“There are three kinds of leaders. Those that tell you what to do. Those that allow you to do what you want. And Lean leaders that come down to the work and help you figure it out.”
– John Shook, author of Managing to Learn and other manufacturing books
This is a published version of the AMT Tech Report newsletter. You can sign up to get the Tech Report in your inbox here.
1. Mazak’s Neo Machines Get Their Glow-Up
Mazak dropped its new Integrex j-200 Neo and j-200S Neo multitasking machines at EMO 2025, dialing up speed, accuracy, and efficiency for high-mix, low-volume shops. A compact 18.5 kW milling spindle packs more power into less space, while new thermal compensation and smarter hydraulics cut energy use by 10%. Toss in smoother controls, remote programming, and easy robot integration, and Mazak’s “Done-in-One” mantra just got a sharp new edge.
2. Additive Goes Ballistic
Materials Resources LLC (MRL) just landed $25.2 million from the U.S. Department of War to modernize solid rocket motor manufacturing. The Ohio-based company will utilize the funds to demonstrate an agile additive manufacturing process for producing metal solid rocket motor cases, cutting lead times, and boosting flexibility. MRL’s smart, robot-implemented manufacturing cells promise faster turnarounds and easier material changes, providing a modular 3D-printing force multiplier for the defense supply chain.
3. AI Mines Its Own Business
Aerobotics7’s Eagle A7 drone uses radar, LiDAR, and AI to spot landmines buried up to three meters deep and is 600 times faster than traditional methods with 96% accuracy. Founder Harsh Zala’s multimodel AI can even adapt to new explosive types on the fly. The tech runs on modular sensors, works across air, ground, and sea platforms, and aims to make demining safer, faster, and maybe one day, obsolete. Not bad for a drone that’s literally in the business of saving lives.
4. FANUC Gets Smart (and Secure)
At EMO Hannover 2025, FANUC rolled out its R-50iA robot controller, the first in the world with built-in cybersecurity. The new controller pairs digital defense with smarter motion control and lower energy use, showing that Japan’s automation giant still knows how to push both speed and safety. Alongside it came the FS500i-A CNC and new heavy-lifters, rounding out FANUC’s pitch for a future where robots think faster, move cleaner, and stay locked down tight.
5. Bots, Busts, and Billion-Dollar Bets
September was a mixed bag for robotics: startups folded, humanoid firms got richer, and AI crept further into automation. UBTECH scored $1-billion to mass-produce humanoids, while Figure AI’s valuation hit $39-billion. AWS axed RoboMaker, Rethink Robotics closed (again), and drone maker Guardian Agriculture went dark. Meanwhile, OpenMind dropped an open-source robot OS and DeepMind worked on multi-robot planning. Progress, consolidation, repeat.
To get the latest tech developments delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to the weekly Tech Report here.
To hear the latest in additive manufacturing, material removal, automation, and digital manufacturing, subscribe to the AMT Tech Trends podcast here.
