Sharrow Engineering has teamed up with Ford Motor Firm’s Superior Industrial Expertise & Platforms crew to scale manufacturing of its patented Sharrow Propeller utilizing 3D sand-casting, slashing manufacturing timelines from as many as 130 days below conventional funding casting to roughly two weeks. The collaboration, introduced April 9, 2026, was brokered by means of Michigan Central, Detroit’s 30-acre mobility and know-how hub.
The 2 firms spent 9 months adapting Sharrow’s precision-engineered propeller designs to a 3D-printed sand-casting course of, refining and validating it for high-volume output. Ford additionally labored instantly with regional foundries to convey the brand new casting strategy on-line, pairing its manufacturing experience with the foundries’ metallurgical data.
“Ford has been at the forefront of 3D sand-casting for greater than 20 years, and it’s rewarding to make use of that experience to assist one other Michigan firm scale so rapidly,” mentioned Dan Michalski, additive manufacturing operations supervisor at Ford. “That is about extra than simply propellers — it’s about making industrial innovation obtainable to clients like Sharrow to allow them to compete on a worldwide stage.”
Greg Sharrow, Founder and CEO of Sharrow Engineering and Sharrow Marine, mentioned manufacturing velocity had been the corporate’s greatest impediment for the reason that propeller launched in 2020. “What used to take a complete boating season to provide can now be made in only a few weeks,” he mentioned. “That’s a strong instance of what can occur when firms like Ford assist convey breakthrough applied sciences to industrial scale.”
Carolina Pluszczynski, Performing CEO of Michigan Central, credited the broader assist construction for making the collaboration attainable. “They’ve leveraged the prototyping labs right here, discovered expertise to develop their crew, and expanded their footprint,” she mentioned of Sharrow. “And now, by connecting them with the Ford superior manufacturing crew, Sharrow has drastically accelerated its manufacturing processes, turning innovation into tangible influence.”
Since its 2020 launch, the Sharrow Propeller has attracted clients amongst leisure boaters, industrial operators, and authorities companies. The corporate claims its design delivers as much as 30% higher gasoline effectivity and as much as 80% noise discount in comparison with standard propellers. Sharrow holds over 200 patents worldwide and has drawn curiosity for potential functions in drones, superior air mobility, industrial followers, pumps, and renewable power programs.
The manufacturing breakthrough coincides with Sharrow’s fourth facility enlargement in 5 years, transferring right into a 60,000-square-foot house in Harper Woods, Michigan.
Supply: sharrowmarine.com
