Alabama is home to state-of-the-art auto plants operated by Daimler, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota. It’s also home to a state-of-the-art assembly line that builds toy cars out of Lego blocks: Tiger Motors.

DEARBORN, MI—Engineers at Ford Motor Co. have created virtual representations of employees— called “avatars”—to assess whether articulating arms and other ergonomic aids could help with assembly.

A division of Fiat Industrial S.p.A., CNH Global N.V. is a leading manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment. The company makes products in 37 facilities worldwide and distributes them through more than 11,500 dealers in 170 countries.

DEARBORN, MI—Ford of Europe is developing a new virtual factory to simulate assembly line production processes to reduce costs and enhance efficiency.