U.S. manufacturing remained in expansion territory in August 2026, but new orders and backlogs lost momentum. For maintenance and purchasing teams, however, the bigger signal may be what did not improve: supplier deliveries slowed further, raw-material prices remained elevated, and key industrial inputs continued to be reported in short supply. Quick Take Source: Institute for Supply … Read more
Schaeffler has completed validation testing of a new Schaeffler strain-wave gearbox manufacturing process designed for humanoid robots, with mass production scheduled to begin in Germany in 2027. The company says the forming technology could significantly reduce the time, material and cost required to manufacture precision gear reducers for robot joints. The important part of the … Read more
The European Commission has cleared Triton Partners’ proposed acquisition of mechanical-drive manufacturer Flender, removing a significant regulatory obstacle from a transaction announced in June and expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. The Commission listed August 3 as the last decision date for the merger case, with the clearance disclosed in its August … Read more
A series of industrial earnings reports released over the past several weeks—and capped by Parker Hannifin’s results on August 6—suggests that a potentially important shift is occurring inside the industrial equipment market. Demand is not strengthening only on the new-equipment side. Replacement parts, aftermarket services and MRO purchasing are strengthening at the same time. Parker … Read more
U.S. manufacturing activity accelerated sharply in July, but the same data that point to stronger production also expose a more difficult operating environment for maintenance, reliability and MRO teams. The Institute for Supply Management’s July 2026 Manufacturing PMI report, released August 3, placed the headline index at 55.6 percent—2.3 percentage points above June and its … Read more