Rosotics is planning a major expansion at Falcon Field Airport in Mesa where it intends to create a manufacturing, research and development campus for its heavy metal 3D printing system that will hit the market later this year.
The Mesa-based startup has inked a lease for nearly 130,000 square feet in two hangars in the northwest section of Falcon Field, the company announced at a launch event Friday. The company previously occupied 15,800 square feet of space in a hangar at the airport.
In addition to research and development operations at Falcon Field, Rosotics will test, assemble and manufacture the Mantis, a portable 3D printing machine with arms that unfold and stretch, allowing for large prints of aerospace-grade aluminum and steel.
“This is a machine that is designed to make it possible for any parts larger than a refrigerator to be built by 3D printing,” Rosotics founder and CEO Christian LaRosa said, referring to the Mantis. "Initially, our market is aerospace and that's for a very important reason. Aerospace is held to arguably the highest performance standard in metallurgy in the U.S. This machine is designed to meet that standard.”
The Mantis leverages rapid induction printing that uses fewer material resources and is more energy efficient than typical 3D printing methods, while providing capability for larger prints that previously weren't possible for the aerospace, construction, marine and energy industries, LaRosa said.
“This machine is designed to make it easy to print something as large as a rocket structure, a tank or an interstage of a launch vehicle,” he said.
The Mantis base model produces aerospace-grade aluminum and steel prints ranging from 5 to 30 feet in diameter and more than 20 feet in height. The machines, however, can be built to suit customers’ needs. The Mantis plugs into a 240 volt outlet typically installed in warehouses, LaRosa said.
At its Falcon Field headquarters, Rosotics will test the machine’s limits to learn how fast it can print as well as how much stress the 3D printed material can withstand, LaRosa said.
There’s also potential for Rosotics to assemble parts at Falcon Field for delivery to customers upon request, LaRosa said.
"If they want, a fuselage section could be built here, loaded onto a truck and delivered. That could also be done," LaRosa said. "The expansion at Falcon Field is instrumental in that."
Rosotics among Mesa's growing aerospace community
Rosotics, founded by LaRosa and Austin Thurman in 2019, has seven employees.
The company in November raised $750,000 in a seed funding round led by Draper Associates — an early-stage venture capital firm based in San Mateo, California — with participation from Correlation Ventures, Vibe Capital and Sequoia Capital.
Rosotics expects to launch the Mantis in October at an initial price of $95,000 with plans to offer monthly subscriptions that includes ongoing support, upgrades and maintenance.
The company operates a hardware-as-a-service business model, meaning as technology evolves, customers can take advantage of its latest developments.
Rosotics has been in discussions with several aerospace and helicopter companies about the Mantis and is in the process of booking deliveries for later in the year, LaRosa said.
The company, which AZ Inno recently named a '2023 Startup to Watch,' is eager to expand in Mesa's growing aerospace community.
“Boeing is right across the street from us and Virgin Galactic’s next-generation vehicle is going to be built in the city of Mesa," LaRosa said. "It’s just wonderful to be surrounded by a community of aerospace innovation.”
