ROBOFORMING: Behind the Scenes as Machina Labs (The Future of Metalworking) - Smarter Every Day 290B 

Mind boggling number of parameters to code for. I'm in awe of their audacity.

Can I place an order on a refrigerator front with Han Solo in carbonate? 😁

Thanks for going deeper without asking us to go to a different platform, really appreciate that.

So I'm an EE who works in industrial manufacturing (welding robots, and some simpler machines) and these are by far the most generous with knowledge and interesting folks I've seen in ages. If they were near me I'd be trying to work with them. I'm amazed they let you film this much and I think everyone is better off for the experience!

Its fun to see the math that blacksmiths had to do by eye for hundreds of years. So many similarities between an ancient way of moving metal, and cutting edge tech.

I’m at a loss for words. I dropped out of college and took a Manufacturing Engineering job. Being in the field has actually made me want my degree more, I’m hungry for the knowledge. Inspiring to hear him talk about leaving school to go work several times. Thank you for sharing his story at the end. What an awesome video.

The excitement in these guys while explaining what they are doing shows how much they enjoy what they do

I never thought I'd waste two hours watching videos about metal forming. Except it's not a waste. Thank you! I'm proud to be a patron, and I'm glad to help pay for it.

Only this channel allows an engineer to get enough high quality IDEA INPUT to have a BRAIN EXPLOSION. THANK YOU ‼️

Just the fact that these guys can reproduce car parts no longer manufactured makes me excited Obviously there are much more unique & creative markets for it but as a car guy, I can tell you that there are some body parts you just can't get anymore for classic cars without paying more than the car is worth. I would give anything to work in this facility even if I was just sweeping up after the machines

This is mind tingling. I’m a glass blower and at 1h 11min he talks about re striking. It made the reasons why I form the glass, when I do through out my steps make sense to achieve an uniform wall thickness. It is so easy to unintentionally make the bottom of a glass vessel paper thin because it is having the most work done to it. Thank you so much for sharing the long form of your conversation with him!

Dude, you could do a full channel on this series. Keep up the amazing work.

Hey Destin, great to see this content. Not sure if you are aware of this, but there is an NSF ERC (National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center) that formed about a year ago. It is called HAMMER and they are focusing on "additive plus X" (i.e. additive plus forming), you might be interested in looking them up. Ohio State is the lead, with Northwestern, UT Knoxville, NC A&T, and Case Western as members. One of the professors at Northwestern, Jian Cao, has some great work on incremental sheet metal forming. They actually had Babak do a talk for the whole HAMMER team, it was great to see that then see you bring it up again, shows that they are getting the word out even to a general audience.

The video on the main channel was magnificent, but this was next level. Absolutely brilliant video with super smart people - who are definitely getting smarter everyday. Loving this series, Destin. Thank you.

It would be interesting to see a sheet that is laser etched or something, with a checkerboard pattern, then formed into a part. I wonder if you would be able to see how the individual squares get squished and deformed. (Or maybe the pattern would just get flattened out and you wouldn't see it)

