Machine learning in manufacturing as well as AI in manufacturing, has been for some time now a source of change in the industry for longer than probably can be said for any other. Some studies indicate that the UK and Europe are ahead of the game when it comes to AI in manufacturing, as they’ve got more than half of the industry engaging the services of Ai in manufacturing solutions companies or workers. It’s almost more than the percentage of Japan and the US put together, but this will be universal very shortly.
Machine learning in manufacturing is so popular with company heads because it is such a good fit given the analytical data that is involved, which is much easier to have a computer work on while people in power are examining other areas. AI in manufacturing benefits from the impersonal nature of the business, and the technology is racing ahead of other industries because it doesn’t necessarily involve much language, and it is completely data-driven and emotionless.
We’ve had manufacturing robots in some shape or form since the industrial revolution. But the advent of AI in manufacturing means that they are much more intelligent and capable of taking on more complex tasks that previously would have been human-driven. They can now monitor their performance and the accuracy of such, and using machine learning in manufacturing, the robots can naturally improve themselves. Unlike a human worker, there is no sense of ego in a robot, so when it has performed poorly, it will naturally program itself to do much better.
Before a product is even fully out of its development stage, AI in manufacturing has made it possible for businesses to collect data from what’s called a ‘virtual twin’ of the product and improve it based on the data that has been made available. A virtual twin is a digital avatar of a product or asset which is being sold to consumers in the real life marketplace. The virtual twin, and the machine learning in manufacturing that comes along with it allows customers to interact more with the design, and purchase whatever product is being manufactured without actually having a clear interest in the design like in the past. As such, the AI in manufacturing that results from machine learning in manufacturing allows them to automate their analysis of logistics and optimise production of the products which are selling or interesting customers most.
Product maintenance has benefitted so much from the AI in manufacturing that has been developing throughout the last decade or so. The technology can be used to identify potential accidents and issues with the production of something before a repair can be scheduled. It gets particularly interesting and futuristic when a generative design is brought in. Resulting from machine learning in manufacturing after hours logged where the AI in manufacturing has followed the patterns of an engineer’s approach to design, the technology can provide a number of possible outcomes. The engineer inputs the parameters of their design and the computer will generate potentially thousands of possible options for the design of just one project. This could be a game changer as the AI in manufacturing systems continue to develop and garner accuracy.
Quality assurance and predictive pricing are both also vital aspects of this industry, and machine learning in manufacturing can create another game changer in that process. Computers can generate an expected cost list for raw materials taking into account supply and demand, inflation and market trends to create a general estimate which can be used for planning very far into the future. For quality assurance, the AI in manufacturing can cast a discerning eye on what is being produced by the manufacturer. There will be assembly lines of work based on a predetermined set of parameters, and the computer will whizz through it at a speed which manual workers can’t and shouldn’t compete with. If an end product doesn’t appear to be up to scratch, the system of AI in manufacturing will make note of it with a member of the team who can do a quick manual check, as opposed to the expense of having people to do that check on every product. This can shave a lot of unnecessary expenses from your business’ bottom line.
Perhaps the most important of any of the functions of AI in manufacturing is inventory management. Machine learning in manufacturing can help to forecast demand, supply and plan around those factors. It will ultimately almost eliminate cash-in-stock and out-of-stock scenarios for companies who implement the technology and utilise it in the correct way. A computer will almost always provide better results than more traditional methods when it comes to inventory management.