in today’s machine vision landscape,” said Bob McCurrach, A3’s director of vision and imaging standards. “With continued increases in camera speeds, combined with multi-camera aggregation, GigE Vision 3.0 will allow today’s systems to reach bandwidths of 400G and above with readily available and reasonably priced RoCEv2 NICs, opening entirely new machine vision and imaging solutions.”

GigE Vision 3.0’s primary update enables the use of RoCEv2, which allows direct memory access from a device such as a camera to a computer without involving the operating system. This update enables “zero-copy image transfer” as opposed to image data being copied from the source to operating system memory and then again to the user buffer. This means that system memory can be leveraged for image processing instead of image acquisition.

RoCE was initially developed to accelerate data transfer in high-performance computing environments such as data centers. RoCEv2 improves upon the first iteration, sitting atop the UDP/IP protocol, which ensures seamless integration and compatibility within Ethernet networks. Machine vision benefits of RoCEv2 in GigE Vision 3.0 include low CPU utilization, low latency, scalability, reliable and high-throughput image capture, and, as with all other GigE Vision iterations, compatibility and interoperability. End users looking to leverage GVRSP to enable efficient image streaming for 25GigE and beyond will need a network interface card (NIC) that supports RoCEv2. An additional update is the expansion of the control channel, allowing for more data per packet, ensuring more efficient transfer.

A multi-camera GigE Vision 3.0 demonstration will be shown in the A3 International Vision Standards booth (Booth 32046) at Automate 2026, where companies including Allied Vision, Balluff, Basler, Baumer, imavix, LUCID Vision Labs, Pleora and Teledyne IIS will have high-speed cameras and devices — including GigE Vision 3.0 and 2.X and USB3 Vision models — working together on one system. There will undoubtedly be other demonstrations of RoCEv2-enabled cameras and technologies throughout the show floor.

“RoCEv2 and GigE Vision 3.0 are helping to usher in a new era of automated imaging that requires higher throughputs, faster speeds, more reliable image capture and transfer, and low latency, with the same interoperability and compatibility that GigE Vision has become known for,” said McCurrach. “A3 looks forward to the continued innovations of our member companies, which continue to reshape what machine vision can do.”

For more information, visit https://www.automate.org/.

Machinery Orders Continue Rally in Q12026 Despite Uncertainty From Iran War

New orders of metalworking machinery, measured by the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders Report published by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, totaled $681.3 million in March 2026. This was a 40.3% increase from February 2026 and a 31.5% increase from March 2025. Manufacturing technology orders tracked by USMTO totaled $1.61 billion for the first quarter of 2026, a 27.8% increase year over year.

After a year of turbulent uncertainty caused by constantly shifting tariff regimes, businesses began to settle into a new normal and furthered capital investments to meet resilient consumer demand. That rally in metalworking machinery demand carried into the first quarter of 2026 with little deterrence from the escalating geopolitical uncertainty caused by the outbreak of war with Iran in the closing days of February 2026. While inflation for machine tools picked up at the beginning of the year, a sustained increase in average order value above inflation continues to point to increased demand for automation as manufacturers deal with a shortage of nearly half a million workers.

Contract machine shops, the largest customer of manufacturing technology, increased orders, but at a slower pace than the overall market, continuing the sector’s trend of underperforming the broader market. Orders from aerospace manufacturers declined around 12% from February 2026 but remained elevated as commercial backlogs grow amid capacity constraints and military production intensifies to replace systems used in the war with Iran. Manufacturers of engines, turbines, and other power transmission systems more than doubled their investment over February 2026 levels, nearly matching the investments made in December 2025. Increased demand for electrical power needed for data centers will likely spur additional investment from this sector in the coming months.

Economic output in the first quarter of 2026 showed a resilient consumer and a strong appetite from businesses for capital investment. The latest forecast shows that machinery orders will likely be on par with 2025, yet cutting tool demand is forecast to grow, indicating that manufacturing output will remain high. As quotations are converted to orders and manufacturers’ backlogs continue to grow, there is a strong potential for an upside surprise in the remainder of 2026.

For more information, visit amtonline.org.