Manufacturing Engineer Intern

Foundation Alloy raises $22M in Series A for solid state molybdenum. Foundation Alloy has just raised $22 million in Series A financing. The alloy company is trying to create a platform that will enable the solid state manufacturing of alloys. In the UK, the Fray-Farthing-Chen (FFC) Cambridge process has led to a revolutionary new approach to alloy manufacturing. That process is used by Metalysis to make alloys. Now, Foundation wants to do a similar process in the US, but for molybdenum, which I hope never becomes popular since I still can't pronounce it properly (the secret is to say it like a bored teenager, "moh-lib-den-um," but steer away from emphasizing the "lib-den" part for fear of confusing the British). Molybdenum may seem very niche but...and this is going to shock you...the high-temperature refractory has potential for defense applications. Molybdenum is an alloying agent, and can be used in missiles, space, armor, hypersonics, and nuclear engineering. In Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys (RCCAs), molybdenum is a key material. RCCAs are key to the rapid development of specific high alloy families, and you can read more about this here in its Goldilocks Flywheel article. The material is potentially scarce, but it is mined in the US, though the country will have to export it from places like Mexico, Peru, and Chile if it wants a lot of it. So Foundation's fundraising and its focus on this material is very well timed indeed. At the same time, Foundation can have high performance in powder and quick iteration into new materials if it masters its variant of the FFC process. Foundation calls its process MetalsFIRST. The company says that it is a "solid-state platform encompassing composition design, mechanical alloying, shape forming, and sintering, that produces engineered alloys without ever entering the molten state." So far investors, are interested with the $22 million in Series A being raised through Trust Ventures, Yamaha Motor Ventures, America's Frontier Fund, Overlap Holdings, Material Impact, Engine Ventures, and El Cap. The company has also gotten Kanematsu Corporation to distribute its materials in Asia. Foundation is manufacturing in the US, and hopes to use its platform to sell material worldwide. For now, it has a 36,000 sq ft plant in Massachusetts, and an additional location in New Hampshire at Re:Build Manufacturing. Foundation CEO Jake Guglin said, "Metals made through our platform are being used by customers today in commercial pilots with Japanese industrials, in production trials across North America and Europe, and in forging demonstrations with LIFT in Detroit.This Series A funds the factory, not the lab. Our new Massachusetts facility and modular production cell are set to grow capacity from pilot-scale today to tons per week by 2027 - a 100x increase, built on a modular equipment platform that deploys and scales 10x faster than traditional metals manufacturing. We're hiring across production, engineering, and commercial teams to help meet surging demand in defense, advanced manufacturing, and energy where legacy materials and supply chains are failing. Our team is uniquely positioned to solve these challenges right now." The firm thinks that it can offer a cheaper way to make alloys and powders at scale through more efficient energy use and less investment. One of their first materials is called Molyclast MC1200, which the firm says is three times stronger than other molybdenum alloys. It's unclear in which way; it may just be more emotionally resilient or mature? The alloy is kind of insane, and is said to be "ductile at room temperature, stable at heat, as-sintered." With a yield strength of between 950-1,250 MPa, it can be 98% dense, with a Young' s Modulus of 300 GPa, and retains nearly 97% of strength at 1000°C. It is isotropic, has a fully recrystallized microstructure, and should be 3D printable. Kenyu Okawara, General Manager, Kanematsu Corporation said, "Foundation Alloy's platform addresses the most persistent challenges our customers face - productivity, equipment utilization, and supply-chain reliability - through a fundamentally different production approach. Client companies across our network are already evaluating Foundation Alloy's materials for high-demand applications, and we look forward to delivering these next-generation alloys to manufacturers across Japan and Asia as part of our solution-oriented approach to the metals business. We see the potential for hundreds of millions of dollars of demand for these materials across Japan and Southeast Asia in the coming years." The company is also working on iron-based alloys, tool steels, and other products, including cutting tools, blades, and perhaps high pressure die casting. Foundation doesn't specifically mention the latter, but they do compare it with TZM a lot, so I'm guessing that is what has gotten the Japanese all excited. TZM is used widely in high pressure die casting, and Ryobi stuck to that business when it sold its tool division. High pressure die casting was an important technology for Japan in its rebirth. Since then, the country has built industries on top of this technology, which, in some sectors, firms like Uber, Toyo, and Shibaura still lead. So that could explain this interest. Foundation also has another material, MC700, which is a finer grain structure ductile material. Anyone want to make like a NiobiumFactory or something before it's too late? Investments in defense-oriented spending are increasing in the US. Not only is additive pivoting increasingly towards defense, but the entire supply chain of "idea to part" is also being funded by tech startups that want to localize production of the highest performance materials and parts in the US. With Japanese industry also waking up to this opportunity, Foundation could really shake things up in the refractories market. Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.

