manufacturing

Bilingual

Reading List 07/04/26
2 months ago
- Fixed-rate mortgages share similarities with rent control, such as protecting current homeowners and discouraging moves, but do not hinder new housing supply.
- Around 1 in 7 US homeowners lack homeowners insurance, highlighting a significant coverage gap.
- Taiwan is cracking down on smuggling AI chips into China, with raids on Super Micro Computer affiliates linked to Nvidia chips.
- Ford rehired quality inspectors after attempting to replace them with AI, showing limits of automation.
- Sony will stop producing physical PlayStation discs by 2028, marking a shift to digital.
- The US denied Polestar permission to sell cars in the US from 2027, despite shifting production to South Carolina to avoid tariffs.
- China is building a factory for personalized cancer vaccines using AI, with production of LK101 targeting individual tumor DNA.
- Car companies are switching to aluminum wiring due to rising copper costs.
- South Korea plans $1 trillion investment in memory chip fabs and humanoid robots, aiming to double DRAM production.
- Micron's memory chip fab in New York faces delays from endangered bat habitats, requiring winter-only tree clearing and $1 million in bat protection.
Manufacturing as Maintenance
2 months ago
- The essay contrasts two ends of the maintenance spectrum: careful upkeep of objects versus manufacturing them anew via recycling, arguing that modern industry makes the latter more efficient.
- Maintenance is traditionally seen as virtuous, but the author views it as a wasteful use of time and mental energy, especially when cheap renewable energy enables re-forging.
- Periodic rebuilding (e.g., homes every 10 years) offers benefits like continuous improvement, faster learning, adaptability to family needs, and lower costs.
- Examples include modular laptops, low-maintenance electric cars, and the Ise Jingū shrine, which embodies the Japanese concept of 'tokowaka' (ever-young renewal).
- The author advocates for a shift toward 'manufacturing as maintenance' using recyclable materials like metal and wood to reduce pollution from chemically durable, low-maintenance products.
Reading List 06/06/26
2 months ago
- Iran breaks off US negotiations and threatens to block Strait of Hormuz.
- Satellite data indicates more extensive damage to US facilities by Iran than reported.
- AI chatbot successfully replaces realtor in selling a house, managing appointments and negotiations.
- Florida moves toward eliminating homeowner property taxes through a ballot amendment.
- Allowing tall buildings improves urban welfare, land efficiency, and worker productivity.
- London skyscrapers often include public roof decks to ease planning permission.
- AI advancements raise risks of engineered pathogens; open letter calls for mandatory screening.
- Chinese synthetic diamonds are used as cooling materials for AI semiconductors.
- California bill requires 3D printers to block production of untraceable 'ghost guns'.
- Elon Musk's Terafab semiconductor fab receives tax break from Texas county.
Reading List 06/27/26
2 months ago
- Trump refuses to sign the ROAD to Housing Act until the SAVE America Act passes, despite bipartisan support.
- NIST report attributes the 2021 Surfside condo collapse to design and construction errors that reduced safety margins.
- Major U.S. homebuilders like D.R. Horton and Lennar see rising construction defect costs and self-insurance reserves.
- A federal mandate for U.S.-made construction materials significantly increases costs for HUD-funded housing projects.
- Works in Progress articles highlight how opposing NIMBYism sparked modern capitalism and compare European housing issues.
- Mexican government plans to develop a locally produced, low-cost electric vehicle.
- California's AB2047, requiring 3D printers to block firearm manufacturing, faces opposition due to unreliable detection algorithms.
- U.S. EV maker Lucid lays off 18% of workforce after earlier 12% layoff.
- Chinese EV sales in Europe surge, with Leapmotor up 465% and BYD up 136.6% in May.
- Slate prices its EV truck at $25,000, but critics note it's not much cheaper than a base Ford Maverick.
Reading List 07/18/26
2 months ago
- California Forever's planned shipyard lost a major tenant (Saronic) to Texas, a setback for the new city project.
- A study indicates that increased supply of single-family rental units helps economically disadvantaged children attend higher-performing schools.
- Baby Boomers are not downsizing to smaller homes upon retirement, contrary to previous trends.
- US EV manufacturing faces major setbacks, with Stellantis writing down $26 billion and Ford $19 billion in EV-related losses.
- Lucid Motors denies bankruptcy rumors but shares plummeted; the company claims sufficient liquidity into next year.
- A $500 million artillery shell plant by General Dynamics has failed to produce any shells after two years due to equipment repurposing issues.
- Other topics include automated carbon fiber manufacturing, Tesla production line changes, and challenges in recycling EV batteries.
A factory was severely short on workers. Then it offered flexible work
3 months ago
- Some U.S. manufacturers like Stanley Black & Decker and Georgia-Pacific are offering flexible, app-based shift work to address labor shortages, extending this option to blue-collar workers.
- GE Appliances' Roper Corp. plant in Georgia uses MyWorkChoice to manage over 900 flexible workers who choose their own hours (e.g., four-hour shifts) and tasks, such as assembly or quality control.
- The flexible system started during the COVID-19 pandemic due to high demand and worker shortages, allowing the plant to maintain operations and support a $180 million expansion.
- Workers prioritize flexibility over higher pay and benefits, with many opting for part-time hours to balance other jobs or caregiving, though some work full-time without transitioning to permanent roles.
- The approach helps retain experienced employees, like those nearing retirement, by allowing part-time schedules, and operates similarly to gig-economy apps where reliability ratings determine shift access.
Apple to increase spend with Broadcom to produce billions more U.S. chips
3 months ago
- Apple announced a new multiyear agreement with Broadcom to produce custom silicon and wireless connectivity technologies, exceeding $30 billion.
- The agreement will result in over 15 billion U.S.-made chips and support hundreds of American jobs, expanding Broadcom's Fort Collins facility with a $1.5 billion investment.
- This partnership is part of Apple's American Manufacturing Program and aligns with its plan to invest $600 billion in the U.S. economy over four years.
US manufacturers' energy costs soar because of AI data center demand
3 months ago
- US manufacturers in Rust Belt cities face significantly higher electricity costs due to rising demand from data centers, straining the PJM Interconnection power grid.
- Steelmakers and brick factories see squeezed profit margins, potentially undermining Trump's 'Made in America' manufacturing revival plan, even as tech companies behind the AI boom are championed.
- Factory electricity bills are rising faster than for other customers; for example, Belden Brick Company's monthly bills soared from $1,600 to $12,000 due to higher capacity charges in PJM's 13-state region.
- The Steel Manufacturers Association warns that Rust Belt steel companies pay tens of millions more yearly in power costs, with electricity accounting for 20-40% of steel production costs.
- Data center growth has driven PJM's capacity prices from $28.92 per megawatt-day in 2024 to $329.17 in 2026, increasing operating costs for manufacturers like Metallus, which saw a 70% electricity cost jump and an extra $15 million annually.

manufacturing

Reading List 07/04/26

Manufacturing as Maintenance

Reading List 06/06/26

Reading List 06/27/26

Reading List 07/18/26

A factory was severely short on workers. Then it offered flexible work

Apple to increase spend with Broadcom to produce billions more U.S. chips

US manufacturers' energy costs soar because of AI data center demand