Sharrow Engineering has teamed up with Ford Motor Company’s Advanced Industrial Technology & Platforms team to scale production of its patented Sharrow Propeller using 3D sand-casting, slashing production timelines from as many as 130 days under traditional investment casting to approximately two weeks. The collaboration, announced April 9, 2026, was brokered through Michigan Central, Detroit’s 30-acre mobility and technology hub.
The two companies spent nine months adapting Sharrow’s precision-engineered propeller designs to a 3D-printed sand-casting process, refining and validating it for high-volume output. Ford also worked directly with regional foundries to bring the new casting approach online, pairing its manufacturing expertise with the foundries’ metallurgical knowledge.
“Ford has been at the leading edge of 3D sand-casting for more than 20 years, and it’s rewarding to use that expertise to help another Michigan company scale so quickly,” said Dan Michalski, additive manufacturing operations supervisor at Ford. “This is about more than just propellers — it’s about making industrial innovation available to customers like Sharrow so they can compete on a global stage.”
Greg Sharrow, Founder and CEO of Sharrow Engineering and Sharrow Marine, said production speed had been the company’s biggest obstacle since the propeller launched in 2020. “What used to take an entire boating season to produce can now be made in just a few weeks,” he said. “That’s a powerful example of what can happen when companies like Ford help bring breakthrough technologies to industrial scale.”
Carolina Pluszczynski, Acting CEO of Michigan Central, credited the broader support structure for making the collaboration possible. “They have leveraged the prototyping labs here, found talent to grow their team, and expanded their footprint,” she said of Sharrow. “And now, by connecting them with the Ford advanced manufacturing team, Sharrow has drastically accelerated its production processes, turning innovation into tangible impact.”
Since its 2020 launch, the Sharrow Propeller has attracted customers among recreational boaters, commercial operators, and government agencies. The company claims its design delivers up to 30% greater fuel efficiency and up to 80% noise reduction compared to conventional propellers. Sharrow holds over 200 patents worldwide and has drawn interest for potential applications in drones, advanced air mobility, industrial fans, pumps, and renewable energy systems.
The production breakthrough coincides with Sharrow’s fourth facility expansion in five years, moving into a 60,000-square-foot space in Harper Woods, Michigan.
Source: sharrowmarine.com
