Premixed, ready-to-drink, functional beverages are certainly convenient, but that convenience comes with some trade-offs.

Wire and cable insulation is typically made from thermoplastics, thermosets or fibrous coatings such as fiberglass and fiber-braiding. Unfortunately for manufacturers, inks and coatings do not print or bond well to most of these materials when using standard techniques.

BOSTON—The price for domestically manufactured plastics has plummeted because of the natural gas boom, according to MIT Technology Review. In the United States, for example, it currently costs $300 to make a ton of ethylene from the ethane found in natural gas, down steeply from $1,000 a few years ago. The cost to make it in Asia is $1,717.

BROOKLYN, NY—MakerBot, a manufacturer of desktop 3D printers, will hold a job fair here March 15 to fill more than 50 job openings, including at least 10 engineering and production positions.

LEBANON, NH—Hypertherm, a manufacturer of advanced cutting systems, has opened of a new 160,000-square-foot assembly plant here that is expected to create up to 500 new jobs.

Industrial fabric curtain walls are growing in popularity. In assembly plants, two of the fastest-growing applications are for lowering noise levels and controlling dust.

AUBURN HILLS, MI—ABB Robotics and Fronius International have agreed to collaboratively develop fully equipped robotic welding packages.

EVANSVILLE, IN—Systems integrator Evana Automation Specialists has received a contract from a Tier 1 automotive supplier to provide two custom, semiautomatic assembly cells that will simplify the production of automobile seat rail link arms.

PITTSBURGH—Safety equipment manufacturer MSA has created a new line of hard hats made from a green plastic sourced entirely from sugarcane.

NOŠOVICE, Moravia—At Hyundai’s assembly plant here, a single, flexible robotic welding line can assemble doors for multiple models at the same time.