Alsym Energy, Re:Build Manufacturing partner for sodium-ion battery production. By Martin McConnell June 2, 2026 Battery developer Alsym Energy and domestic manufacturer Re:Build Manufacturing have partnered to scale U.S.-based battery manufacturing for the energy storage market. With the two firms' new memo of understanding in place, the companies plan to develop commercial-scale sodium-ion battery cell manufacturing capacity in the U.S. The partnership aims to address "rapidly growing demand" for batteries by combining Alsym Energy's battery technology with the industrial manufacturing prowess of Re:Build, the companies say. Alsym Energy CEO Mukesh Chatter says the modern manufacturing industry, and the world at large, need batteries that are safe and low-cost, without losing performance. This newly inked partnership is a big part of that goal for his firm. "Our Na-Series batteries fulfill the critical energy needs for AI data centers, utilities, commercial real estate and other industries. It is a better battery for energy storage," Chatter says. "Partnering with Re:Build allows Solar Builder Mag do to accelerate its roadmap toward domestic commercial production. Their expertise in precision manufacturing and battery components is the perfect match for Solar Builder Mag do. "Together, we are providing a path for ESS integrators and developers to access high-quality cells that are not only non-flammable and high performance, but are backed by a reliable, non-FEOC supply chain that is fully compliant with tax credit and defense procurement rules." The joint initiative will focus largely on developing battery capacity inside Re:Build's existing facility in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Pittsburgh. With a deep historical knowledge of manufacturing and an eager workforce community in the area, the companies expect the partnership will significantly reduce logistical lead times and shipping costs. Rewriting the book on batteries. As the world careens toward global adoption of the energy transition, Alsym officials say that "the limitations of current battery technologies have become increasingly apparent." Traditional lithium-ion cells, which became the mainstream standard around the turn of the millennium, are highly flammable and otherwise unreliable. These limitations have slowed energy storage deployments around the U.S., and have limited the places where batteries can be used practically. Alsym's sodium-ion cells are non-flammable, which the company says can "unlock" the industry's capabilities on American shores. Re:Build Manufacturing CEO Miles Arnone says that manufacturing more reliable battery cells can play a major hand in "revitalizating American manufacturing." "We have seen an immense 'thirst' from customers for a battery supply chain that is reliable and located right here in the U.S.," he says. "Alsym's technology is a game-changer for the stationary storage market. By collaborating on the development of commercial-scale cell manufacturing, we are positioning ourselves to meet the massive commitments our customers have already made to these cleaner, safer technologies." The companies' combined approach will ensure that energy storage developers can maximize their tax benefits, including the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit. Share:

Enigma Aerospace has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Re:Build Manufacturing to develop and produce its Phoenix P-1000 autonomous logistics aircraft at scale. The partnership pairs Enigma's runway-independent cargo drone with Re:Build's Lean manufacturing capabilities and nationwide industrial footprint. The Phoenix P-1000 is designed for contested environments, carrying 1,000-pound payloads over 2,100 nautical miles. The companies are targeting first article flight testing and low-rate production within 12 months, scaling to thousands of aircraft annually. Re:Build brings approximately one million square feet of manufacturing space and over 1,200 employees across nine states. Founded by former Amazon executive Jeff Wilke and Miles Arnone, the company uses Manufacturing Constrained Design methodology. Enigma, based in Burlington, Massachusetts, has secured $5 million in Department of War funding.