Who We Are

Hangar6 aims to support entrepreneurs and startups who are developing high-science, high-impact, high-technology prototypes in their path to commercialization through the development and fabrication of mechanical and electronic devices.

 

What We Do

Prototyping can be expensive, time consuming, and fraught with communication problems. Our entrepreneurs needed to be able to prove designs—or fail fast and retool—without spending weeks and thousands of dollars. That’s why First Flight developed Hangar6 as the ultimate DIY prototyping facility.

 

Hangar6 raises the revenue of an entrepreneurial high science, high impact, high tech company by increasing the types and scales of efforts on which entrepreneurs can execute. Working with Hangar6 boosts the odds of winning a grant proposal with higher quality pre-proposal materials, and speeding up the early-project operations to be more productive and cost effective. Hangar6 provides efficient, high-value, and nimble services to entrepreneurs so that they can achieve commercialization success.

 

What companies say about us

“NCX uses multi-beam X-ray sources to generate 3D images. Our system geometries require customized calibration phantoms with precise geometry. We were able to use the facilities at Hangar 6 to fabricate a prototype phantom consisting of several metal beads embedded in an acrylic structure. The resulting image on the X-ray detector (also attached) can then be used to determine the exact location of the multiple X-ray focal spots in 3D space. This method relies on very high precision of the bead positions in 3D space, which was provided by the laser cutting system. Even though the material thickness was non-ideal, the Hangar 6 staff was very helpful and easy to work with in guiding the selection of the cutting parameters for our unique design.” - Derrek Spronk, NCX

 

 

Automatic Digital Cone Penetrometer (ADCP)

One of the products made with Hangar 6 equipment and workspace is the EarthOptics’ Automatic Digital Cone Penetrometer (ADCP) by Mark DeSoto and Andrew Walston. It is used to measure soil compaction from a vehicle, which is later used to validate the measurement results of their data maps of the soil model. They are recently asked to make two more of these machines.

The ADCP rides about 12" above the ground for clearance while driving around. It is used to measure soil compaction by pushing a cone shaped tip on a rod into the ground while recording the force resisting the cone's penetration vs distance. There is a 1000psi software limit for the cone as a safety measure if it hits a rock or something extremely hard that will retract it back to the starting position.

 
 
 
 

Membership Packages & Project Assistance

Hangar6’s membership model is geared to both companies looking for a more traditional membership, and also to those seeking assistance with a specific contract or grant funding proposal. Companies have a choice of a more traditional membership from the tiers below, OR entrepreneurs and startups are encouraged to contact Hangar6 about assisting in a specific contract or funding proposal. Hangar6 can help boost proposals with high-quality pre-proposal materials, and quick early-project operations.

 

How to I contact Hangar6?

 

What Equipment Does

Hangar6 Offer?

 

What other entrepreneurs

are saying

"Hangar6 has been an invaluable resource to Triangle Bio. A large part of what we do as a company requires the design and use of custom experimental set-ups to investigate new approaches for high-throughput sample processing. With our access to Hangar6, we can quickly and iteratively make new fixtures and devices for our experiments and really maximize our rate of progress. Also, Sam has been an incredibly helpful and informative resource and has on multiple occasions pivoted our way of thinking towards a more efficient and elegant solution. This is just one example of how having a collaborative space like Hangar6 is a fantastic resource for small companies.” 

-Sunny Kasoji, Triangle Bio 

“Hangar6 has helped our company come up with customized solutions for our laboratory within days instead of months. They are the helpful neighbor every startup should have.”  

-Bill Pasutti, Ribometrix 

 
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The Hangar6 advanced rapid prototyping center is the only space in the Research Triangle Region dedicated to providing technology-based entrepreneurs with the tools and assistance to develop their products. Our vision could not be realized without:

The Economic Development Administration (EDA), Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Caterpillar, Eva Garland Consulting, Touchstone 3D, Trig, and the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP).

The North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) is a network of nine North Carolina organizations that provide solutions designed to enhance the productivity, innovative capacity and technological performance of NC manufacturing companies.

Hangar6 is joined by partners from the Polymers Center, Manufacturing Solutions Center, North Carolina Community College System, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), North Carolina A&T University, East Carolina University, UNC-Charlotte and NC State Industry Expansion Solutions (IES). IES is the administrator for the alliance.

Together, we work for a common goal of providing solutions and services that help our clients save time and energy, improve productivity, increase sales, improve profits and create and retain jobs. NCMEP is the official representative of the MEP National Network ™, a unique public-private partnership that delivers comprehensive, proven solutions to U.S. manufacturers, and NIST MEP in North Carolina.