*Summary* *Introduction and Team Members* - *0:00**-**0:17**:* Introduction to Robo forming at Machina Labs. - *0:48**-**1:17**:* CEO Ed talks about his background. - *1:27**-**2:01**:* Babak, the tech partnerships head, is introduced. *Understanding Robo Forming* - *2:08**-**3:37**:* Robo forming mechanics and stress-strain curve. - *3:45**-**4:51**:* Discussion about stress-strain curve specifics. - *5:18**-**5:53**:* Interaction of end effectors and metal. *Technology and Methods* - *6:11**-**7:00**:* Metal magnetization in the forming process. - *7:40**-**8:39**:* Traditional vs. Robo forming. - *8:46**-**9:44**:* Robo forming advantages in low-volume production. - *9:51**-**10:21**:* Cost-efficiency talk with Tesla. - *10:27**-**10:36**:* Special project teaser. *Software and Automation* - *11:30**-**12:07**:* Role of software in manufacturing. - *12:19**-**12:37**:* Flexibility in using different robotic systems. - *12:54**-**13:33**:* Intro to Mark and his focus on robotics. *Technical Specifications* - *13:39**-**14:04**:* Incremental metal forming explained. - *14:16**-**14:23**:* Safety measures. - *14:30**-**15:12**:* Feedback and control systems in robots. *Challenges and Calibration* - *15:19**-**15:31**:* Support robot’s role in forming. - *16:03**-**16:29**:* Naming the robots. - *16:42**-**17:17**:* Control system complexities. - *17:22**-**18:11**:* Calibration challenges. *Advanced Techniques and Future Plans* - *18:23**-**20:28**:* End effectors and variable boundary conditions. - *20:40**-**21:28**:* Software stack and iterative forming. - *21:34**-**21:46**:* Testing methods. *Material Specifics* - *57:01**-**58:09**:* Material differences and requirements. - *58:18**-**1:00:15**:* Working with various metals and assembly room features. *Theoretical Aspects and Conclusions* - *1:02:12**-**1:03:48**:* Stiffness and design spaces. - *1:04:43**-**1:07:22**:* Material flow and metalwork characterization. *Benchmarking and Advantages* - *1:08:57**-**1:09:15**:* Hydroforming comparison. - *1:09:20**-**1:10:40**:* Faster prototyping and case study. - *1:10:46**-**1:11:07**:* Wall angle and material thickness relationship. *Positive Learnings:* 1. *[**00:10:30**] Software-Centric Approach:* The importance of software in enabling complex manufacturing, along with the ability to iterate rapidly based on scan data, gives Robo forming a technological edge. 2. *[**00:13:50**] Complex Geometries:* Robo forming allows for complex geometries that are difficult or impossible with traditional manufacturing methods. 3. *[**00:19:45**] Low-Volume Production:* Advantages in low-volume scenarios where the cost of creating molds would be prohibitive. 4. *[**00:21:00**] Empirical Learning:* Importance of gathering empirical data for model updates and iterative learning, bypassing the need for extensive theoretical calculations. 5. *[**00:24:15**] Material Flexibility:* Can work with a variety of materials like aluminum, galvanized steel, and even titanium. 6. *[**00:27:00**] Multi-Robot Collaboration:* Utilizing two robots provides more accurate deformation, with one offering support while the other pushes the material. 7. *[**00:30:00**] Quick Prototyping:* The method can significantly reduce prototyping times, as evidenced by the example with SpaceX [01:09:20]. *Negative Learnings:* 1. *[**00:35:30**] Time-Consuming:* Compared to traditional methods like stamping, Robo forming can be slower. 2. *[**00:38:00**] Complex Setup:* The use of seven axes and the complexity of robot setup can create barriers to entry. 3. *[**00:41:15**] Calibration Challenges:* Accurate calibrations are difficult due to factors like robot deflection under varying loads. 4. *[**00:44:10**] Cost Considerations:* There are implicit costs involved in setting up such sophisticated systems, including strong foundational requirements. 5. *[**00:47:20**] Material Constraints:* Different materials like titanium require special attention due to their unique forming rates and forces. 6. *[**00:49:40**] Hardware Limits:* Robots can only exert a limited amount of force, potentially restricting the thickness of materials used. 7. *[**00:52:30**] Need for Empirical Data:* Lack of purely theoretical models necessitates a data-driven approach, which requires its own set of resources.

“Deformed areas become magnetic” Love it!! So much new tech can come from this. True micro to macro scale affects with simple deformation and removal of heat in the process.

As an artist and trained mechanical engineer that has been shaping metal and thinking about this for years, I am blown away. The level of shear technical proficiency in so many areas is frankly awe inspiring.. Would love to work with these guys on a project sometime..

I think Destin said the exact same words I'm thinking: "I'm in love with this place" :D I love the people's enthusiasm, seems like a fun place to work, plus the tech is amazing. I'd never heard of this type of manufacturing, and I'm blown away n.n

I've got a degree in CompSci and their software sounds so cool. I'd love to be able to work on such a dynamic system like that. Sounds fun!

I didn't know that and I've been around stainless steel before. Austenitic steel is normally non-ferromagnetic and they are changing the internal structure through working the material. Very interesting indeed. I can see why "Smarter Everyday" would say his mind is blown away. There are so many possibilities once this process gets perfected. Imagine one day a desk top model for forming small metal parts for home use.

