A lot has happened already in 2026! We moved into a new facility, won an AFWERX Phase I SBIR to explore a new roll-to-roll (R2R) metamaterial manufacturing tool, and continued our partnership with Resonac toward our first commercial product, planned for 2027. We’ve also made major progress on ink-free structural-color for branding and security.
As we scale our manufacturing platform, we’re looking for a wide-format (>1 m) drum-writing base and roll-to-roll coating equipment. Please reach out with any leads!
This work is all part of our long-term vision to manufacture passive and adaptive film coatings for applications ranging from anti-drone camouflage and spacecraft thermal control to anti-dust surfaces on Earth and the Moon.
Check out the highlights below!
A New Home for SMS
SMS recently moved into a new 4,800-square-foot facility, nearly three times the size of our previous location.
We needed the room! Over the past several years, we’ve added new equipment including a R2R nanoimprint lithography (NIL) pilot line, UV-Vis, solar simulator, and FTIR. Eventually, equipment started taking over offices, and it became clear that we had outgrown our old space.
Our new facility gives us room to grow. In particular, the extra space will allow us to bring in the R2R reactive ion etching (RIE) and sputtering system that is central to our new AFWERX SBIR and advanced initiatives.
You can now find us at 531 Pylon Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607.
AFWERX SBIR on Metamaterial Manufacturing
SMS has started an AFWERX Phase I SBIR to use R2R RIE to fabricate high-quality metamaterials for applications such as directed-energy protection and signature management. R2R RIE builds on our existing R2R capabilities by allowing us to transfer nanoscale patterns into metals, oxides, and other materials that are difficult to pattern with R2R NIL.
During Phase I, we are computationally designing metamaterials that can be manufactured with the new process, working with PowerFilm to test the RIE and sputtering system, and talking with potential customers to identify the most promising applications. In Phase II, we’ll move the system to our new facility and use it alongside our existing equipment to fabricate functional metamaterials.
Big Strides in Structural Color
We’ve also made major progress using nanoscale structures to create vivid structural color and anti-counterfeiting features. The technology uses the same phenomenon responsible for the Morpho butterfly’s iridescence to create eye-catching colors without pigments or inks. We’ve completed pilot development projects with two companies to explore commercial applications and refine the R2R manufacturing processes needed to scale the technology. Please reach out if you’re interested in exploring structural color for your product or brand!
