January 20, 2024

AI in Manufacturing

What Is AI in Manufacturing?

With so much data being produced daily by industrial IoT and smart factories, artificial
intelligence has several potential uses in manufacturing. Manufacturers are increasingly
turning to artificial intelligence (AI) solutions like machine learning (ML) and deep
learning neural networks to better analyse data and make decisions.

Predictive maintenance is often touted as an application of artificial intelligence in

manufacturing. Artificial intelligence (AI) can be applied to production data to improve
failure prediction and maintenance planning. This results in less costly maintenance for
production lines.

Many more applications and benefits of AI in production are possible, including more
accurate demand forecasting and less material waste. Artificial intelligence (AI) and
manufacturing go hand in hand since humans and machines must collaborate closely in
industrial manufacturing environments.

Key AI Segments That Impact Manufacturing

AI is a collective term for learning system capabilities that are perceived as representing
intelligence, including image and video recognition, prescriptive modeling, smart
automation, advanced simulation, and complex analytics, among many
others, according to Cap Gemini. In the context of manufacturing processes, AI use
cases revolve around the following technologies:

 Machine learning: Using algorithms and data to automatically learn from underlying patterns
without being explicitly programmed to do so.

 Deep learning: A subset of machine learning that uses neural networks to analyze things like
images and videos.

 Autonomous objects: AI agents that manage tasks on their own, such as collaborative robots
or connected vehicles.
AI for manufacturing is expected to grow from $1.1 billion in 2020 to $16.7 billion by
2026 – an astonishing CAGR of 57 percent. The growth is mainly attributed to the
availability of big data, increasing industrial automation, improving computing power,
and larger capital investments.

How is AI Used in the Manufacturing Industry?

The following are examples of how artificial intelligence can be applied in manufacturing:

 The initial phase would be to teach the AI to accomplish a task by seeing how humans do it. If done
thus, not only will progress be made but expansion will be sustained. With enough time and practice,
it will learn on its own and be able to perform a wide range of tasks without constant supervision.

 Crowdsourcing is the next logical step. Using this method, you can collect data from the general
public to train an AI. It can accomplish this in a flash and then compare the results to anything else it
has stored. The result will be an AI with access to collective wisdom and the ability to "hive mind" or
to know what everyone else knows.

 Supervision of AI is possible at last through the use of unsupervised learning. This means that it can
acquire knowledge without being specifically instructed to do so. Just how is it going to pick up new
information? They would utilise a technique called reinforcement learning.

Role of AI in the Industrial Sector

Preventing Future Problems

Artificial intelligence (AI) solutions assist manufacturers in predicting when or whether

functioning equipment will break so that maintenance and repair may be planned before the
failure takes place.

Creative Generating

In generative design, machine learning algorithms are employed to mimic the design process
utilized by engineers. Using this technique, manufacturers may quickly produce hundreds of
design options for a single product.
Forecasting of Raw Material Prices

More correctly than humans, AI-powered software can anticipate the price of commodities, and
it also improves with time.

Aspect Analytics

Edge analytics uses data sets gathered from machine sensors to deliver quick, decentralized
insights.

Quality Controls

The upkeep of a desired degree of quality in a service or product is known as quality assurance.
Utilizing machine vision technology, AI systems can spot deviations from the norm because the
majority of flaws are readily apparent.

Robotics

Industrial robots, often known as manufacturing robots, automate monotonous operations,

eliminate or drastically decrease human error, and refocus human workers' attention on more
profitable parts of the business.

Process Improvement

Organizations may attain sustainable production levels by optimizing processes with the use of
AI-powered software.

Enhancement Of Shop Floor Performance

A digital twin can be used to track and examine the production cycle to spot potential quality
problems or areas where the product's performance falls short of expectations.

AI in Manufacturing

AI is having a significant effect on the manufacturing industry. Artificial intelligence is

improving the manufacturing process in many ways.
Artificial Intelligence in Logistics

Production losses due to overstocking or understocking are persistent problems. Waste

and decreased profits are typical results of overstocking. Businesses might gain sales,
money, and patronage when products are appropriately stocked.

AI Robots - Robotic Process Automation

Commonly known as "industrial robots,"robotics in manufacturingallow for the

automation of monotonous operations, the elimination or reduction of human error, and
the reallocation of human labour to higher-value activities.

Robots have a wide range of potential uses in manufacturing facilities. Machine vision is
included in several industrial robots, allowing them to move precisely in chaotic settings.

Management of Supply Chains With Artificial Intelligence

With AI, factories can better manage their entire supply chains, from capacity
forecasting to stocktaking. By establishing a real-time and predictive model for
assessing and monitoring suppliers, businesses may be alerted the minute a failure
occurs in the supply chain and can instantly evaluate the disruption's severity.

AI Autonomous Vehicles

Vehicles that drive themselves may automate the entire factory floor, from the assembly
lines to the conveyor belts. Deliveries may be optimised, run around the clock, and
completed more quickly with the help of self-driving trucks and ships.

