Artificial intelligence is a basically advance computer technology that helps a lot in manufacturing sectors. In a very competitive environment process automation is very important but AI helps in manufacturing to take decision based on data set and helps to solve critical problem in manufacturing sectors. Artificial intelligence is fulfilling the need of manpower in critical operation for manufacturing, it’s able to take own decision.
In this article we learn how artificial intelligence useful to improve manufacturing processes and individual operational performance. In generalized way review below attached application of AI in manufacturing.
- Data analytics & statistics.
- Hardware and software engineering.
- Prediction and forecasting.
- Machine learning.
- Intelligent data retrieval and many more.
After, the overall AI understanding in manufacturing division now we learn how to implement artificial intelligence in individual operational processes.
Quality control
AI helps a lot to maintaining quality management system. Basically quality control and quality assurance are generating large amount of data, now a day’s majority of organization is to analyze data with the help of human resource & to take decision for process improvement. Now Artificial intelligence is help to analyze large amount of dataset & statistically identify special causes from operational processes and provide signal to stop processes before generating product defects.
AI work on reactive approach and help to prevent defect from operational processes and reduce overall cost of manufacturing process.
Maintenance
In equipment maintenance AI helps to improve machine performance with the help of data analysis & decision making. for improving operational performance each and every maintenance department pre-planned maintenance activity of equipment on periodically basis. Based on data analysis artificial intelligence help to forecasting of planned maintenance activity of equipment before, it helps to reduce downtime & improve effectiveness of equipment. Now a day’s majority of organization is planned monthly or periodically maintenance schedule weather machine required or not, so ultimately AI help to take correct decision & save equipment down time.
Supply chain optimization: – In current supply chain organization is facing several issue for transporting goods and services. Proper communication is very important for maintaining optimum supply chain. Artificial intelligence is help to analyze data from supply chain and identify bottleneck and inefficiency areas. Organization is to take decision for attacking bottleneck and less efficiency area & improve supply chain performance.
Autonomous Robots
Artificial intelligence helps to developed autonomous robots and it help to doing repetitive task such as assembly and packaging work. This helps to reduce labour cost & improve operational effectiveness.
Inventory management
Inventory management is a very important part in manufacturing industries. If organization is able to maintain optimum level inventory in organization premises it will help to reduce overall cost. To run an operational process with maintaining minimum level of inventory is very much important. Artificial intelligence is help to optimize inventory level by analyze data such as future product demand, production and delivery time. AI helps to maintaining optimum inventory level, meanwhile maintaining right amount of stock on hand.
Advantages of AI used in Manufacturing
- Increase Efficiency: – Based on data analysis AI help to monitor accurate and real time performance of equipment and allow manufacturer to customized production monitoring system, that help to analyze downtime and operator taking action for performance improvement.
- Improve product quality: – AI helps to identify defects, analyze abnormalities and prevent defect during operational process. AI helps to automate inspection process rather than manually & ultimately reduce quality cost & Improve product quality.
- Improve Equipment Availability: – artificial intelligence help to reduce downtime of equipment with proper data analysis & increase life of equipment.
- Cost Reduction: – AI help to reduce cost by optimize manufacturing processes, inventory reduction and minimize bottleneck processes.
Disadvantages of AI in Manufacturing
- High initial cost: – Implementation of artificial intelligence is too costly in software and hardware. Some of the manufacturer is not afford to implement in manufacturing processes. The key focused is to select required area in manufacturing processes and start implement in small-small loops.
- Data privacy and security: – Artificial intelligence generating large amount of data on day to day basis so it is very difficult to maintain data privacy and its security. For data storage point of view chances to cyber-attacks.
- Lack of skill workforce: – AI required specialized knowledge to implement in manufacturing processes. Now a day’s very few people are aware about artificial intelligence and its applicability in manufacturing processes.
- Unforeseen consequences: – As per social and economic point of view implementation of AI to increase chances of job loss which negatively impact on environment.
- Technology dependency: – To implement artificial intelligence in manufacturing chances to increase technology dependency. If technology malfunction is fail suddenly stop the entire manufacturing process and impact on production.
Conclusion
In concluding part, now a day’s technology is much more important but fully technology dependency is very critical and it largely impact on overall process outcomes. Now considering win and lose scenario select middle path for manufacturing process and implement technology with human intervention. Lean manufacturing developed jidoka tool and meaning is autonomation. To implement jidoka means autonomation with human touch, means human intervention is needed in manufacturing process. Initially start practicing for targeting small-small manual activity to transfer into process automate.