Manufacturing & Industrial Technology

5E Advanced Materials to Acquire Searles Valley Minerals Assets in Court Sale

Overland Park, Kansas – September 19, 2026 -- Searles Valley Minerals Inc. has agreed to sell substantially all of its operating assets to 5E Advanced Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: FEAM) in a court-supervised Section 363 transaction combining cash, equity and debt, following a competitive bidding process involving multiple parties.

5E secures Westend and Argus plants alongside 9,000 acres of brine resources

The deal transfers Searles Valley Minerals' Westend and Argus production facilities, approximately 9,000 acres of Searles Lake brine resources, the Trona Railway short-line railroad, and potable water production and distribution infrastructure located in San Bernardino, Kern and Inyo Counties, California. The assets carry permits, licenses and operating rights tied to more than 150 years of continuous mining activity at the site.

InkSonic Launches 13-Inch DTF Printer for Small Apparel Businesses

Shenzhen – – September 18, 2026 -- InkSonic launched the Spark F13, a 13-inch direct-to-film printer aimed at small apparel businesses and independent creators, the company announced. The device becomes available starting September 15, 2026 through InkSonic's website, with a waitlist open for early access and launch offers.

Automated maintenance targets printhead downtime for small shops

The Spark F13 includes an automated maintenance routine designed to keep the printhead clean with minimal manual intervention, which InkSonic says significantly reduces downtime. An intelligent ink-level monitoring system alerts operators before supplies run out, addressing a common production delay for small-batch printers.

Claigan to Host Dual Webinars on 2027 Compliance Budgeting

Ottawa, ON -- Claigan Environmental will run two identical webinars on September 18, 2026, to help manufacturers budget for restricted materials compliance requirements taking effect in 2027.

Two sessions scheduled same day due to expected demand

Claigan will hold back-to-back one-hour sessions at 10am and 2pm on September 23, each including a question-and-answer segment. The company cited anticipated demand as the reason for scheduling duplicate webinars rather than a single event.

Augmentir Launches AI Tools Letting Factory Staff Build Software by Talking

Horsham, Pa. – September 18, 2026 -- Augmentir has launched two conversational AI interfaces, Augie Command Center and Augie Procedure Studio, that let manufacturing staff build workflows, procedures, and AI agents by describing them in plain language rather than navigating software menus. The company unveiled the tools at IMTS 2026, positioning them as a replacement for traditional software navigation on factory floors.

Command Center Lets Frontline Leaders Deploy AI Agents Through Conversation

Augie Command Center allows users to analyze live operational data, build dashboards, schedule work, and create Industrial AI Agents without report builders, SQL, or coding. The system generates charts, insights, and recommended actions conversationally, then chains workflows, procedures, training, and integrations into a single deployed response rather than requiring separate tools for each step.

Treon Launches AI Engine to Automate Maintenance Decisions

Dallas – September 18, 2026 -- Treon Inc. unveiled Treon IQ, an industrial AI engine that diagnoses equipment issues and recommends maintenance actions automatically, eliminating manual dashboard analysis for plant operators.

Treon IQ turns raw asset data into continuous operational briefings for maintenance teams

The new capability extends Treon's Connect Prescriptive Maintenance cloud platform by combining proprietary anomaly detection, deep-learning diagnostic models, and selected large language models into one framework. It pulls data from real-time and historical asset intelligence alongside CMMS and ERP systems to detect issues, explain root causes, and generate prioritized action lists.

Kibar Americas Opens Aluminum Plant in Fairmont, W.Va.

Fairmont, W.Va. – September 18, 2026 -- Kibar Americas has begun production at a newly opened aluminum manufacturing facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, marking the Chicago-headquartered company's first domestic manufacturing footprint after acquiring the site earlier this year.

Fairmont plant starts output for HVAC, packaging, automotive and industrial sectors

The facility, celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by government officials, customers, suppliers and community leaders, is now producing aluminum products across four end markets: HVAC, packaging, automotive and industrial applications.

Ceva Names Ex-Intel, Infineon Exec Hammer to Lead Connectivity Unit

Rockville, Md. – September 18, 2026 -- Ceva, Inc. (NASDAQ: CEVA) has appointed Ziv Hammer as Executive Vice President, Connectivity & Sensing, a newly created role that consolidates the company's connectivity and sensing businesses along with its CTO Office under a single leader.

Hammer brings two decades of semiconductor leadership from Intel, Infineon and GlobalFoundries

Hammer joins Ceva after senior roles at Intel, Infineon Technologies and GlobalFoundries, where he led global engineering organizations of more than 1,000 employees spanning compute, connectivity, IoT and semiconductor technologies. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President, Design Platforms and Services at GlobalFoundries, working across technology, IP, design enablement and ecosystem partners to move complex customized silicon designs from concept to production.

Nemak Launches Tender Offer for All 2028 Senior Notes

Monterrey – September 18, 2026 -- Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V. has commenced a tender offer and consent solicitation to purchase any and all of its outstanding 2.250% Senior Notes due 2028, offering holders full par value of €1,000 per €1,000 principal amount plus accrued interest.

Tender offer targets full redemption of 2028 notes

The offer covers Notes issued under Regulation S (ISIN XS2362994068) and Rule 144A (ISIN XS2362996519). The Tender Offer expires at 11:00 a.m. New York time (5:00 p.m. CET) on September 18, 2026, with settlement expected September 18, 2026.

Echion, Energy Tech Solution Ink MOU for Niobium XNO® Batteries

London – September 18, 2026 -- Echion Technologies and Energy Tech Solution (ETS) have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop batteries built on Echion's XNO® niobium-based anode material, targeting mining, rail, maritime and datacenter customers that require high-intensity power performance.

ETS becomes first total battery solution provider in Echion's partner network

Seoul-based ETS, which also operates in Chungju, South Korea, and Detroit, will cover production line design, cell assembly equipment and Korea-based cell design R&D for XNO®. The company builds battery manufacturing equipment for startups and gigafactories and acts as a contract cell manufacturer for next-generation battery developers across Asia, Europe and North America.

Fastmarkets Deepens Saudi Scrap Price Ties With NIDC Under Vision 2030

London – September 18, 2026 -- Fastmarkets has confirmed ongoing stakeholder engagement with Saudi Arabia's National Industrial Development Center (NIDC) to further develop its ferrous scrap price indices in the Kingdom, as the country builds out its steel and recycling infrastructure under Vision 2030.

Fastmarkets launched its first Saudi scrap benchmark in August 2025

The price reporting agency introduced its steel scrap HMS 1&2 index, domestic composite, delivered Saudi Arabia, riyals/tonne (code MB-STE-0939), in August 2025 following consultation with local market participants, including NIDC.