FRANKFURT—Updated statistics issued by the International Federation of Robotics show that the average robot density in the manufacturing industry reached a new global record of 113 units per 10,000 employees in 2019.

COLOGNE, Germany—A team of students from the Munich University of Applied Sciences has developed a 3D printer with drylin linear units from igus GmbH that can cost-effectively produce structural parts in space.

BOLIVAR, MO—The first Bass Buggy 16 Pontoon Boat recently rolled off the line at Bass Pro's new assembly plant here.

PORTLAND, TN—ABB Installation Products is making a multimillion-dollar investment this year and staffing up to 40 new positions as it expands and updates its manufacturing facility here to meet increased demand for electrical equipment.

MOLINE, IL—Deere & Co. is using artificial intelligence and machine vision to detect and fix porosity defects in welds on its tractors.

WASHINGTON—U.S. manufacturers have long grumbled about labor shortages, but the past year has proven particularly frustrating.

MIRABEL, Quebec—Airbus is working to repurpose part of an aircraft assembly plant here that has been vacant since Bombardier ended production of the CRJ passenger jet.

COMMERCE, GA—SK Innovation, a manufacturer of batteries for electric vehicles, has settled a legal dispute with rival LG Energy Solution, enabling SK to proceed with plans to expand its manufacturing operation here.

PARIS—GE Renewable Energy plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Teesside, in northeastern England, for the production of 107-meter-long offshore wind turbine blades.

DETROIT—Ford has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard to turn spent 3D-printed powder and parts into stronger, lighter, and more cost-effective vehicle parts for Ford’s Super Duty F-250 trucks.