Agility Forge Integrates Machining and Finishing in a Single, Efficient Platform
Outcome/Accomplishment
A manufacturing system that combines robotic blacksmithing with traditional forging to quickly and efficiently create custom metal parts emerged from research by Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing–Moving from Evolution to Revolution (NSF HAMMER), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) headquartered at The Ohio State University.
Impact/Benefits
The system, called Agility Forge, integrates machining and finishing operations within a single, efficient platform, streamlining the manufacturing process and enabling the rapid production of high-quality parts with minimal material waste.
Explanation/Background
Unlike conventional methods such as subtractive machining (cutting material away) or additive manufacturing (building layer by layer), Agility Forge employs metamorphic manufacturing, or robotic blacksmithing. This process deforms metals into precise shapes by applying controlled forces, allowing for rapid production of high-quality parts with minimal material waste.
Tormach Corp., which provided key components for the Agility Forge, featured the system in a promotional video, and says Agility Forge is set to redefine what’s possible in metalworking. The Defense Department has expressed significant interest in Agility Forge, and an Army demonstration facility in Hawaii plans to showcase the forge’s prototype.
Location
Columbus, Ohiowebsite
Start Year
Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced Manufacturing
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Outcome/Accomplishment
A manufacturing system that combines robotic blacksmithing with traditional forging to quickly and efficiently create custom metal parts emerged from research by Hybrid Autonomous Manufacturing–Moving from Evolution to Revolution (NSF HAMMER), an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center (ERC) headquartered at The Ohio State University.
Location
Columbus, Ohiowebsite
Start Year
Advanced Manufacturing
Advanced Manufacturing
Lead Institution
Core Partners
Fact Sheet
Impact/benefits
The system, called Agility Forge, integrates machining and finishing operations within a single, efficient platform, streamlining the manufacturing process and enabling the rapid production of high-quality parts with minimal material waste.
Explanation/Background
Unlike conventional methods such as subtractive machining (cutting material away) or additive manufacturing (building layer by layer), Agility Forge employs metamorphic manufacturing, or robotic blacksmithing. This process deforms metals into precise shapes by applying controlled forces, allowing for rapid production of high-quality parts with minimal material waste.
Tormach Corp., which provided key components for the Agility Forge, featured the system in a promotional video, and says Agility Forge is set to redefine what’s possible in metalworking. The Defense Department has expressed significant interest in Agility Forge, and an Army demonstration facility in Hawaii plans to showcase the forge’s prototype.