01
Circuit board engine
Picks the parts, draws the schematic and lays out a board that's ready to manufacture.
Built on KiCad
AI hardware design · Early preview
From prompt
to finish.
Describe a device. Get the circuit board, firmware and enclosure.
Watch a real example build in about a minute. No sign-up.
workspace / ir-remote-cloner
Build me a small handheld device that can learn the buttons from my TV remote and replay them.
- SpecRechargeable · 4 buttons · under $25
- Circuit boardESP32-C3 · 31 parts · 0 DRC errors
- FirmwareArduino + IRremote · compiles
- Enclosure74 × 44 × 20 mm · no supports
- AssemblyFit check
Why
“I picked an ESP32-C3 because it has built-in Wi-Fi, native USB, and enough pins for an IR LED, a receiver and five buttons.”
The pipeline
- PromptDescribe it in plain English
- Circuit boardKiCad, Gerbers, parts list
- FirmwareGenerated from the pin map
- Enclosure3D-printable STEP and STL
- Finished productChecked in 3D, ready to build
How it works
Five engines, one project.
Each engine does one job well. The orchestrator runs them in order and stops for your approval between stages, so nothing gets built without you.
02
Firmware engine
Writes the code that runs on the board, generated straight from its pin layout.
Built on Arduino, PlatformIO, ESP-IDF
03
Enclosure engine
Designs a 3D-printable case around the finished board, with openings in the right places.
Built on build123d
04
Viewing engine
Shows the board inside its enclosure in 3D, so you can check the fit before you build anything.
Built on three.js
05
Orchestrator
Runs every engine in order, passes data between them, and stops for your approval between stages.
Built on Kiln Forged
All engines are in development. The demo shows the full flow with sample outputs. See what each one makes
Featured project
IR Remote Cloner
A pocket-sized remote with four buttons. Hold Learn, press a button, point your old remote at it, and it copies that signal. Then it replays it whenever you press the button.
- Parts
- ≈ $15
- Board
- 64 × 34 mm
- Print time
- 2 h 10 min
Loading 3D view…
Learn as you build
Every decision, explained.
Kiln Forged doesn't hand you a black box. As it designs, it tells you why it picked each part, what it traded off and what it checked, in plain language.
- See why a part was chosen, not just which one
- Ask for changes at any checkpoint
- Free guides to PCBs, schematics, KiCad and firmware
Why
ESP32-C3 as the brain
I picked an ESP32-C3 because it has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for a future phone app, native USB so you don't need a separate USB-to-serial chip, and enough pins for the IR LEDs, the receiver, five buttons and a status light. It costs about $3.
Why
A transistor drives the IR LEDs
A chip pin can only supply about 20 mA safely, but IR LEDs need around 100 mA pulses to reach across a living room. Q1 (an AO3400A) switches battery current through both LEDs, and R1 (10 Ω) limits each pulse to about 100 mA.
Why
A 38 kHz receiver up front
The TSOP38238 matches the 38 kHz signal most TV remotes use and filters out room light, so the firmware only has to read on/off timings. It sits between the two LEDs, facing forward like a normal remote.
Who it's for
Built for people who make things.
Hobbyists and makers
Go from an idea to a board you can order, without spending a month learning KiCad first.
Hardware startups
Get a working prototype in front of users and investors in days, then hand real files to your engineers.
Small manufacturers
Spin up custom controllers and sensors for your product line without a full electronics team.
Early access
Be first to forge.
We're building the engines now. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know as soon as you can design your own device, with one free trial project to start.