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Trade Wars
Siemens And Machine Tool Companies Agree To Share Data For AI Development
Siemens AG and several machine tool manufacturers announced September 23 they would form a “data alliance,” an agreement to share engineering data with each other for the interest of future developments in applications for generative software for industrial use. The collaboration between Siemens and Grob, Trumpf, Chiron, Renishaw, Heller, the Voith Group and the German university RWTH Aachen’s Machine Tool Laboratory aims at the creation of a generative AI program for manufacturers, the Siemens Industrial Foundation Model.
According to Siemens, the AI, once developed, could be used to automatically create parts for machine tools while reducing error rates in code creation: Siemens noted that the AI could also be used to generate NC programs, or work instructions for special manufacturing machines; precisely predict preventative maintenance for individual machines; adapting manufacturing processes to real-time changing conditions and optimizing energy use. In its statement, Siemens noted the exchanged machine data shared would be anonymized “in strict compliance with data protection and security standards.”
Read more at Plant Services
HSBC & IBM Demo Quantum Algorithmic Trading
A team at HSBC bank, working with researchers at IBM, was able to successfully solve real-world bond trading problems using quantum computers. Today, institutions around the world use algorithms to make trades, which are pre-programmed to account for variables like price and volume to best meet customer orders. Data scientists are constantly working to tweak and improve these algorithms to optimize trading strategies for their clients. A crucial aspect of that is predicting future prices in order to maximize profitability.
The team at HSBC wanted to know if quantum computers–which are ideal for optimization problems–could help. Working with IBM, the researchers developed a hybrid approach that combined conventional and quantum algorithms, the latter of which were run on IBM’s quantum computers. The result was a 34% improvement in prediction accuracy compared to purely classical computing approaches. Although more work needs to be done to refine the approach and utilize it in a generalizable way, this represents a “tangible example of how today’s quantum computers could solve a real-world business problem at scale and offer a competitive edge,” Phillip Intallura, HSBC’s head of quantum technologies, said in a statement.
Read more at HSBC
FAA to Let Boeing Sign Off On 737 Maxes, 787s After Years Of Restrictions
Boeing can sign off on some of its 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner planes before they’re handed over to customers, the Federal Aviation Administration said Friday, the latest sign the manufacturer is regaining confidence from its regulator after years of safety crises. The FAA stopped allowing Boeing to issue its own airworthiness certificates for 737 Max airplanes in 2019 after two fatal crashes. It made a similar decision for Boeing 787s in 2022 because of production defects.
The company has been working for years to move past a series of safety and manufacturing issues. A midair blowout of a door panel from one of its new 737 Max 9s in January 2024 set those plans back further, with the FAA capping production of the Maxes and increasing scrutiny of Boeing, a top U.S. exporter. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, who took the helm just over a year ago, has said the company is focused on stabilizing its production rate of its Maxes at 38 month, and he has expressed optimism about evaluating an increase beyond that with the FAA.
Read more at CNBC
US Consumer Sentiment Falls to Four-Month Low on Income Worries
US consumer sentiment fell in September to a four-month low on growing concerns about the impact of high prices on personal finances. The final September sentiment index dropped to 55.1 from 58.2 a month earlier, according to the University of Michigan. That compared with a preliminary reading of 55.4. Consumers expect prices to rise at an annual rate of 4.7% over the next year, data released Friday showed. That was down slightly from both the preliminary September reading and the prior month. They saw costs rising at an annual rate of 3.7% over the next five to 10 years, up from August.
“Interviews this month highlight the fact that consumers feel pressure both from the prospect of higher inflation as well as the risk of weaker labor markets,” Joanne Hsu, director of the survey, said in a statement. While sentiment declined among most income groups, it held steady for those with larger holdings of stocks. Equity prices remain close to record highs.
Read more at Bloomberg
GE Aerospace Flies Hypersonic Engine With No Moving Parts
Hypersonic missiles capable of flying well in excess of five times the speed of sound promise to revolutionize warfare and aviation in general in a manner not seen since the sound barrier was broken in 1947. Not only could it turn flights from London to Sydney into an afternoon jaunt instead of a 22-plus-hour ordeal, it could also make current air defenses obsolete as vehicles blast by before defenders would even detect them. The tricky bit is how to get the vehicle into the hypersonic range where it can cruise under its own power or fly as a Mach 5+ glider.
