Machina Labs Secures Contract with U.S. Air Force to Advance AI-Driven Manufacturing for Defense Sustainment

September 17, 2025 at 09:00 AM EDT

In partnership with the ARM Institute, this multiyear program will enhance the deployable RoboCraftsman with advanced AI/ML capabilities to support DoD sustainment modernization

Machina Labs, a leader in advanced manufacturing that combines AI and robotics for the rapid production of metal structures, today announced it has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in partnership with the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, a Department of Defense (DoD) Manufacturing Innovation Institute based in Pittsburgh, PA.

The multiyear award will expand Machina Labs’ flagship RoboCraftsman™ platform with advanced AI and machine learning capabilities tailored to DoD sustainment modernization needs. The program will initially focus on automating tool path generation for airframe skins and panels, which are critical to maintaining fleet readiness, while laying the foundation to extend these capabilities across additional sustainment applications.

“This award underscores RoboCraftsman’s role in the DoD’s sustainment modernization strategy,” said Edward Mehr, CEO and Co-Founder of Machina Labs. “Our mission is to deliver a portable manufacturing solution that can operate closer to the point of need, even in contested logistics environments. This enables mission-critical components to be produced faster, more efficiently, and without dependency on traditional tooling.”

The program will apply AI and machine learning, combined with data generated on RoboCraftsman platforms, to automate tool path generation for airframe production. Airframes are a critical sustainment challenge, where long delays in sourcing qualified parts have grounded aircraft and limited readiness. The broader vision is clear: RoboCraftsman is being developed as a flexible, deployable manufacturing solution capable of producing structural components for a wide range of defense platforms — from aircraft and missiles to vehicles and weapon systems.

For DoD stakeholders, these new capabilities are expected to help reduce Mission Impaired Capability Awaiting Parts (MICAP) ratios, shorten production timelines, and improve availability of critical aircraft. More broadly, the enhancements reinforce Machina Labs’ strategy to scale RoboCraftsman’s AI-driven, software-defined manufacturing platform across defense, aerospace, automotive and industrial markets.

About Machina Labs

Machina Labs is unlocking manufacturing with AI and robotics, delivering flexible, on-demand production solutions that eliminate traditional tooling constraints. The company’s RoboCraftsman™ platform integrates advanced robotics and AI-driven process controls to rapidly manufacture complex metal parts and structures for aerospace, defense, automotive, and industrial applications. Founded in Los Angeles in 2019, Machina Labs is building the next generation of intelligent, adaptive, and software-driven factories. For more information, please visit https://machinalabs.ai.

About the ARM Institute

The Advanced Robotics Manufacturing (ARM) Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII) funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004 and is part of the Manufacturing USA® network. The ARM Institute leverages a unique, robust, and diverse consortium of 450+ members and partners across industry, academia, and government to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small, train and empower the manufacturing workforce, strengthen our economy and global competitiveness, and elevate national security and resilience. Based in Pittsburgh, PA since 2017, the ARM Institute is leading the way to a future where people & robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products. For more information, visit www.arminstitute.org.

About the Air Force Research Laboratory

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com.