The role of artificial intelligence in industrial automation
For most people, Artificial Intelligence (AI) probably means science fiction movies with robots and computers performing inconceivable human tasks. While this is partially true, what AI really brings is enabling machines to perform intelligent tasks. As the challenges facing global decision-makers skyrocket, there is an urgent need to empower businesses and societies using the latest technology. With the world changing at unprecedented speed, companies need to revamp and reshape the way machines and humans work. And AI is helping to achieve those goals. According to Forrester, cognitive technologies such as robots, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and automation will replace 7% of US jobs by 2025.
The changing dynamic
The manufacturing sector is characterized by an environment full of uncertainties and evolving dynamics. With ever-increasing market volatility, manufacturers need to constantly innovate, adapt and respond to changes in the shortest possible time, without hampering product quality, and at the lowest possible cost. The efficiency of a manufacturing system is closely dependent on how well the processes on the shop floor respond to changes. Critical plant functions like production scheduling and maintenance need to be extremely responsive, and their integration is what will result in a robust and optimal decision-making environment.
AI in manufacturing
AI finds application in a large number of industries, including gaming, banking, retail, commerce, and government, and is slowly becoming more widespread in the manufacturing sector, making it easier to automate industries. AI-powered machines are paving an easier path to the future by bringing a host of benefits: they offer new opportunities, improve production efficiency, and bring machine interaction closer to human interaction. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is being driven by the automation of knowledge-based work; By creating new ways to automate tasks, we can reshape the way humans and machines live and interact, to create a stronger and better digital economy.
AI helps overcome many inherent challenges that have been plaguing the industry: from expertise shortages to decision complexity, integration issues, and information overload. The adoption of AI on the production floor allows companies to completely transform their processes. Let’s take a look at what AI is helping the manufacturing sector achieve:
• Process automation: The use of AI and robots is especially attractive in industrial manufacturing, as they revolutionize mass production. Robots are capable of performing repetitive tasks, optimizing the production model, increasing capacity, creating automation solutions that eliminate human error and offer higher levels of quality assurance.
• 24/7 Production – While humans are forced to work 3 shifts to ensure continuous production, robots can enable a 24/7 non-stop production line. Companies can increase their production capacities and meet the growing demand of customers around the world.
• Safer working conditions: With various mishaps occurring on the shop floor, a shift to AI means fewer people have to do dangerous and labor-intensive work. As robots replace humans and take on mundane and risky tasks, the number of casualties in the workplace will plummet everywhere.
• New Opportunities for Humans: As AI takes over the shop floor and automates boring and mundane human tasks, workers will be able to focus on complex and innovative tasks. While AI takes care of menial work, humans can focus on driving innovation and taking your business to new heights.
• Reduced operating expenses: Although bringing AI to the shop floor would require a massive capital investment, the ROI is substantially higher. As intelligent machines begin to take care of everyday activities, businesses can enjoy significantly lower overhead.
Benefits
AI and industrial automation have made considerable progress in recent years. The development of machine learning techniques, advances in sensors, and the growth of computing power have helped create a new generation of robots. AI helps machines collect and extract knowledge, recognize patterns, and learn and adapt to new situations or environments through artificial intelligence, learning, and speech recognition. Using AI, manufacturers can:
• Make faster decisions based on data
• Allow better production results
• Improve process efficiency
• Lower operating costs
• Allow greater scalability
• And facilitate product innovation
Improve business results
The key driver of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is the speed at which it is happening. Now that technology is at our fingertips, businesses (and even industries) can scale in the blink of an eye, ultimately changing the way we live our daily lives (and in a fraction of the time ). Using AI, industry leaders and technology pioneers can create the right platforms and solutions, ultimately improving business outcomes and driving success in today’s ever-growing digital economy.