By 2024, manufacturers worldwide will need artificial intelligence in manufacturing. This is because autonomous robots and machine learning-driven predictive analytics may improve operations, efficiency, and environmental impact. Crucially, instead of displacing human workers, several companies in the manufacturing sector prioritize implementing technology in a manner that enhances human capabilities and allows them to operate with greater safety and efficiency.
Presently, the application of AI technology in factories extends beyond the traditional robot-dominated workplaces that have existed in industries since the 1960s. It now includes intelligent, interconnected manufacturing plants where humans and machines collaborate. Data and analytics enhance projections and decision-making throughout the industrial process.
Let’s look at 2024’s most exciting applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing
Recently developed cobots automate manual tasks in factories and industrial facilities, complementing robots. The distinguishing factor is in their ability to collaborate with people in a secure manner, enhancing our capabilities via their own. An inherent benefit of cobots compared to conventional industrial robots is their cost-effectiveness since they do not need a designated workspace to operate. This implies that they may effectively operate on a conventional factory floor without requiring protective enclosures or separation from human workers.
They have the ability to choose components, perform production tasks such as screwing, sanding, and polishing, and operate traditional manufacturing equipment such as injection molding and stamping presses. In addition, they have the capability to conduct quality control inspections with computer vision-enabled cameras. Automotive companies such as BMW and Ford extensively use cobots for various jobs, including gluing and welding, lubricating camshafts, pumping oil into engines, and conducting quality control checks.
Consumer goods firms, such as the prominent company Procter & Gamble, use cobots to optimize their production processes. These cobots do duties like product assembly and packing while ensuring strict adherence to hygiene requirements.
Additive ManufacturingÂ
The phrase additive manufacturing, often referred to as 3D printing, encompasses any manufacturing technique in which the construction takes place by adding layers incrementally. This distinguishes it from conventional subtractive manufacturing procedures, in which a product takes shape by removing material from a solid block. AI in manufacturing industry since it enhances the process of dispensing and applying materials, and also improves the design of intricate products. Additionally, it may be used to detect and rectify faults generated by 3D printing technology in real time.
Markforged, a producer of additive printing equipment, has created a tool called Blacksmith that use artificial intelligence to compare product drawings with the final manufactured products. This tool automates the process of refining the manufacturing process in order to align the products more accurately. Manufacturers like Adidas and Reebok will get advantages from using advanced technology such as 3D printing. This technology enables the creation of intricate lattice structures in running shoes, resulting in enhanced comfort and performance.
Generative Design – another application of artificial intelligence in manufacturing
Generative design has similarities with generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT or Dall-E. However, instead of instructing it to generate text or pictures, we direct it to design goods. Designers input specific criteria, including material selection, intended product dimensions and weight, preferred production techniques, and cost constraints. Subsequently, generative design algorithms generate detailed blueprints and instructions.
This approach enables design engineers in the manufacturing business to generate a diverse range of design alternatives for new goods and then choose the most optimal ones for production. By doing so, it expedites the processes of product creation while facilitating innovative design. The use of generative design is especially potent in envisioning the possibilities of novel additive manufacturing techniques, like 3D printing, owing to the intricate nature of the forms and configurations that may be generated.
AI in manufacturing has improved the performance of cars, aircraft, prefabricated homes, and structures by creating new components that are cheaper, lighter, and more durable.
Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing for Predictive Maintenance
Manufacturers use artificial intelligence in manufacturing to evaluate data collected from sensors and machines located on the manufacturing floor. This analysis allows them to get insights into the timing and causes of potential failures and breakdowns. This implies that they can guarantee the availability of resources and replacement components required for repairs, so ensuring a prompt resolution.
Additionally, it implies that they may make more precise forecasts about the duration of downtime that can be anticipated in a certain process or activity, and include this information into their scheduling and logistical planning. Machine learning algorithms may be used to analyze data from vibrations, thermal imaging, operational efficiency, and examination of oils and liquids in equipment. This study provides important insights into the health of industrial machinery. Notable instances of this in the application are Pepsi and Colgate, both of which use technology developed by AI firm Augury to identify issues with manufacturing equipment before their occurrence of failures.
The Lights-Out Factory
A lights-out factory refers to a technologically advanced factory that can function completely autonomously, without the need for human presence or intervention. While mostly theoretical, there are currently a few existing instances, such as the factory run by Japanese robotics firm FANUC since 2001, which operates without human intervention for extended periods of up to 30 days.
Philips, an electronics firm, has a plant in the Netherlands dedicated to producing electric razors. This facility needs only the presence of a total of nine human employees at all times. As technology gets more efficient and inexpensive, we may anticipate numerous firms striving to embrace this trend in the future.
A workforce consisting only of robots enables a factory to possibly function continuously, with no need for any human involvement. This has the potential to provide significant advantages in terms of productivity and effectiveness. Naturally, questions will need a resolution about the ramifications of eliminating people from the industrial labor force on the broader society.
