Machina Labs
Canvas Category Machinery : Process Technology : Metal Forming
Machina Labs is introducing unseen flexibility and agility to the centuries-old manufacturing industry. This unlocks rapid iteration improving the design lifecycle and enabling a higher rate of innovation. Machina Labs’ manufacturing platform combines the latest advances in robotics and AI so great ideas can quickly and affordably turn to reality.
Assembly Line
Former SpaceX engineer invents a “Robotic Blacksmith Army”
The Air Force is quietly revolutionizing parts replacement
The U.S. military spends billions on replacement parts for aircraft each year, with the Air Force requesting $1.5 billion for parts in the next fiscal year alone. Now, officials at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia, working with a startup called Machina Labs, say they’ve found a robotic AI-driven solution to those high costs. And the new technique could also significantly shorten the supply chain, allowing replacement to happen closer to the front lines.
In terms of the military’s future needs, the system’s most important asset may be its small size, with the current version able to fit on the back of a truck. A smaller infrastructure footprint could mean not only cost savings, but also allow troops to move repair work—or drone making—much closer to the battlefield. That’s something the Ukrainians have done with great success, and it allows for much more nimble operations as well as decreasing the vulnerability of supply lines. It could be particularly useful in the Pacific, where parts resupply is fraught with logistical and political challenges.
Machina Labs Secures $32 Million in Series B Investment to Revolutionize AI-Driven Manufacturing
Machina Labs, which combines AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced composite and metal products, announced that it has closed a Series B investment in the amount of $32 million. The round was co-led by new investor NVentures, NVIDIA’s venture capital arm, and existing investor Innovation Endeavors, with contributions from existing and other new investors. This latest funding brings the total raised by Machina Labs to $45 million.
The investment will be used to meet accelerating customer demand, to further intensify research initiatives, and to continue delivering innovative solutions that exceed customer expectations. Robotic sheet forming is the first process enabled by Machina’s patented manufacturing platform. Using material- and geometry-agnostic technology, the platform outperforms traditional sheet forming methods that rely on custom molds or dies.
ROBOFORMING: The Future of Metalworking?
With Human Metalworkers Hard to Come By, Robotic Blacksmiths Step Up
It takes master craftspeople years to learn how to create strong, polished final products from metal sheets. The difficulty is largely a result of the way atoms inside the metal move around as the material is shaped, causing bulges and other deformations to appear in odd places. Machina’s technology feeds the properties of metal into computer vision and artificial intelligence systems that monitor the shaping process as the robots go to work. Such techniques have been the subject of academic research for decades; Machina has distinguished itself through its ability to refine and commercialize the technology.
Lockheed Martin Ventures Invests in On-Demand Manufacturing Pioneer Machina Labs
Machina Labs today announced the completion of an investment by Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV), the venture arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), a global security and aerospace company. Machina Labs combines AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced sheet metal products. This latest funding brings the total raised by Machina Labs to $21.8M. The investment will be used to accelerate company growth to meet customer demand, and to expand R&D into additional processes and metallurgical offerings.
Machina Labs Exits from Stealth with Series A, Bringing Total Raised to $16.3 Million
Machina Labs, a pioneer in advanced manufacturing through robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), today emerged from stealth and announced it has closed a Series A round of financing, bringing the total raised to $16.3 million. Innovation Endeavors led the round with participation from Congruent Ventures and Embark Ventures. The funds will be used to significantly grow Machina’s team in Los Angeles and to expand its R&D and manufacturing capacity to meet rapidly increasing customer demand.
“Manufacturing must be reinvented to keep up with the pace of change in this highly competitive market,” said Edward Mehr, Machina Labs CEO and co-founder. “We’re excited to finally reveal Machina Labs’ manufacturing platform, which combines the latest advances in robotics and AI to democratize access to rapid manufacturing so that anyone with a great idea can manufacture parts quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively. These software-defined, robotic facilities are the factories of the future, and we’re thrilled to have our investors on board to help us get there.”
Get ready for metamorphic manufacturing
A new wrinkle in blacksmithing is hailed as the third wave of the industry’s digitization.
Metamorphic manufacturing, also known as robotic blacksmithing, is poised to bring about faster time to market, less material waste, more available materials, less energy used and more control.