Love how Dustin finds these people who are passionate about what they do and love the learning and educational process. I love learning about something I will never use or need, but they make learning interesting and fun and exciting. Love the excitement you put into these well throughout videos

I loved the way the guys talked about the process without saying "oh, that's a secret we can't tell you." They were very forthcoming about the process and how it all worked. Will they ever be able to speed up to the speeds needed for mass production? A fantastic video, thank you for making it.

I've learned to watch the long one first. Then I watch the more edited version by skipping forward in skips of 30 seconds or so to listen to anything you insert in between edits. I sure enjoy these!

This gives me "how it's made " vibes and I love it.

I’ve been in machining, fabrication , and welding for my entire career. Watching this makes me so excited for the future of metalworking. Truly an amazing place that’s making huge strides with metal in todays world of composites. Thanks so much for this Destin. I love this series so much

Machina Labs thanks for reaching out to Destin. This was very interesting. Having been a machinist I found this fascinating. If I had more money than I knew what to do with. I would want a 5 ft. aluminum sailboat hull and make it radio controlled. I wish you and your company the best and you expand and grow fast. Thanks Destin for the video.

This was phenomenal! I salute and admire the openness with which Ed, Babak and co. are sharing their knowhow and ambitions !

By far the most generous, fascinating discussion and shares. 🤩 Thank you for this!! Highlight "education and not the paper." Someone said "Guaranteed excitement."☺

40yr experience aerospace engineer here... completely blown away by this process, the number of variables and the total parametric possibilities of both part and the tooling. What is really impressive is the machine learning to adjust code for the next part, and think that actually means the very next adjacent part on the same stock sheet!!! I am a dinosaur; time to roll over me thinks!! BTW, great channel!!

Awesome. I've been involved with machining, designing, building, and installing industry equipment for the woodwork industry for 35 years. One company I worked for in the mid-90s tried to interlude robotics to the woodworking guys. We already sold CNC Routers, and I already knew how to program CNCs, then was fortunate to get involved with the robotics. We were on the cutting edge back in those days. At least, that's what we thought. Seeing how far robotics has advanced today is absolutely mind-blowing. Your content is most times over my head, but right in my wheelhouse. I'm never bored and always feel like my brain is left starving for more, and I can't wait to see what your next video will bring. Thanks for sharing all your content.

I bet SpaceX is a frequent client of theirs. What an amazing niche. Fantastic!😊

Thanks to all involved, I am at a loss for words as to how much I enjoyed this.

This has blown my mind. I think I understood half of what they said in this video haha. I loved every minute of both of your videos on this and thank everyone involved. We need more people like these in this world. Genius'

Man...this video was a big surprise. I thought the manufacturing series will be a repeat of the stuff from college, but nobody in colledge mentioned roboforming as a possibility. This was amazing. Thanks!

My mind is completely blown. Nearly 2 hour video? Yes please! Can we go for 4? Destin, thank you so much. Thanks for including Ed's educational path and advice at the end as well. I can't wait to show this to my kids.

this is why youtube exists. Every new point casually brought up blew my mind, some serious work been done by these guys

Some of your best work Destin, Thanks for showing manufacturing strengths in the USA.

This so what I love to watch. Get down to the geek level. Thank you. Keep sending the long versions.

Love that they feel comfortable sharing so much, early movers with confidence in their team, tech, velocity

Kudos to Mehr and the other boss man for allowing Dustin to interact with the worker. Learned alot @ 36:31 reminds me of a quick disconnect with the tool swapping the bits and the bearings locking Into place. Pretty cool about the magnetism

This is raw learning. If it is difficult, let it be difficult. It's a dense subject that combines robotics and science of materials. It MUST be complicated and technical. Smarter Every day 2 IS for those who can work around a video that shows all the harsh parts of the subject. This is more of a specialist channel.

