Flex And Cerebras Scale American AI Manufacturing

Global manufacturer Flex wants to expand its footprint within the scope of artificial intelligence manufacturing in North America.

In order to accomplish this, the electronics company has partnered with AI cloud innovation firm Cerebras Systems Inc.

Together, both companies will streamline production of the Cerebras CS-3, which is one of the world's most advanced AI accelerator systems. Operations are expected to increase the system’s production capacity steadily for the remainder of the year due to new production lines, expanded floor space, advanced test infrastructure and the procurement of manufacturing professionals throughout California. 

However, the operation involves distinct challenges not typically seen in traditional processes, as each system requires specialised handling, custom tooling, precision calibration and extensive system-level validation by skilled manufacturers. To streamline these complexities, engineers from Flex and Cerebras are developing specific assembly flows, automated test stations and new manufacturing methodologies dedicated to wafer-scale computing systems.

AI’s role in manufacturing 

To streamline tasks while prioritising operational safety, manufacturers are increasingly adopting AI. According to a 2025 study by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 46% of manufacturers are using AI tools such as chatbots in manufacturing operations. Meanwhile, more than 80% of manufacturers said they expect to increase their AI use in the next two years.  

Flex continues to focus on addressing customer requirements by seamlessly integrating AI model developers, cloud service providers and enterprise clients.

Rob Campbell, President of Communication, Enterprise and Cloud at Flex, explains: “The CS-3 does not resemble a conventional server or rack-scale compute platform.

“Every stage of the manufacturing process—from mechanical integration to thermal validation and final system qualification—required deep collaboration between our engineering teams. We thank Cerebras for their partnership in demonstrating what American advanced manufacturing can achieve when two highly technical organizations work side by side.”

Dhiraj Mallick, COO of Cerebras, adds: “The CS-3 is unlike any computer system ever built, and scaling its production requires an extraordinary manufacturing partner. Flex brings the technical depth, operational rigour and manufacturing expertise needed to support that scale.

“People often think the entire AI manufacturing and packaging supply chain lives overseas, but everyday across the US, teams of American engineers and technicians are building state-of-the-art AI systems that power frontier AI workloads around the world.”

Flex’s approach to AI

In a 2024 interview with Manufacturing Digital, Paul Baldassari, President of Manufacturing & Services at Flex, provided information on how Flex is approaching the use of AI in its operations.

“Enhancements in artificial intelligence and big data analytics will also be critical,” Paul says 

“We’ve made significant investments into digitalisation, including IoT devices and sensors that capture real-time information on machines and processes.” 

“As data-capturing infrastructure builds, making sense of that data will become much more critical. Workers in every role and at every level will be able to use these tools to optimise operations, predict maintenance needs, and address potential failures before they happen.”

Flex remains dedicated to expanding its AI infrastructure while simultaneously adapting to other ongoing shifts within the manufacturing sector.