Keep the Assembly Line Moving
Shop Talk
Capturing this week's zeitgeist
The annual end-of-year executive shuffle reached its crescendo this week as organizations rushed to finalize and announce their leadership transitions before the holiday lull. These carefully orchestrated changes, often months in the making, tend to cluster in December’s early weeks, allowing incoming executives to begin planning for the new year while giving departing leaders a graceful exit during the quieter holiday period. Below is a round-up of the notable changes:
- Intel announces retirement of CEO Pat Gelsinger and what it means.
- Stellantis accepts CEO Carlos Tavares’ Resignation and attempts to stabilize.
- Ørsted CEO of Americas David Hardy to leave the company to join GE Vernova
- Xiaomi VPs depart amid leadership reshuffle
- Shapeways former COO and co-founder returns
- Founders Fund GP Brian Singermann moves on
Assembly Line
This week's most influential Industry 4.0 media.
Using AI to Transform Part and Mold Manufacturing
Atomic Industries, based in Warren, Michigan, already has over a dozen customers embracing Atomic’s mission to use cutting-edge digital manufacturing tools to make the best molds possible — faster and more inexpensively.
It starts with AI-designed molds with features optimized for each part. To achieve this, Atomic has partnered with LS Mtron, which has outfitted the injection molding machines (IMM) Atomic uses with 46 I/O ports to capture and leverage a wealth of process data.
“Our long-term vision is to use this technology to change the way parts are made — because ultimately, the most important part of widget production is the mold. Our goal is to commoditize the mold-building process, so when we quote a project we’ll only be quoting a part price — the cost of the mold will be rolled into that cost,” Atomic co-founder Lou Young says.
“In the industry now, when an automaker is kicking off an A-pillar, they have 20 or 30 people around the room going, ‘Here’s where we want the gates’ for one little plastic part. And the car has thousands of plastic parts in it. The AI-designed injection mold we’re building is going to have the best gate location possible for that part and the best waterline design. You won’t need 30 people sitting around a table to ensure it runs right. It’s just going to run right. That mindset will start to shift, says Young.
The hunt for heat: Drilling the deepest holes on Earth
Currently only 32 countries in the world have geothermal power plants in operation. There are fewer than 700 power plants around the world, generating around 97 Terawatt hours (TWh) in 2023 between them. That is less than half the amount of electricity generated by solar in the US alone and far short of estimates for the potential contribution that geothermal could make to the global energy mix. Some estimate that geothermal could contribute around 800-1400TWh of electricity annually by the middle of the century with a further 3,300-3800TWh per year of heat.
One reason geothermal is not more widespread is the high upfront investment needed to extract that energy. But physically reaching it has also been beyond us so far. One major hurdle is that conventional rotary drills – even those tipped with diamond – are ill-equipped to excavate to the kind of depths needed to access these kinds of temperature. In the mysterious deep underworld of uncertain geology, extreme temperatures and huge pressures, drill components can fail frequently, while keeping holes from becoming blocked is a constant battle.
Quaise Energy, a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, are aiming to drill holes as deep as 12 miles (20km) to access temperatures of 500C (932F) or more. To do so, they are turning to a tool that draws on years of research into nuclear fusion power. “While others are putting shovels in the ground, we’re putting microwaves in the ground for the first time,” says the company’s co-founder Matt Houde.
Slovakia-based GA Drilling, meanwhile, is exploring a different high-energy drill technology to bore into the Earth’s crust. It is using a pulse plasma drill, based on very short high energy electric discharges that disintegrate rock without causing it to melt. This avoids creating any viscous molten rock, which can be difficult to remove and can stop drill bits penetrating further. “Since the process is very swift with short shocks crumbling the rock, there isn’t time for melt to form – so the need to pull up and replace the bit is greatly reduced,” says Igor Kocis, chief executive and chairman of GA Drilling. “Five to eight kilometres (3-5 miles) is a target for our current development programme – and later 10km-plus,” he adds. “These depths will allow nearly universal access to geothermal power.”
