Enabled by recent advancements in artificial intelligence, combined with faster process simulations, and standardized kinematic solutions (eg 6-axis robots), Machina Labs is structured around development of the software-defined factories of the future. The company is currently working to build the first robotic machine for sheet metal prototyping. Sheet metals are used extensively in a multitude of applications and across many industries - from biomedical and consumer electronics to aerospace and automotive. A growth market, sheet-metal forming is the manufacturing process through which sheet metal parts are made .. with prototyping an essential step in the design process - allowing development of better-quality products and streamlining production. By reducing the time and capital requirement for developing new components, sheet metal forming also increases industrial competitiveness in both mature and emerging markets . The absence of a robust prototyping system for sheet metal forming means that it is difficult for manufacturers to iterate over material and design. This is particularly important with respect to “Lightweighting” where various industries (e.g. automotive and aerospace) want to move towards lighter and higher strength alloys, but testing of these alloys and new concepts is made harder. Furthermore, existing sheet metal forming technologies require expensive tooling and many steps, making new product development costly and time-consuming. Enabled by advancements in artificial intelligence, combined with faster process simulations, and standardized kinematic solutions like 6-axis robots, Machina Labs is developing a smart robotic system that can manufacture many designs and materials without costly changes in hardware. The firm's developed systems can take the design of a sheet metal part and return a fully formed component without any manual intervention. In the context of ORBs, Machina's die-less sheet metal forming system can be used to cost-effectively iterate and change the design of composite layup molds in a short time frame: reducing costs for developing tools and increasing agility with developing new parts. The firm's flexible working envelope allows for the fabrication of different size molds from large aerospace components to smaller automotive parts.
