It is not every day that we get to build pieces of coral in our fabrication shop. In this case, it was 2,000 of them.
Macy Industries was proud to be a key partner in the 2025 FIRST® Robotics Competition, fabricating the purple pipes that serve as underwater reefs in the REEFSCAPE℠ challenge. These structures are central to gameplay, where student designed robots place coral onto different branches to earn points. Higher placement results in higher scores, pushing teams to engineer with both strategy and precision.
With deep experience in custom metal fabrication, precision cutting, and high volume production, we worked closely with FIRST® to manufacture critical game components while maintaining cost efficiency, quality, and fast turnaround times.
Beyond fabrication, the Macy Industries team was proud to support a program that inspires students to explore engineering, robotics, and problem solving while helping develop the next generation of innovators.
FIRST’s Legacy of Innovation
When it comes to STEM education, few organizations have had a greater impact than FIRST®. Each year, students around the world participate in engineering challenges designed to encourage creativity, teamwork, and hands on problem solving.
Founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen, FIRST® has grown into a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing STEM education through robotics competitions. The annual FIRST® Robotics Competition brings together high school students, mentors, and industry professionals to design and build robots that address real world engineering challenges.
Macy Industries’ relationship with FIRST® dates back to its early days, when Kamen collaborated with local Manchester, NH schools that partnered with our custom metal fabrication shop on early projects. Decades later, FIRST® approached us to fabricate key components for the 2024 competition. After a successful collaboration, they returned the following year with an expanded role in the 2025 challenge.
Building the Purple Pipes for REEFSCAPE℠
Watch the 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition video to see the purple pipes in action. These components simulate underwater coral reefs and provide the physical structures that robots interact with during the REEFSCAPE℠ competition.
While FIRST® supplied the initial design specifications, fabrication required close collaboration. Our team produced the pipes to exact requirements and recommended design refinements, including welding end caps onto each pipe to improve appearance, durability, and ease of handling.
Precision and consistency were essential, as every participating school required identical components for practice, regional qualifiers, and the national championship. Maintaining strict quality control ensured uniform performance across all competition environments.
To meet high volume production demands without sacrificing accuracy, we relied on our Dragon Machine, a CNC controlled plasma cutter engineered for precision tube cutting. Unlike traditional band saws that rely on rotating blades, this system uses plasma cutting to deliver clean, repeatable cuts at high speed.
This technology allowed us to:
- Automate hole placement and rotation for consistent alignment
- Reduce material waste while maintaining part quality
- Accelerate production for large quantity orders
By leveraging this equipment, our custom metal fabrication shop delivered precision engineered parts faster and at a lower cost than international alternatives. The result was durable game components designed to withstand months of practice and competition.
From Prototype to Perfection
One of the advantages of working with Macy Industries is our ability to iterate quickly. With in house expertise spanning design, fabrication, and installation, our team can adapt efficiently during large scale projects.
Our proximity to FIRST’s testing lab enabled close collaboration during the prototyping phase. Working directly with FIRST’s engineering and procurement teams, we refined the design to ensure the pipes were easy to assemble and deploy in the field.
Fast, precise adjustments helped keep production on schedule while meeting all functional requirements. This collaboration ensured that competitions at every level, from local practice sessions to national championships, were equipped with reliable and consistent game elements.
Why FIRST® Chose Macy Industries for Custom Metal Fabrication
At Macy Industries, we manage every stage of the fabrication process, from initial design through final delivery. This single source approach provides clear advantages:
- Faster turnaround times
- Cost efficiency
- Consistent quality control
- Collaborative engineering support
By partnering with Macy Industries, FIRST® Robotics secured high quality, precision fabricated components while supporting local manufacturing.
We are proud of our role in the 2025 competition and look forward to future collaborations with FIRST®. Applying our expertise in industrial metal fabrication, we helped create game elements that challenge students to think critically, design creatively, and build with precision.
If you have a project that requires high quality custom metal fabrication, we would love to hear about it. Contact Macy Industries to discuss how we can bring your project to life on time and on budget.