Moore's Law is Dead — Welcome to Light Speed Computers
NVIDIA Advances Physical AI With Accelerated Robotics Simulation on AWS
NVIDIA announced at AWS re:Invent that Isaac Sim now runs on Amazon Elastic Cloud Computing (EC2) G6e instances accelerated by NVIDIA L40S GPUs. And with NVIDIA OSMO, a cloud-native orchestration platform, developers can easily manage their complex robotics workflows across their AWS computing infrastructure.
Physical AI describes AI models that can understand and interact with the physical world. It embodies the next wave of autonomous machines and robots, such as self-driving cars, industrial manipulators, mobile robots, humanoids and even robot-run infrastructure like factories and warehouses. With physical AI, developers are embracing a three computer solution for training, simulation and inference to make breakthroughs.
Robotics engineers are in high demand — but what is the job really like?
Bayesian optimization of radical polymerization reactions in a flow synthesis system
Proportions of monomers in a copolymer will greatly affect the properties of materials. However, due to a phenomenon known as composition drift, the proportions of monomers in a copolymer can deviate from the value expected from the raw monomer ratio because of differences in monomer reactivity. It is therefore necessary to optimize the polymerization process to account for such composition drift. In the present study, styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers were generated using a flow synthesis system and the processing variables were tuned employing Bayesian optimization (BO) to obtain a target composition. First trials of BO with generation of four candidate points per cycle, completed the optimization within five cycles. Subsequent Bayesian Optimization (BO) trial, using 40 points per cycle, identified several sets of processing conditions that could achieve the desired copolymer composition, accompanied by variations in other physical properties. To optimize the monomer composition ratio in the polymer, it was discovered from a data science perspective that the solvent-to-monomer ratio was as crucial as the styrene proportions. The role of each variable in the radical polymerization reaction was elucidated by assessing the extensive array of processing conditions while evaluating several broad trends. The proposed model confirms that specific monomer proportions can be produced in a copolymer using machine learning while investigating the reaction mechanism. In the future, the use of multi-objective BO to fine-tune the processing conditions is expected to allow optimization of the copolymer composition together with adjustment of physical properties.
New Product Introduction
Highlighting new and innovative facilities, processes, products, and services
Cemex kickstarts first-of-a-kind low-carbon hydrogen project using thermal plasma electrolysis in cement production
Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s corporate venture capital (CVC) and open innovation unit, announced an initial hydrogen deployment at industrial scale with HiiROC, the pioneering British hydrogen company that produces affordable, clean hydrogen, at its Rugby cement plant in the United Kingdom. Hydrogen has emerged as a low-carbon energy source within the construction industry’s decarbonization roadmap and offers potential as an energy solution to help reduce the sector’s reliance on fossil fuels and lower CO2 emissions. This venture marks a significant milestone for Cemex, as it represents the beginning of a large-scale strategic project plan with the aim to further lower its carbon emissions in cement production.
HiiROC produces carbon-neutral hydrogen using its proprietary Thermal Plasma Electrolysis (TPE) process, which requires just one-fifth of the electrical energy used in water electrolysis and captures carbon as a solid byproduct, avoiding CO2 emissions – a game-changer for the industry. HiiROC’s modular solution can be deployed as single units to full-scale industrial plants. The hydrogen produced can be used as an alternative energy source to fuel clinker production processes, helping Cemex to achieve its decarbonization goals.
Mecalux and MIT launch Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab
Mecalux SA and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a five-year project to expedite the integration of artificial intelligence in logistics. The partners said they will use the MIT Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab to explore new applications of AI models “with significant potential for business and society.”
In the first year of their collaboration, the teams at the MIT Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab and Mecalux plan to research two ways to accelerate innovation. The first will focus on increasing the productivity of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Using advanced simulation, optimization, and machine learning techniques, researchers will develop a “swarm intelligence” system enabling multiple robots to operate as a single entity, making collective decisions. The second research area will center on training self-learning AI models. The Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab intends to design systems capable of learning from demand patterns and anticipating new customer purchasing habits.
