TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Manufacturing
A roundup of recent advances in engineering technology. In this issue, a look at some of the latest innovations and advances in manufacturing technology.
A FIREBRICKS FACILITY
Medford, Mass.-based Electrified Thermal Solutions has opened a new headquarters and production facility, expanding its manufacturing capacity for its electrically conductive firebricks (E-Bricks)—the core component of the company’s Joule Hive™ Thermal Battery. The facility gives the company direct control over E-Brick production at a scale to support more than 500 MWh of annual deployments, with a target of 2 gigawatts of thermal power capacity by 2030.
“Bringing E-Brick manufacturing to scale represents a major milestone in our journey to electrify industrial heat,” said Joey Kabel, CTO and co-founder of Electrified Thermal Solutions, in a press statement. “This facility allows us to refine our manufacturing processes and accelerate scalability both internally and with refractory partners.”
By using E-Bricks, which are 100 percent oxide-based, electrically conductive firebricks, the Joule Hive Thermal Battery doesn’t face the degradation issues found in conventional heating elements. This allows the battery to deliver temperatures up to 1,800 °C (3,275 °F) with a projected 20-30 year lifespan.
The new manufacturing capabilities will support Electrified Thermal’s goal to deploy 2 gigawatts of thermal power capacity by 2030.
>> Electrified Thermal Solutions E-Brick Production Facility. Photo: Electrified Thermal Solutions
AI ROBOTICS INNOVATION CENTER
In October, GrayMatter Robotics opened a new 100,000-square-foot headquarters and innovation center in Carson, Calif., for AI-powered manufacturing automation.
The facility has 25 robotic cells actively performing real manufacturing operations on current and prospective customer and partner parts. An interactive experience center allows visitors to witness AI-powered robots autonomously performing tasks.
GrayMatter’s factory-as-a-service business model, which eliminates upfront capital expenditure requirements, makes advanced automation accessible to small and midsize manufacturers that previously couldn’t afford traditional robotic systems. This democratization of automation technology aims to help reverse decades of manufacturing decline in the United States.
Initially, the center has created more than 100 high-skilled jobs in advanced AI, robotics, multidisciplinary engineering, manufacturing operations, and technical support. Plans are in place to add hundreds more positions over the next few years.
“This facility represents more than just a headquarters—it is our commitment to bringing advanced manufacturing back to American soil and to the South Bay region specifically,” said Ariyan Kabir, CEO and co-founder of GrayMatter Robotics, in a press statement. “We chose Carson for its proximity to aerospace, marine, and other manufacturing clusters, access to world-class port infrastructure, and most importantly, its skilled workforce. This is where the factories of the future are being built.
“We're seeing renewed interest in manufacturing careers because of technology like this,” Kabir continued. “Young engineers want to work on cutting-edge AI and robotics. Experienced manufacturing professionals see opportunity to upskill into advanced automation roles. We're not replacing workers—we’re elevating them.”
<< GrayMatter Robotics’ new headquarters features more than 25 robotic cells actively performing real manufacturing operations on current and prospective customer and partner parts.
Photo: GrayMatter Robotics
AUTOMATED REPAIR AND DEPALLETIZING ROBOTS
Doosan Robotics expanded its lineup with two AI-powered robots in January. The first is the Scan & Go, which is designed to tackle large-scale composite repair and surface finishing on complex structures such as aircraft fuselages, wind turbine blades, and architectural façades. Developed in collaboration with Canadian partner Maple Advanced Robotics, the system uses cognitive learning, physics-based intelligence, and laser-based 3D vision to interpret complex geometries in real time and autonomously generate optimized tool paths directly from point-cloud data. This eliminates the need for CAD modeling or manual programming.
Deployed on an autonomous forklift, the Scan & Go can sand, grind, and perform inspection tasks across large and irregular surfaces with minimal setup.
The second launch is an AI-Powered Depalletizing robot that features real-time motion planning via NVIDIA cuMotion, 3D vision-based box recognition, obstacle avoidance, and automatic path generation.
“We’re moving into the next phase of the company as we provide the very best solutions to increase efficiencies and safety across various worksites,” said Kevin Kim, CEO of Doosan Robotics, in a press statement.
>> Doosan’s Scan & Go (left) and Depalletizing (right) solutions.
Photos: Vertical Aerospace
PRODUCTION FRIENDLY INDUSTRIAL ROBOT
A production-ready version of Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot launched in January. Production of the new fully electric humanoid robot is underway at the company’s Boston headquarters. Fleets are scheduled to ship to Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Application Center and Google DeepMind in 2026.
Atlas is designed as an enterprise-grade humanoid capable of material handling, order fulfillment, and a wide array of industrial tasks. It features 56 degrees of freedom, a reach extending to 7.5 feet, and can lift up to 110 pounds.
“Our new Atlas is the most production friendly robot we’ve ever designed,” said Zack Jackowski, GM of Atlas at Boston Dynamics, in a press statement. “This generation of Atlas significantly reduces the amount of unique parts in the robot, and every component has been designed for compatibility with automotive supply chains. With Hyundai Motor Group’s backing, we will achieve the best reliability and economies of scale in the industry.”
Atlas autonomously navigates to charging stations, swaps its own batteries, and resumes work without stopping. The company also announced a new AI partnership with Google DeepMind and a component supply agreement with Hyundai Mobis for Atlas actuators. Parent company Hyundai Motor Group is preparing to deploy tens of thousands of the robots across its own manufacturing facilities.
Photo: Boston Dynamics
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