For the ATLAS program, GE Aerospace has come up with the latest in Solid-Fuel Ramjet (SFRJ) technology that seems to operate almost by magic. Funded by the US Department of War, GE Aerospace's ATLAS program takes simplicity to the next level by eliminating the liquid fuel by lining the interior of the engine with a solid hydrocarbon fuel that looks a bit like rubber. This isn't like a solid rocket fuel that carries its own oxygen along in the form of a powdered oxidizer mixed in with the fuel. It's just the fuel, with the air coming in providing the oxygen for combustion. As the fuel burns, it ablates, leaving a fresh layer of fuel to feed the flight. By not carrying oxygen, the engine is not only lighter, but it's more efficient. Where a solid fuel rocket has a specific impulse – a measure of rocket efficiency – of about 240 seconds, the SFJR can manage 1,000 seconds. In addition, replacing all those mechanical parts makes the engine cheaper – an important point with what is essentially a disposable power plant.
Read more at New Atlas
Embraer Lands $2B Regional Jet Order
Latin America’s largest commercial airline group placed a new order with Embraer worth at least $2.1 billion, with deliveries starting in the second half of 2026. LATAM Airlines’ contract involves 24 Embraer E195-E2 regional aircraft, plus options for up to 50 more of those jets. The new aircraft will be in service for LATAM’s Brazilian subsidiary, though later deliveries may involve the group’s other subsidiaries. Currently the group has a fleet of 362 aircraft, mostly Airbus and Boeing narrow-body jets, plus some larger wide-body aircraft and cargo jets.
The E195-E2 is the largest aircraft built by the Brazilian manufacturer. It’s a twin-engine, narrow-body jet designed for high-density routes, with capacity for up to 146 passengers. It has a range of 2,600 nautical miles (2,992 miles / 4,815 km.) Embraer president and CEO Arjaan Meijer recently described the aircraft as “a game‑changer for airlines that want to grow profitably while elevating the guest experience.”
Read more at American Machinist
Stellantis Cancels Electric Ram Pickup Amid Slowing EV Demand
Stellantis has canceled its fully-electric Ram pickup, which was originally slated to debut this year in North America, the automaker announced in a Sept. 12 press release. The decision to axe the battery-powered Ram was partially due to slowing demand for electric trucks in North America, the automaker said in a statement. Stellantis will instead launch a range-extended, hybrid version of the pickup, renamed the “Ram 1500 REV.” It uses a six-cylinder gas engine paired with a generator to send electricity to dual-electric motors that drive the front and rear wheels.
The Ram 1500 REV features a 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack and 130-kilowatt generator similar to other EVs and hybrids. But the truck is equipped with a 3.6 liter Pentastar V6 engine that’s not directly connected to the wheels. Instead, the engine sends mechanical power to a generator which produces electricity for propulsion and to charge the battery. Although the 1500 REV is not a zero emissions vehicle, the hybrid design significantly improves driving range compared to an EV using battery power alone.
Read more at Automotive Dive
Micron (MU) Delivers Earnings Beat and Strong Forecast, Stock Outlook Brightens
Micron reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue on last week as well as a robust forecast for the current quarter. Earnings per share were $3.03 adjusted vs. $2.86 expected and revenue was $11.32 billion vs. $11.22 billion expected. Micron said revenue in the current period, its fiscal first quarter, will be about $12.5 billion, versus the $11.94 billion average analyst estimate per LSEG. The company said it had $3.2 billion, or $2.83 per share in net income, versus $887 million, or 79 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Micron shares have nearly doubled so far in 2025. The company makes memory and storage, which are important components for computers. Micron has been one of the winners of the artificial intelligence boom. That’s because high-end AI chips such as those made by Nvidia require increasing amounts of high-tech memory called high-bandwidth memory, which Micron makes. “As the only U.S.-based memory manufacturer, Micron is uniquely positioned to capitalize on the AI opportunity ahead,” Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said in a statement.
Read more at CNBC
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