Euler’s New AI Tool reduces cost of 3D printing defect detection
Iceland-based startup Euler offers AI-powered defect detection software for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) and selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing. The company, which recently launched from stealth mode, has integrated its process monitoring tool within Fusion, Autodesk’s cloud-native CAD/CAM 3D design software.
Euler’s Autodesk App identifies and analyses common powder-based 3D printing defects like spatter, recoated issues, burn marks, smoke, warpage, and poor powder distribution. It can anticipate process failures during 3D printing, automatically triggering in-situ mitigation actions to prevent issues with the final part.
Business Transactions
This week's top funding events, acquisitions, and partnerships across industrial value chains.
Tractian Raises $120M to Eliminate Industrial Downtime Worldwide
Tractian, a leader in Manufacturing AI, secured $120M in Series C funding led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from General Catalyst, Next47, and NGP Capital. This latest investment solidifies the Atlanta-based company as a key player in the industrial maintenance space.
This funding will accelerate Tractian’s mission to optimize machine performance and ensure unprecedented uptime. As the Industrial Copilot, Tractian stands out by providing integrated hardware and software solutions for industrial asset monitoring, physical operations, and maintenance management, helping companies ensure zero downtime and improve technicians’ productivity.
Tractian continues to drive innovation with a team of 200+ engineers dedicated to R&D across data, software, and hardware. In 2024, the company filed 12 patents, highlighting its commitment to proprietary technologies. Tractian plans to expand its portfolio of patented solutions in 2025 while attracting top-tier talent in engineering, data science, and go-to-market teams.
AMP Raises $91 Million in Series D Funding to Revolutionize Waste
AMP Robotics Corp. (“AMP”), a leading provider of AI-powered sortation at scale for the waste and recycling industry, has raised $91 million in corporate equity in a Series D financing led by Congruent Ventures. The round featured participation from current and new investors, including Sequoia Capital, XN, Blue Earth Capital, Liberty Mutual Investments, California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS), Wellington Management, Range Ventures, and Tao Capital Partners.
AMP will use the latest funding to accelerate the deployment of its AMP ONE™ systems, which are capable of cost-effectively sorting municipal solid waste (MSW), as demonstrated by the first-of-its-kind system AMP operates in Portsmouth, Virginia. Last month, AMP also entered into an agreement with Waste Connections, Inc. (TSX/NYSE: WCN) to equip and operate one of Waste Connections’ single-stream recycling facilities in Colorado. AMP ONE provides a full-scale facility solution to sort various material streams and capture more of the billions of dollars in value otherwise lost to landfills or incinerated annually.
Prima Secures $42.5 Million to Transform Manufacturing Across North America
Prima, a technology-first manufacturing and supply chain integrator creating a more reliable procurement experience for North American companies, announced that it has raised USD $23 million in funding, bringing its total funding in previously-undisclosed rounds to USD $42.5 million. Prima’s investors include Acrew, Quona Capital, Nazca, Greenoaks, Canary, NXTP, Picus Capital, Endeavor, Fluent Ventures, K50 Ventures, Marathon Ventures, Box Group and WTI, as well as 110+ angel investors from the industrial ecosystem. The funds will allow Prima to expand its operations and continue its quest to elevate Mexico’s manufacturing base to higher standards and address key industry issues of availability, quality, fulfillment rates, and cost – all of which have long plagued manufacturing and supply chains in Mexico in particular.
Prima manages every step of the manufacturing process, from design, engineering and raw material procurement to factory floor operations, quality control and delivery. The company currently works with more than 150 companies across North America across mining, cement and energy; retail and hospitality; industrial equipment procurement; electrical and electronic components and more. Prima’s innovative and holistic approach has fueled the company’s rapid growth, as it gains a foothold in the U.S.
