Machina Labs, a provider of advanced manufacturing and robotics, unveiled next-generation methods for producing automotive body panels and accessories, enabling automakers to offer customized vehicles at mass-production prices. The announcement was made Wednesday at UP.Summit, accompanied by a pilot project with Toyota Motor North America and a strategic investment from Woven Capital, Toyota’s growth-stage venture arm.
The pilot applies Machina Labs’ RoboForming technology to automotive body panels, targeting low-volume production while maintaining automotive-grade quality and throughput. The move comes as demand for vehicle customization grows, with the U.S. automotive customization and accessories market alone valued at $2.4 billion in 2024 for trucks. Traditional high-volume manufacturing often overlooks opportunities for tailored production, leaving a gap that Machina’s technology aims to fill.
“Traditional production tools are often massive, comparable in size to a small car and weighing over 20 tons,” said Ed Mehr, Co-Founder and CEO of Machina Labs. “With our solution, the need for dedicated tooling per model variation is eliminated. That means lower project capital, reduced storage requirements for past models, and faster production changeovers.”
RoboForming, part of Machina Labs’ AI-driven RoboCraftsman platform, uses incremental sheet forming to deliver highly customized panels from sheet metal at scale, quality, and speed unmatched by conventional processes. By enabling low-volume, on-demand production near assembly lines, the technology reduces the need for separate storage, repackaging, and dedicated assembly lanes for custom parts. This allows dynamic batching and broadcast-driven manufacturing without disrupting existing production flows.
Zach Choate, General Manager of Production Engineering and Core Engineering Manufacturing at Toyota Motor North America, emphasized the consumer impact: “We envision a future where customization is available for every Toyota driver. The ability to deliver a bespoke product into the hands of our customers is the type of innovation we are excited about.”
George Kellerman, Founding Managing Director at Woven Capital, noted the broader industry significance: “AI-powered manufacturing is transforming how products are designed and produced at scale. Customers increasingly demand personalized products, while engineers need faster, more cost-effective paths from concept to production without the constraints of traditional supply chains. We’re excited to team up with Machina Labs to accelerate innovations that advance the future of manufacturing.”
Machina Labs’ announcement highlights a potential shift in automotive manufacturing.
