Robocraftsman raises new round, deploys versatile metal-forming robots for aerospace and auto at scale

Edward Mehr, CEO of Robocraftsman, is scaling a manufacturing robot that handles sheet forming, welding, and assembly of metal structures. The machine can form aircraft panels one day and switch to car body parts or missile airframes the next without retooling. Robocraftsman is deploying at a 250,000 square foot facility that produces thousands of missile airframes annually. Mehr uses this production run as evidence that the system works at scale across defense, commercial aerospace, and automotive customers. Toyota is a customer. The company currently has 70 employees and plans to grow to 240 within 18 months. Robocraftsman has raised a new round, though the funding amount and valuation remain undisclosed.

“We build a machine called Robocraftsman — it does different types of metal operations like a craftsman would. Core operation is sheet forming, but we can form aircraft panels, airframes, car bodies. We're deploying at facility number three — a 250,000 square foot facility. We're doing thousands of missile airframes a year out of that facility, but tomorrow you can switch it and do aircraft panels or car panels. Right now we're roughly 70 people, planning to get to 240 in the next year and a half.”