Machina Labs’ robocraftsman can build almost anything out of metal.
Did you know there’s a robot in LA that can make drones and tailgates, even missiles.
This is the Robocraftsman, a manufacturing system that uses two robotic arms and software to shape metal like two human hands would shape clay.
It’s the brain child of Machina Labs, a startup founded by ex SpaceX engineer, Ed Mayor.
But why did Ed build a business around teaching robots how to shape sheet metal?
America’s most critical industries need highly specialized parts.
The problem, when you want to make a new part or replace an old one, like this panel on this C-17 Globemaster aircraft, you need to invest hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars into new tooling,
like this massive industrial mold called a die.
It works relatively fast, but whenever you want to pivot and make something else, you may need to go out and build an entirely new one, which can take months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The robocraftsman essentially does the same job, but uses software to tell the robot how to make a new part on demand.
Ed’s goal is to make 50 robocraftsman a year so that he can build an entire factory floor that can make almost anything.
But as of now, Machina’s only producing about five robocraftsmen a year.
Still, with investors and partners like Toyota and Lockheed Martin, the startup is already making waves in an industry that hasn’t seen real disruption since the assembly line.
Check out my full visit to Machina Labs and subscribe to the Hustle.
