Lockheed Martin Ventures recently completed an investment in Machina Labs
January 26, 2023
LOS ANGELES— Founded in 2019 by aerospace and automotive industry veterans, Machina Labs is an on-demand manufacturing pioneer that combines AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced sheet metal products. With an eye toward developing “Software-Defined Factories of the Future,” the advanced manufacturing company’s stated mission is to develop modular manufacturing solutions that can be reconfigured to manufacture new products simply by changing the software.
Machina Labs recently announced the completion of an investment by Lockheed Martin Ventures (LMV), the venture arm of the global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin Corporation. This latest funding brings the total raised by Machina Labs to $21.8M million, the company said in a release.
The investment will be used to accelerate company growth to meet customer demand, and to expand R&D into additional processes and metallurgical offerings.
“At Machina Labs, we are creating the factory of the future; one where a variety of designs and physical products can be produced on-demand and at scale,” said Machina Labs CEO and Co-founder Edward Mehr, in a statement. “With Lockheed Martin’s investment, we can accelerate development of our sheet metal Roboforming to better serve the need of the defense sector and give the United States a competitive advantage in speed of development for national security and defense products.”
According to Machina Labs, it uses robots the way a blacksmith uses a hammer creatively to manufacture different designs and material, introducing unseen flexibility and agility to the manufacturing industry. The company’s manufacturing platform combines the latest advances in robotics and AI so that great ideas can quickly and affordably turn to reality and businesses can benefit from rapid iteration to bring more innovative products to market, faster. By combining these advances, Machina Labs said it can deliver finished metal products in days, versus months or years, giving customers “unprecedented time to market and competitive advantage.”
The first process enabled by Machina Labs’ patented manufacturing platform is robotic sheet forming. The platform uses material- and geometry-agnostic technology to outperform traditional sheet forming methods that rely on custom molds or dies, according to Machina. (Photo: Business Wire)
Robotic sheet forming is the first process enabled by Machina’s patented manufacturing platform. Using material- and geometry-agnostic technology, the platform is said to outperform traditional sheet forming methods that rely on custom molds or dies.
“We aim to operationalize and scale solutions with speed and effectiveness so the U.S. and our allies can stay ahead of emerging threats,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “We are excited to work with Machina Labs in bringing their advanced and agile manufacturing platform to our customers.”
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