FibreCoat, world leader in materials technology, secures close to €20m from NewSpace Capital and other investors
FibreCoat, a world leader in materials technology, has raised close to €20 million from NewSpace Capital, Goose Capital, Nova Saint-Gobain, 212 NexT, Otto Krahn New Business, Convergent Ventures and TiE in its Series B raise.
The company, which was founded in Germany in 2020 but has been developing its technology since 2014, has invented a novel technology to coat metals and plastics onto fibers, thus combining the properties of the fibers and the coating material, during the fibre spinning process. Its products offer strength, conductivity, and recyclability at a fraction of the weight and cost of their competitor products. This is thanks to the team’s extensive expertise and strong research-and-development background at RWTH Aachen University, where the founding team worked at the Institute for Textile Technology.
FibreCoat’s materials, which are lightweight, cost-effective, high-performance and have widespread applications, have proven themselves in a number of industries, and are now well-positioned to meet surging demand in the space and defense sectors. Robust material is essential for the durability and reliability of military equipment in hostile environments.
Humtown and Fabri: two visions shaping the future of AM in foundries
Fabri completed a $5 million seed funding round, led by Lavrock Ventures with participation from RTX Ventures, Tenon Ventures, and SBXi. This funding represents a major step forward in the company’s mission to revolutionize the investment casting industry by delivering precision metal castings with unparalleled speed and cost-effectiveness.
Fabri’s strategy addresses long-standing challenges in the investment casting sector, which is crucial for industries such as aerospace, automotive, and industrial equipment. By combining rapid manufacturing processes with precision engineering, Fabri helps businesses stay ahead of evolving market demands. Its advanced design software optimizes casting designs to minimize waste while ensuring superior quality, delivering a seamless, cost-effective experience to its customers.
The $5 million seed funding will enable Fabri to scale its operations and enhance proprietary technologies. This investment also facilitates broader market reach, allowing the company to provide its transformative solutions to a wider audience and empowering businesses to innovate without compromise. The company’s backers’ support highlights the industry’s recognition of Fabri’s ability to deliver value and transformative change.
Quindi raises €525K Seed for smart manufacturing production co-pilot
Smart manufacturing startup Quindi has raised €525,000 in initial Seed funding. Founded in 2022, Quindi has developed the first Production copilot, an advanced AI solution that integrates all data from machinery, orders, and people to optimise production flows.
Through the combined use of proprietary data and algorithms, Quindi enables production roles to know in real-time any critical event, such as a machine anomaly or the unexpected absence of an employee, and to act proactively. Staff receive operational guidance to overcome critical issues, while production managers can re-schedule production in real-time, choosing from different production scenarios proposed by Quindi.
The funding was raised from Open Venture, a venture capital vehicle born within the Open Advisory ecosystem and ELIS Group, a consortium of more than 140 companies pursuing open innovation, vocational education and sustainable development goals.
AI Simulation Leader Cosmo Tech Receives Majority Investment from Insight Partners and Former Accenture Executives
Cosmo Tech, a market leader in AI Simulation software for enterprise decision making, announced a majority investment from global software investor Insight Partners, with participation from former Accenture executives Phillip Hazen and Gerry Coulter. As part of the transaction, Hazen and Coulter will be appointed as Cosmo Tech’s CEO and CFO, respectively. Cosmo Tech helps large organizations navigate complexity and uncertainty in enterprise decisioning. The company’s AI simulation software empowers critical decision-making by providing a glimpse into the future. It evaluates millions of potential scenarios to identify the optimal path, helping enhance both financial performance and organizational resilience. Cosmo Tech is used today by large enterprises to solve supply chain resiliency challenges and save millions in logistics expense. The adaptable solution can be applied to critical dynamic decisions in supply chain, finance, forecasting, and beyond.
Following the funding, Cosmo Tech will establish a new office in the DC metro area—an innovation hub and key access point to major clients and ecosystems—anticipated to open in early 2025. In addition to the existing European commercial and product resources, this new base will support the company’s North American operations and facilitate closer collaboration with the partner ecosystem and key customers in the manufacturing, transportation, and energy sectors.