Robot Craftsmen, with Ed Mehr (Machina Labs)

The US manufacturing industry needs a major overhaul and companies like Machina Labs are helping drive that change. Today’s Pathfinder episode features Ed Mehr, cofounder and CEO of Machina Labs, a startup integrating the latest advancements in robotics and AI to construct next-generation factories. Mehr's prior experience at Relativity includes overseeing the development of Stargate, which was the world’s largest 3D printer at the time.

Machina is focused on creating flexible manufacturing systems, where design and material changes can be made seamlessly without the need for extensive hardware alterations. This flexibility is primarily enabled by advanced robotics and AI, encapsulating Mehr's vision of an agile, responsive manufacturing environment. Machina’s flagship product, the "Robotic Craftsman," epitomizes this concept, combining the dexterity of human craftsmen with sophisticated machine learning algorithms.

The conversation today delves into the challenges of traditional manufacturing and explores the impact of Machina’s innovations on the space industry. In addition, Ed and Mo discuss:

– Machina’s origin story
– The state of the US manufacturing industry
– Common startup mistakes when building factories
– Elon’s manufacturing algorithm

And much more…

• Chapters •
00:00 - Intro & SpiderOak Ad
02:02 - What is Machina Labs?
03:07 - The Falcon 9 issue
05:26 - Key product offerings
08:05 - Origin of roboforming
09:16 - Machina’s roboforming
14:24 - Importance of manufacturing in the US
18:06 - Keynote of the business
20:10 - Industries of focus
24:57 - The business model
28:28 - SpiderOak Ad Break
29:15 - Measuring the market size
31:44 - The Machina team
33:12 - Partnership with Nvidia
34:49 - Common manufacturing mistakes
37:48 - Machina’s competition
41:23 - Machina Labs's place in the market 20 years from now
44:02 - Evolution of aerospace manufacturing in the next decade
45:37 - Favorite new manufacturing technologies

• Show notes •

• About us •
Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 15,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world. Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers.

[Sanshirowatanabe]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

00:02 *🤖 Introduction to Machina Labs and Manufacturing Innovations*
- Machina Labs focuses on revolutionizing manufacturing through robotics and AI.
- Discussion on the challenges in traditional manufacturing processes.
- Introduction to the concept of flexible manufacturing cells and the role of robotics and AI in achieving rapid iteration and production.
02:13 *🏭 Robotic Craftsmanship and Manufacturing Flexibility*
- Introduction to Machina's robotic craftsmen concept for flexible manufacturing cells.
- Explanation of how robotic craftsmen leverage robotics and AI to adapt to changing designs and materials.
- Comparison with traditional manufacturing processes and their limitations in terms of flexibility and cost.
08:13 *🛠️ Development of Robo Forming Technology*
- Overview of the evolution of sheet metal forming technology.
- Introduction to Robo Forming as a solution for flexible sheet metal forming without the need for costly dies.
- Discussion on the technological advancements and challenges in commercializing Robo Forming, including accuracy and cost-effectiveness.
14:28 *🌐 Macro Perspective on Manufacturing and Market Focus*
- Analysis of the state of manufacturing in the US and the need for flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
- Exploration of industries currently targeted by Machina Labs, including aerospace, defense, and aftermarket sectors.
- Consideration of future expansion plans and potential customer segments over the next decade.
20:45 *🛠️ Manufacturing Spare Parts and Composite Molds*
- Sustainment and remanufacturing of spare parts for military assets.
- Manufacturing composite molds without traditional machining.
- Enabling the formation of alloys traditionally difficult to process.
25:11 *🏭 Business Models and Customer Interaction*
- Two business models: manufacturing parts and leasing/selling manufacturing cells.
- Interaction with customers: initial part manufacturing leading to discussions on higher volume production.
- Flexibility in business models based on customer size and capacity.
29:21 *💰 Market Size and Potential Expansion*
- Difficulty in measuring the market size due to various factors.
- Targeting applications with low volume and high mix initially.
- Exploring alternative processes and estimating the market size based on existing alternatives.
32:03 *👥 Team Structure and Growth*
- Multidisciplinary team structure with emphasis on engineering.
- Matrix organization with various teams including engineering, production, product, and operations.
- Planned team expansion to around 150 people in the next two years.
33:25 *💼 Partnership with NVIDIA and Future Prospects*
- NVIDIA's interest in data modeling and empirical processes aligns with manufacturing needs.
- Collaboration on improving machine learning and modeling capabilities.
- Potential expansion into new markets leveraging NVIDIA's GPUs.
35:45 *🚀 Overcoming Common Startup Mistakes*
- Avoiding the "build it and they will come" mentality, involving customers from the outset.
- Starting with customer needs rather than building in isolation.
- Emphasizing the importance of significant improvement over existing solutions.
38:35 *🔍 Approaching Competition and Market Entry*
- Identifying early adopters beyond startups to mitigate risks.
- Considering the complexity of breaking into established industries like automotive.
- Defining the scope of the business and understanding the value proposition for customers.
41:30 *🏭 Future of Manufacturing Infrastructure*
- Manufacturing is poised for significant change, with trends pointing towards reshoring, AI, and robotics.
- The future envisions a fully automated manufacturing platform akin to the evolution seen in the IT industry.
- Machina aims to be the infrastructure provider for flexible manufacturing, abstracting away the manufacturing process from design, enabling easy submission of part designs for production.
43:51 *🔍 Evolution of Additive Manufacturing*
- Additive manufacturing will play a significant role in next-generation manufacturing but should be viewed as one tool among many.
- The future of manufacturing involves hybrid processes, combining additive, subtractive, and formative techniques as needed for optimal results.
- Exciting developments like friction stir welding for additive processes and robotic forging hold promise for enhancing manufacturing capabilities.

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[marcboucher]

You will be a great asset to make structures in space