Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing Industry

Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry. It is becoming affordable and accessible. In manufacturing, an AI can design products, optimize the design so that the product is cost-effective as well as of high quality, make quick decisions based on data analytics, optimize operation, and improve customer service. Still, human ingenuity cannot be replaced and AI is assisting humans to enhance their creativity and imagination. Here are a few ways AI is changing manufacturing.

Automation

Automation is responsible for making the process of manufacturing more accurate, safe, fast, and straightforward. Automation takes care of tedious tasks that are dangerous and involve safety risks for people. It makes the production energy-efficient and increases yield while keeping the costs at a minimum. With AI automation, companies can reduce storage costs by predicting the demand and keeping a smaller inventory. AI-based automation robots increase productivity by not taking breaks and keep on working throughout the day without wasting a minute. Robots don’t take monthly paycheques, require one-time investment, and only need occasional maintenance.

Predictive Maintenance

A key application of AI and machine learning in manufacturing is predictive maintenance. It is transforming the manufacturing industry by reducing recurrent maintenance costs and avoiding downtime due to unexpected failures. The main purpose of predictive maintenance is to predict the optimum time to replace, repair, or upgrade certain components to keep the manufacturing process operational. Due to the fierce competition in the market, the manufacturing industry is stepping into the realm of real-time automation and optimization. Every minute has become crucial, and informed business decisions are being taken with the help of data analytics and insights in real-time to improve the efficiency and quality of the product and increase the safety of the people. The amount of data is growing and the software for the analysis of the data is also evolving, but the inference of useful results from the huge amount of data is only possible through machine learning.

Generative Design

For the manufacturing industry, the generative design is an amazing prospect. Generative design software can come up with thousands of ways a product can be designed. The software takes essential parameters of the product such as shape, material, maximum allowable cost, production method, and dimensions, among many others, and explores millions of possible combinations before arriving at a decision. Numerous designs obtained through generative design are processed by machine learning algorithms to select an optimal design. Human designers can be biased and impartial towards a certain solution, but the generative design takes away human shortcomings and it designs objectively with performance as key criteria.

Innovation

AI will push people to be more innovative by taking over repetitive, easily automatable jobs. AI can replace unskilled labor. While AI-equipped robots work, people can focus on improving existing technologies that would allow companies to meet the increasing demand of the market. People can also focus on the human side of things, such as making products attractive to other people, interacting with potential buyers, and optimizing human resources.

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