If poet Gertrude Stein had also worked as an assembly machine operator, could she have ever written the line, “a rivet is a rivet is a rivet”? No one can say for sure, but it’s highly unlikely since operators know that rivets are distinctive in their design and function, as well as how they are installed.
That modern life can, and often does, imitate popular art is well established, even to the point of being a cliché. Much less commonplace is life improving upon art.
In manufacturing, the latest innovations in equipment, processes and materials often get tested first by automotive OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers. A good example of this is the Polimotor, an all-plastic engine that inventor Matti Holtzberg has worked on for nearly 40 years.
In April, President Donald Trump made good on a campaign promise and ordered the Commerce Department to conduct a “Section 232” review of steel imports. A provision of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, Section 232 authorizes the gov-ernment to take action to limit imports of products if they threaten national security.
DETROIT—UAW President Dennis Williams said independent, outside counsel would lead an internal investigation into allegations that union officials were illegally funneled $1.2 million by Fiat Chrysler’s former labor chief.
DEARBORN, MI—Exactly 100 years ago today—July 27, 1917— the first Ford Model TT truck rolled out of the assembly plant, beginning an American love affair with pickups that still burns hot.
MUMBAI, India—During the next five years, Indian conglomerate Mahindra Group plans to invest an additional $1 billion in the United States, where it is hoping that its two-wheel electric scooters will win over American millennials. Mahindra has already invested $1 billion in the United States, where it has 3,000 employees.
MONTGOMERY, AL—Alabama’s auto industry continues to thrive, racking up new jobs and investments in communities across the state. Last year, there were at least 68 auto projects, for an estimated total of 3,848 jobs and $907.1 million in new capital investment. New projects announced this year push that total past $1 billion and add hundreds of more jobs.