Former SpaceX engineers are building a robotic factory for making steel parts
A startup called 1872, founded by former SpaceX engineers, has launched a robotic factory in Ohio to automate the production of steel parts. The company aims to address the skilled labor shortage in the US by using AI-driven software to manufacture infrastructure components.
Why it matters
This represents a shift toward industrial automation to support critical infrastructure projects like data centers and nuclear reactors amid a shrinking workforce.
Factory OS Former SpaceX engineers are building a robotic factory for making steel parts “We’re not necessarily building in a dogmatic fashion towards full autonomy.”
50 1872's Factory One building had a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 22, 2026. Credit: 1872 1872's Factory One building had a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 22, 2026. Credit: 1872 Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav Three former SpaceX engineers have switched their attention from making rocket engines to manufacturing steel parts by using AI-driven software and robots. Their immediate goal involves establishing a prototype factory that can automate most of the steel fabrication process for crucial infrastructure components by 2027.
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