# Misumi Americas executive interview: Humanoid robot prototypes are fast; scaled manufacturing is the next challenge

- Source: Robotics & Automation News
- Published: 2026-10-10T12:13:48.000Z
- RoboHot: https://robohot.news/en/items/dkmplpqj9d1nhn5cug3ml5u71
- Original: https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/10/10/interview-humanoid-robots-are-advancing-fast-manufacturing-them-at-scale-is-the-next-challenge/105812/

## Summary

Robotics & Automation News interviews Steve Ricketts, senior vice president of business development at Misumi Americas, about the manufacturing challenges of taking humanoid robots from prototype to mass production. He sees actuators as the biggest bottleneck, with limited capacity for high-precision gear transmissions, rare-earth magnets, and five-axis machining. Cost reduction will mainly come from design simplification, component standardization, and a shift from machining to castings and injection molding. He expects common parts such as motors and bearings to become standardized, while software, hand design, and system architecture remain proprietary.