PITTSBURGH — At Hellbender, an advanced manufacturing company tucked into Pittsburgh’s growing robotics ecosystem, AI is being woven into nearly every stage of the business, from designing products and programming robots to inspecting quality on the factory floor and helping engineers navigate global supply chain disruptions.

“We’re a physical AI design, manufacturing, and product company,” said Brian Beyer, founder and CEO of Hellbender. “We make computer vision and robotics control components.”

Founded less than five years ago, Hellbender has grown to more than 80 employees and has shipped roughly 55,000 computer vision systems used in industries ranging from manufacturing and agriculture to infrastructure and transportation. The company designs and assembles its products in-house using robotic work cells, giving it unusual flexibility for a growing manufacturer.

From Sixteen Hours to Two 

That flexibility has become increasingly important as manufacturers navigate labor shortages, volatile supply chains, and rapidly changing customer demands. 

“We treat these AI tools as a collaborator,” Beyer said, as he illustrates how Hellbender is treating AI as a force multiplier for its team of highly skilled engineers, a philosophy that is reshaping engineering work inside the company.

Beyer describes how today, when customers request proposals for new products, engineers can describe the design requirements to AI-powered design software and generate an initial concept in about two hours.

“You’re talking about two hours and not sixteen hours,” Beyer said, reflecting on the time-intensive historical process for customer proposals with no guarantees of success. 

AI on the Factory Floor 

The savings extend beyond product design. On the manufacturing floor, AI-powered cameras inspect cable routing, verify product quality, and monitor workplace safety in real time. Robotic work cells rely on AI software to automate assembly processes, while computer vision systems help detect production issues before they become costly defects.

“We use those on the factory floor for quality assurance inspection,” Beyer said. “They’re very fast to train up.”

Supporting Supply Chain and Sales 

AI also plays an increasingly important role behind the scenes. Engineers use AI to search for replacement components when electronic parts become unavailable, a challenge that has become more common as semiconductor shortages and geopolitical tensions disrupt global supply chains.

Business development teams use AI to research potential customers, analyze patents, draft proposals, and summarize project updates, allowing employees to focus more time on strategic work.

A Competitive Edge for Small Manufacturers 

Hellbender’s approach of broad AI adoption reflects a lesson emerging across American manufacturing: companies seeing the greatest returns from AI are making skilled employees more productive.

For Hellbender, that productivity has become especially valuable as economic uncertainty grows. The company has faced fluctuating tariffs, customs delays, and supply chain disruptions that have complicated investment decisions and increased operating costs.

“We’re leaning very heavily on AI tools to get more work output from the same team,” Beyer said. “This allows us to do design pivots very quickly.”

The ability to respond rapidly has become a competitive advantage for smaller manufacturers that often lack the financial resources of larger corporations.

“We’re very fortunate in that I’ve got an excellent team of engineers,” Beyer said. “But I suspect this uncertainty has been broadly killing off a number of small businesses.”

For policymakers eager to strengthen American manufacturing, Beyer argues that technologies like AI can help smaller companies compete, but only if broader economic conditions support long-term investment.

“We shouldn’t be taxing things that are required to build a factory,” he said. “There doesn’t feel like there is a holistic strategy.”

As Washington debates industrial policy and the future of AI, companies like Hellbender offer a glimpse of AI’s most immediate impact: enabling manufacturers to move faster, adapt more quickly, and remain competitive in an increasingly complex global economy.