To better plan delivery routes, decrease accidents, and notify authorities in an

emergency, connected cars with sensors can track real-time information regarding
traffic jams, road conditions, accidents, and more. This change enhances both the
speed and safety of deliveries.

AI for Factory Automation

Operators in factories rely on their knowledge and intuition to manually modify

equipment settings while keeping an eye on various indications on several screens. In
addition to their regular duties, operators in this system are now responsible for
troubleshooting and testing the system.
This leads some business owners to ignore or downplay the need to generate a
financial return on investment, among other undesirable outcomes.

AI for IT operations

Intelligent automation in IT operations, or AIOps, is essential for this purpose. AIOps, as

defined by Gartner, is an approach to IT operations automation that uses big data and
machine learning.

AIOps is most helpful in automating extensive data management. Besides these, IT

service management, event correlation and analysis, performance analysis, anomaly
identification, and causation determination are all potential applications.

Design and Production With AI

With AI, the software may generate multiple iterations of a product's design that improve
upon the original. The software, which is sometimes referred to as generative design
software, asks designers for inputs like:

 Basic Ingredients

 Measurements and mass

 Processing Techniques

 Limitations due to financial and other resources

 The algorithm can generate an array of potential layouts based on these inputs.

Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence

Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices are high-tech gadgets with sensors that produce
massive amounts of real-time operating data. This concept is known as the "Industrial
Internet of Things" (IIoT) in the manufacturing sector. The factory's combination of AI
and IIoT can significantly improve precision and output.

AI in Warehouse Mmanagement

Multiple facets of warehouse management can be automated using AI. Manufacturers

can keep a constant eye on their stockrooms and improve their logistics thanks to the
continual stream of data they collect.
The costs of managing a warehouse can be lowered, productivity can be increased, and
fewer people will be needed to do the job if quality control and inventory are automated.
Manufacturers can boost revenue and earnings as a result.

AI Process Automation

Software powered by artificial intelligence can help businesses optimise procedures to

maintain high production rates indefinitely. To locate and eliminate inefficiencies,
manufacturers may use AI-powered process mining technologies.

In manufacturing, for instance, satisfying customers necessitates meeting their needs

in various ways, including prompt and precise delivery.

AI for Predictive Maintenance

Manufacturers use AI to analyse sensor data and predict breakdowns and accidents.
Synthetic intelligence systems aid production facilities in determining the likelihood of
future failures in operational machinery, allowing for preventative maintenance and
repairs to be scheduled in advance. Predictive maintenance enabled by AI allows
factories to boost productivity while lowering repair bills.

AI-Based Product Development

Using AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality), producers can test many models
of a product before beginning production with the help of AI-based product
development.

Maintenance and bug fixing should be simplified.Manufacturers may enhance and

accelerate their innovation with AI-based product creation, resulting in new and more
progressive items that hit the market ahead of the competition.

AI-Based Connected Factory

The future of manufacturing lies in sensor- and cloud-equipped "connected" or "smart"

factories. Incorporating smart manufacturing practises aids:

 Shop floor vision in real-time

 Keep an eye on how your resources are being used.

 Install hands-free, remote systems

 Allow for timely intervention.

Quality Assurance and Inspections Using AI

Computer vision, which employs high-resolution cameras to observe every step of

production, is used by AI-driven flaw identification. A system like this would be able to
detect problems that the naked eye could overlook and immediately initiate efforts to fix
them. Because of this, fewer products need to be recalled, and fewer of them are
wasted.

Factory worker safety is improved, and workplace dangers are avoided when
abnormalities like poisonous gas emissions may be detected in real-time.

AI for Purchasing Price Variance

Any change in the price of inputs can significantly impact a manufacturer's profit. Raw
material cost estimation and vendor selection are two of the most challenging aspects of
production.

This also makes it easier to manage all procurement data in one place and keep tabs
on parts purchased from various vendors.

AI Order Management

Effective order management necessitates flexibility in the market, demand, consumer

expectations, and manufacturing strategy shifts. To summarise, factories that employ
AI-based systems or manufacturing robots can:

 Make use of inventory tracking sensors to generate purchase requests instantly.

 Handle the complication of many order types coming in from various sales channels.

 Streamline and improve the clarity of order and inventory management

Conclusion

To reap the benefits of ai in manufacturing, it is essential to incorporate AI as soon as

possible. However, doing so demands a substantial investment of time, effort, and
resources, as well as the upskilling of your workforce. Finishing pilot projects to be
scaled up rapidly and out of the pilot phase is crucial. The window of opportunity to
integrate AI into production processes is closing for those who still need to do so.

AI is now at the heart of the manufacturing industry, and it’s growing every year.
Skillsets are still in short supply, so there is value in training for AI engineers who can
create practical applications using a wide range of intelligent agents; machine learning
experts who are trained in supervised and unsupervised learning, mathematical and
heuristic techniques and hands-on modeling; and deep learning experts who learn to
master TensorFlow, the open-source software library designed to conduct machine
learning and deep neural network research.