Traditionally, tractors and other equipment used on farms and construction sites rely on loud, dirty diesel engines. But, that’s starting to change. A variety of manufacturers are unveiling battery-powered machinery that is energy efficient and powerful, yet quiet and environmentally friendly.
RACINE, WI—Unionized workers of tractor manufacturer CNH Industrial are striking after contract negotiations between the company and the union, United Auto Workers, broke down.
BOONVILLE, MO—Kawasaki Motors has opened a new assembly plant here. The plant currently has one assembly line, but expects to add a second in July and two more next fall. Even with one assembly line, the plant employs some 80 people and turns out 1,200 engines for lawnmowers and other equipment per day.
Demand for "big iron" is booming, fueled by the rebounding global economy and the Biden administration’s infrastructure initiative. That’s good news for manufacturers of tractors and other types of agricultural and construction equipment.
TOKYO—Kawasaki Heavy Industries is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality at its domestic factories and offices in 2030 by using electricity generated by a 100-megawatt hydrogen-fueled power plant it plans to build.
In October, the Volvo Group unveiled the world's first vehicle, a load carrier used in mining and quarrying, that is made from steel produced without fossil fuels.
HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL—Automation equipment manufacturer Omron Automation Americas has opened a new proof-of-concept center near the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where integrators and manufacturers can develop and test automation before assembly-line implementation.
MOLINE, IL—Union workers at Deere & Co. would get wage increases of 10 percent in the first year and 5 percent each in the third and fifth years under a tentative contract reached between the farm-equipment maker and the United Auto Workers union.
CARLSBAD, CA—Machine Builder and integrator MiQ Partners is expanding its production space here by 17,000 square feet to meet the increasing automation needs of west coast manufacturers in many industries.
MOLINE, IL—More than 10,000 workers at 14 different Deere & Co. locations are on strike after the United Auto Workers union said it was unable to reach a new contract with the tractor company.