Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, said the company plans to invest in Machina Labs to bring the company’s advanced manufacturing platform to its customers in national security and defense. Machina combines artificial intelligence and robotics to quickly manufacture advanced sheet metal products.

“We aim to operationalize and scale solutions with speed and effectiveness so the U.S. and our allies can stay ahead of emerging threats,” Moran said.

The investment, the total of which raised by Machina Labs now stands at $21.8 million, will help accelerate the company’s growth and expand its research and development into additional processes and metallurgical offerings. According to Machina Labs CEO Edward Mehr, the goal is to create the “factory of the future,” a place where physical products can be produced on demand and at scale.

Using robots in a creative manner to produce different designs and materials, Machina said it offers a more flexible and agile manufacturing industry. With material- and geometry-agnostic technology, the patented manufacturing platform is capable of delivering finished metal products in just days, giving its customers an unprecedented time to market and a competitive advantage.