I work on machine learning, and I typically use "heauristic algorithm" (or heuristic model) to describe an algorithm which was sort of arrived at manually, perhaps by taking a scientific model and applying that, and then maybe by manually tweaking it until it is working the way you want more or less. I would use it in contrast to a machine learning algorithm where you have mathematically optimized on some criteria

Love to see the CEO and workers taking time to do this, and working together to explain everything to you

Optimizing the arm positioning for stiffness in a desired direction???? Are you kidding me, that's AWESOME

Another channel I follow, Retropower, does a lot of hand-forming of metal for custom car fabrication using English wheel and other tools, and they talk about how it's often a 2 steps forward, 1 step backward process as you stretch and then relax the metal. Interesting to see how the same challenges still apply here, just being solved in a slightly different way 😁. Great stuff!

As a guy that does this type of complex sheet metal work, this stuff is fascinating. I wish they had a facility closer to where I live, because I would LOVE to work on this stuff with them.

I don't understand the technical stuff but I love the passion and artistry and innovation. The face! The fun names for the robots! Thank you for finding, sharing and being generous, brilliant, playful, serious men.

Man, the software for these robots sound so incredibly complex, what they can do now is already an insane achievement, but they're just getting started! This video blew my mind multiple times! Also, the statement at the end is so incredible. The fact they can manufacture more quickly than computers can simulate (which would still have to be tested in the real world) is so insane. Can't wait what the future of manufacturing holds. Between this, 3D (metal) printing, and computer optimized/ designed from scratch parts, the future will be insane

I'm reminded of an article I read in the last year or so explaining how analogue computers built for very specific functions can be many orders of magnitude faster and more accurate at the calculation they do than general digital computers - PCs, ASICs, HPC, etc. - can be. It was Ed near the end explaining that they can reach an optimal design empirically faster than digital simulation can that did it. I realized that their entire process could be thought of an "analog simulator" converging very rapidly on a solution. Bloody fascinating. Destin, this sort of content (and your charm and intelligence, of course ;-) is why you and your channel are one of the only two I support through Patreon.

As the material can essentially be thinned in a controllable fashion it would be cool for one of the "test prints" ,like the benchy equivalent discussed, to be a tuned steel pan drum. Very nice process that I'm sure there will be plenty more exploration in. Can see a shift away from industrial robots to a more custom, cheaper set up that distributes the loads in a more efficient way.

How many sheets could a sheet shaper shape if a sheet shaper could shape sheets? Excellent episode! It is fun seeing engineering in action.

That really is insane that forming the part is faster than simulating the part. Mind blown!!!

Insane, forming these parts, is faster than computational modeling them. Keep up the great work.

Wow so much content. I found it hard to follow not being an engineer but I appreciated their excitement. I remember feeling that way at the start of my career.

These guys are all really really smart. The precision and all the things that are catered for to get the most accurate part is astounding.

This is so COOL! I finally have a channel that I can totally geek out on, with the in-depth info that is missing on many "techy" channels. Thank you for this.

Its hard to express just how cool this video is. Thank you.

I promised myself I wasn't going to cry. This was even more fascinating than the shorter main channel video. I'll end my comments because I never thought of a way to clean up a joke involving swashbuckling. That is all.

This was so incredibly interesting, I'm so happy these guys reached out to you. They are some every smart people.

This stuff, talking about the wider applications and possibilities... oh boy... some extremely exciting stuff!

Time-lapse of their creations would be GREAT!

"Mehr" means "more" in German. Really fitting for this man who always wants to find out more. Amazing guys :)

Fascinating! I retired as a manufacturing engineer in 2002. I love this process! It's something that we wouldn't have thought could have found an economy of scale in which it made sense. Very cool!

This is all so cool. Robotic craftsmen in the works, super impressive and interesting.

Absolutely awesome video, my mind felt privileged to be exposed to such high level engineering brains and talent! Loved every minute of it!!!

commenting on the needle and not thrustbearing in the end effector: If i understand the forming process correctly the round, coated, tool at the end is not in pure axial thrust. Its in a load acting in combination of axial and bending on the axis as c beam, but all the way around. Thus the tool mount must take the moment, meaning radial force on the bearing, therefore radially strong needle bearings are used.

destin has good editing - we had 80% of this from the main video but in 1/3rd the time, I should trust the main channel

My mind is just absolutely blown. This is what a true conversation between smart people is truly like. I have learned and have become smarter.

