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Distributed manufacturing
Advanced manufacturing, digital fabrication, 3D scanning, and qualified technical data, organized so production can live near the operator as well as at a central plant.
Capability platform · In development
FORGEGRID: manufacture at the point of need
A distributed manufacturing capability Lone Cowry is developing so operators can turn approved digital manufacturing data into inspectable parts where the work happens, not only where the warehouse sits.
What it is
Manufacturing as a capability, not a print shop
FORGEGRID is how we talk about a named stack: engineering HQ, a controlled digital parts vault, deployable production cells, field systems, and an unmanned-systems fabrication path that is still being developed. Critical low-volume parts should be manufacturable from qualified data at the point of need.
Workflow
How the workflow runs
A repeatable loop from the missing part to an inspected asset back in service.
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Identify
Name the part, the platform it belongs to, and the authority that governs repair or replacement.
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Retrieve or scan
Pull an approved technical data package from the vault, or capture geometry and context with controlled scanning when data does not yet exist.
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Validate
Confirm materials, process parameters, revision, and authorized use before any build starts.
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Manufacture
Produce on additive, subtractive, or hybrid equipment inside a Core, Cell, or Edge configuration matched to the site.
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Inspect
Check the part against the inspection data that travels with the manufacturing package.
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Deploy
Return the asset to service, or release a field-built system once configuration and validation are complete.
Capability areas
Where FORGEGRID is meant to work
Aligned with how defense and maritime operators are moving manufacturing closer to the point of need, and useful anywhere a low-volume part becomes a readiness problem.
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Legacy and obsolescence engineering
Reverse engineer worn or discontinued components, rebuild the manufacturing data, and keep critical systems operational when the original supply chain has gone quiet.
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Expeditionary production cells
Deployable production units sized for bases, ships, and remote sites. The cell is the manufacturing floor that travels with the mission.
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Tooling, jigs, and fixtures
Custom shop aids produced on demand so maintainers are not waiting on a catalog item that was never stocked for their bay.
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Unmanned systems manufacturing
A path we are developing to build, configure, validate, and deploy unmanned systems from a cell. Treat this as aspirational until fielded configurations are ready.
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Digital Parts Vault
A controlled repository of manufacturing data: CAD and technical data packages, material specs, process parameters, inspection data, revision control, and authorized use. Digital inventory sits beside physical stock for the parts that matter most.
Product family
Commercial names in the FORGEGRID line
Five named configurations. Status across the line is in development.
In development
FORGEGRID Core
Engineering and manufacturing HQ. Where packages are authored, qualified, and released into the vault.
In development
FORGEGRID Vault
Controlled digital parts and technical data package repository. Secure, revisioned, and scoped to authorized use.
In development
FORGEGRID Cell
Deployable production unit. Containerized or site-installed manufacturing capacity for bases and forward locations.
In development
FORGEGRID Edge
Field manufacturing system. Smaller footprint for trucks, ships, and constrained sites that still need to produce.
In development
FORGEGRID Air
UAS fabrication and deployment capability. Being developed as an extension of the Cell path into unmanned systems.
Architecture
How the pieces connect
Design centrally. Manufacture locally. Keep inspection in the loop.
HQ / Vault
Author and store approved manufacturing data
Secure transmission
Controlled delivery to authorized sites
Cell / Edge / ship
Produce at the point of need
Inspect
Match the package inspection data
Asset
Return to service or deploy
Autonomous extension under development: Cell → manufacture UAS → configure → validate → deploy.
Applications
Who it is for
Operators who cannot wait out a long supply queue for a low-volume part, and organizations that want digital inventories of approved manufacturing data next to physical stock.
- Defense and maritime sustainment teams moving production closer to ships, bases, and forward sites
- Aviation and ground-fleet maintainers who need on-demand components and tooling
- Industrial and energy operators with aging assets and thin OEM support for discontinued parts
- Programs that need contractually scoped manufacturing rights, not a one-off machine purchase
Sustainment
Customer-controlled sustainment
FORGEGRID is built around rights the customer already has or negotiates: manufacturing rights scoped in contract, technical data packages, and repair provisions. It is not a blanket IP giveaway, and it is not a promise of unrestricted right-to-repair for every customer or every part.
The requirement is clear authority. If the package is approved for a given use, the site that holds that authority should be able to manufacture, inspect, and return the asset without inventing a new supply chain from scratch.
Next step
Design centrally. Manufacture locally.
If you are scoping point-of-need manufacturing, a digital parts vault, or a deployable cell, we can walk through what FORGEGRID is being built to cover and what is still in development.
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