SAN ANTONIO—Toyota is investing $531 million to expand its assembly plant here. The project will add a new 500,000-square-foot facility for the production of drivetrain parts, and it will create more than 400 new jobs.

Equipped with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors, the machine is used to collect valuable data for the plant’s digital twin, while also serving as a watchdog overseeing operations.

CHARLESTON, SC—Volvo Cars has started to produce the EX90 at its assembly plant here.

LONDON—A materials research company has used artificial intelligence to develop a new permanent magnet that does not contain rare earth elements.

Ultrasonic welding creates solid-state metallurgical bonds with high conductivity.

HUNTSVILLE, AL—Toyota Motor Co. is investing $282 million to increase production at its engine assembly plant here. The automaker is also adding more than 350 new jobs at the plant.

Liquid sealants provide a popular alternative to solid gaskets.

Torsional welding offers many advantages for assembling plastic parts.

COLOGNE, Germany—Ford Motor Co. has ramped up production of a battery-powered Explorer SUV at its first dedicated electric vehicle facility in Europe.

Automated assembly requires speed and precision.