This was a superb exploration of the possibilities in the future, "My brain is on fire!" was exactly the way I felt. An entire airframe engineered of parts that get rid of factors that require over engineering in some areas just to allow the whole to function. I also watched the 1st video and came over and watched all the 2nd channel video. It's just that I'm now scared... I bought one of your baseballs, bought a cube and block to display it... are you gonna have them make some small airfoils out of titanium and how much will they cost? !!! 🚀LOL Great episode Professor!

its criminal how this channel is not called smarter every other day

Simply amazing how humble and smart these people are... someone said, if you can't, simply explain it you haven't thought about it enough. Something like that. One of your best, interesting videos. Thanks....

A metal press can have moving parts in the die which would allow for overhangs. I guess roboforming has more control over resulting workpiece properties but it’s also slower, similar to 3d printing vs casting / injection molding

This is one of the best episodes I've seen on this channel , I have hand formed aluminum body panels so it really made sense

What an exciting video! When it comes to stuff like this I'm dumb as a brick but just watching and listening to the explanations and seeing the process in action makes for a truly wonderful experience! I may not be smarter but I'm more informed and richer for having seen this. Thank you!

I saw this process being done in Scotland 10 years ago approx in a research facility together with a group of engineers and metallurgists, they asked a lot of questions ( but got minimal information back at that time , this is great to see and get the detailed responses )

dustin has to be super smart, i couldn't control all those actions at the same time and have an in depth conversation about complex problems.

Yep, This is the real Smarter every day experience. I love this channel destin, keep it up. TY

randomly got tthe smarter every day cahnnel suggested on my home page. i know nothing about this kind of stuff, but i love love seeing and staying up to date on the latest tech in any industry, most i dont and will never understand, but i can get the gist of it, especially the way these guys explained it and the great questions you asked. love that guys like you make videos like this!

I’m an ME and a technologist / Innovation Specialist with a focus in Robotics, AI and additive manufacturing and my mind exploded several times with the possibilities I saw in this video. Oh man!

Really loved this episode and this long form format.

My mind has officially been blown, twice. Thanks for this series.

Awesome video Destin and the guys from Machina Labs are awesome too! The whole process is so mindbogglingly complex but super fascinating at the same time. Thanks for making this video.

Woah woah wait; magnetic properties in the metal based on how you work it?Does this mean you could "draw" circuits into the structural metal? 🤯

Great video! Watched both and I'm completely Stund about that topic. Thanks for providing this video about that technology 🙌🏼.

The deforming stainless to make it magnetic is something I use to tell the difference between 304 and 316 bar stock for scrap bin machining. It is much harder to deform 316 enough to make it magnetic, whereas 304 is pretty easy. So the test is take a corner, whack it with a hammer then check with a magnet.

This is so beautiful 🤯🤯😍😍 loving these unfiltered videos!

Fascinating! Thank you Machina Labs and Destin! This is awesome

I went to check it on my kitchen sink, and it's indeed varies in magnetism based on the surface!!!

What an amazing process. I'm blow away at how many factors are accounted for in the forming process to get a correct part.

This was incredible. Knowledge transfer at its finest.

All I can say is: engineering is beautiful 😍 there's never a dull video here, thanks Dustin 🙇‍♂

The halfway magnet thing is awesome

Awesome walk-through of this awesome manufacturing idea! What great, smart, fun guys! :D

Just a recommendation, but I would put the 2nd channel bit at the beginning of your videos. I love these full "un-edited" where you dive deep into the conversation more and don't want to rewatch what I already did xD Always love your videos and glad I finally came across your second channel!

I'm an automation engineer student, thinking doing things like this will be my future really makes me excited, thanks Dustin for making this video

Those guys are amazing. Really like there thought process. Thanks for the video, always a pleasure.

I’m a second year Mechanical Engineering student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and seeing this stuff is incredible. Can’t wait to see where I can take my degree!

Wow. Just wow. I’m so impressed and in awe for how open and excited these guys are about the process. Thank you @smartereveryday2 for sharing these deep dives into awesomeness.

Such a cool video, love the long form.