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The brand new manufacturing line doubles the manufacturing capabilities of the corporate. | Credit score: Scythe

Scythe Robotics, a Colo.-based firm creating autonomous lawnmowers for business landscapers, this week opened its expanded headquarters and manufacturing facility in Boulder County. It mentioned the growth is available in response to the demand for its Scythe M.52 – the corporate’s all-electric, absolutely autonomous business mower that it mentioned has a waitlist 1000’s of models lengthy.

Greater than double the dimensions of the unique area, the 28,000-square-foot facility indicators the corporate’s continued development. It’s going to construct and deploy greater than 100 mowers within the coming months, it mentioned, ramping manufacturing to eight models per week. Elevated manufacturing volumes are projected within the second half of the 12 months when Scythe debuts the following era of M.52.

To accommodate its 80 workers, 60 of whom are based mostly in Colorado, the bigger headquarters additionally offers ample workplace and assembly areas that can assist elevated firm exercise and forecasted headcount development.

The M.52 autonomous mower is Scythe’s flagship product. | Credit score: Scythe

“The opening of our state-of-the-art robotics facility accelerates our capability to ship high-quality, game-changing machines to our prospects for the upcoming mowing season,” mentioned Jack Morrison, co-founder and CEO of Scythe. “We’re proud that our development is producing significant job alternatives inside Colorado’s burgeoning cleantech sector and advancing our state’s tradition of collaboration and creativity. Boulder County’s various expertise pool and provoking panorama make it the best place for Scythe to innovate and cleared the path in robotics.”

Scythe mentioned the strategic location in Longmont presents proximity to esteemed universities, a vibrant and increasing robotics neighborhood, and the attract of Colorado’s out of doors way of life. With particular recognition from the State of Colorado and the Metropolis of Longmont, Scythe will proceed to create high-quality jobs in Boulder County for people throughout a variety of expertise and backgrounds.

“Colorado is main the nation within the industries of tomorrow, and we’re thrilled to see Scythe Robotics broaden in Colorado, creating 394 good-paying jobs and serving to to pioneer the way forward for robotics. Colorado’s extremely educated workforce, pro-business setting, and dedication to innovation make us the perfect place to dwell, work, and do enterprise,” mentioned Governor Polis.

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“Colorado ranks fifth within the nation as a cleantech hub, and corporations like Scythe Robotics play an vital function in advancing this key trade,” added OEDIT govt director Eve Lieberman. “We’re happy to see the corporate broaden in Longmont, creating new good-paying jobs whereas contributing to our state’s ongoing management in cleantech.”

Scythe will likely be talking on the Robotics Summit & Expo, the world’s main occasion for business robotics builders, that takes place Might 1-2 in Boston. Nathaniel Czarnecki, Scythe’s lead take a look at engineer, will likely be speaking about how the corporate is “Constructing a Scalable Testing Program to Drive Robotic Reliability.” Czarnecki will share the corporate’s philosophy behind and framework for constructing extremely efficient robotics testing packages that may develop in scope and influence with out changing into burdensome to the enterprise. This includes prioritizing which aspects of the product want probably the most in-depth testing, figuring out significant metrics to measure them by, and utilizing the findings to quickly iterate on and enhance the product – all with sometimes restricted sources and an eye fixed towards severely expanded testing operations.

Redesigned and optimized manufacturing workflow

Within the design of the manufacturing line, Scythe carried out a unidirectional motion system that it mentioned empowers the manufacturing group to observe progress visually, decrease waste, and function at peak effectivity. This ensures that every M.52 robotic meets stringent high quality requirements and supply schedules.

The upgraded warehouse and manufacturing line additionally function elevating platforms, agile cranes, and devoted meeting stations. These additions prioritize the consolation and productiveness of Scythe’s meeting technicians, it mentioned, lowering the effort and time expended within the meeting of a fancy machine.

The corporate lately adopted the ‘Tesla charging commonplace’ for its mowers. By standardizing on this charging interface, a mower may be recharged shortly within the subject from any Tesla Supercharger.

“Guaranteeing a top quality product that’s delivered in a well timed method hinges on our capability to proactively optimize workflows all through the manufacturing course of,” mentioned Kip Atkinson, senior manufacturing engineer at Scythe. “Via the adoption of lean manufacturing rules, we swiftly pinpoint and rectify any manufacturing or testing errors earlier than the mower leaves our facility. Our rigorous standards in the course of the manufacturing course of assure that our prospects obtain machines of the utmost security and reliability, persistently delivering superior outcomes.”

Scythe CEO Jack Morrison provides a toast on the manufacturing line launch get together. | Credit score: Scythe