The future of our workplace

The manufacturing sector is leading the way when it comes to the application of Artificial Intelligence technology. From the first discovery in 1951, AI has continued to revolutionize the industry to improve efficiency, product quality and the safety of employees.

The Manufacturer’s Annual Manufacturing Report, found that 89% of senior manufacturing executives believe that a ‘Smart Factory’– including Artificial Intelligence – will enable them to increase their productivity levels.

In this week’s blog, we have explored five benefits of AI technology in the manufacturing industry.

1. Find the solution before it becomes the problem

Machine downtime is something manufacturing companies have been struggling with for decades, billions of dollars are lost each year due to machine faults that were not foreseen.

Moving into industry 4.0, AI has been developed to defect this issue with downtime control. This involves the use of AI algorithms that can notify manufacturers of emerging production faults. Businesses can then prevent the fault from occurring or minimizing the time spent on repairs.

2. Working alongside robots

In popular fiction, robots have long labored alongside humans, sometimes harmoniously and other times disastrously. Many people believe robots will replace humans on the factory floors, however, this isn’t necessarily true.

In fact, AI technology is a long way away from replacing humans, although, soon we may actually be working alongside them. Robots would be able to handle more cognitive tasks and make autonomous decisions based on real-time environmental data, a job position humans could never fulfil.

3. Predicting future markets 

This element of AI may not physically save you time or money, however, it could future proof your business. Predicting the future of your target market could put you one step ahead of your competitors and lead to higher return on investment.

AI algorithms formulate estimations of market demands by looking for patterns linking location, socioeconomic and macroeconomic factors, weather patterns, political status, consumer behavior and more.

4. Lights out manufacturing

Unlike humans, robots can perform tedious jobs for hours or days on end, without the need for food, sleep, or breaks. People simply can’t deliver on consistent precision, work 24 hours a day and objectively reach the same speeds of a machine.

If factories install robots to do these basic manual jobs, human laborers should be able to focus on the complex and delicate work. Automation will help businesses achieve new heights of production without losing out on quality.

 5. Lower operational costs

Many companies are holding back on introducing AI into their factories, simply because the technology is a high-capital investment. However, the return on investment is significant, once automation is put in place, businesses will benefit considerably on operational costs.

With the increase in personalized product design, additive manufacturing is becoming popular across a range of industries. Advancements, such as 3D printing, is a cheaper and simpler option to create the products that meet the current market demand.

Companies that adopt robots are likely doing so to boost productivity levels and increase product quality. Robot are not taking over our jobs, instead they are making our time a work a lot easier.

It’s important that manufacturers embrace industry 4.0 to keep up with customer demands. If you need help with a technological manufacturing solution, be it new or existing, we can help bring your ideas to life.

Contact us today to discuss future proofing your business!