1872 opened its Factory One site in Cincinnati on July 22, launching a prototype plant that aims to automate most steel fabrication for infrastructure components by 2027.
Three former SpaceX engineers are starting with steel skids—rectangular frames used under modular buildings—to serve developers of AI data centers and small modular nuclear reactors.
CEO Dan Summers said the company is building toward autonomy pragmatically, with 80% automated operations a possible stopping point if full automation offers diminishing returns.
320,500 new welding professionals will be needed in the US by 2029, according to the American Welding Society, as retirements and rising demand strain labor supply.
That shortage is becoming more acute as the US pushes to build data centers, chip fabs, auto plants and shipyards while tighter immigration restrictions narrow hiring options.