​Artificial intelligence is being implemented within nearly every aspect of our lives and is slowly changing the face of manufacturing. We only need to look at Industry 4.0 to see its vital part within a manufacturer’s roadmap. Technological advancement is a prime candidate to optimise manufacturing processes, automate complex tasks and identify unknown patterns in workflows.
 
The manufacturing industry is leveraging this game-changing technology with a 60% adoption rate in 2020 (using in at least one business function). This means manufacturers are starting to realise the huge potential of utilising AI to increase their commercial advantage.
 
What is Holding Manufacturers Back?
 
AI is revolutionising almost all sectors, giving empowerment to companies across the globe to gain immense value from their data. Utilising AI can help manufacturers increase operational efficiency, reduce downtime, and deliver high-quality products. If this sophisticated technology is the epitome of Industry 4.0, why is the install rate relatively small?
 
Outdated Technological Infrastructure
 
Manufacturers often use a wide variety of machines, tools and systems that use different and competing technologies. Some of these may be outdated and not compatible with their other technological infrastructure. This combined with a lack of digitalisation is preventing manufacturers from capitalising on the potential.
 
Confidence, Uncertainty and Trust
 
A significant barrier to AI adoption is the trust and confidence in the capabilities of abstract algorithms. Personnel within manufacturing who don’t hold a data science background struggle to validate how predictive modelling and data science work together.
 
JetSoft’s Use of AI in Manufacturing
 
JetSoft employs AI techniques to automatically analyse inspection and manufacturing data, to detect anomalies in product output and associate them with the upstream processes that created them. Manufacturers gain deep insights to understand the correlations in inspection failures and deploy targeted process improvements, to reduce the likelihood of that anomaly occurring again.
 
Our OverSeer solution automatically manages inspection data and techniques from different sources. OverSeer reads and places the data automatically into a central database to perform thorough assessments. Data from new inspections can be tracked as it passes through each module that has an output. Working on legacy formats means our cutting-edge AI technology is able to analyse historic data from manufacturers to instantly spot anomalies and defects.
 
 
JetSoft deploys AI technology into a customer's site, which analyses images and inspection data to automatically detect anomalies and patterns within the data. The AI functionality pinpoints which processes have created the specific anomaly without having to stop the entire production to detect and fix the problem. Manufacturing personnel are then able to analyse the anomaly against a defect specification to gain a deeper insight into if the anomaly has become a defect.
 
Benefits of AI in Manufacturing
 
The applications of using AI are widespread and revolutionising, offering actionable insights into reducing waste and scrap. So, what are the overall benefits of using AI in manufacturing?
 
Predictive Analytics for Increased Production Output
 
AI systems are able to learn from machine learning algorithms and make use of predictive analytics. The manufacturing industry holds a large volume of data, which predictive analytics is powered from. Manufacturers can easily pinpoint anomalies without disrupting the production process.
 
Improved Process Quality
 
AI technology creates an efficient production process, resulting in higher product quality. The software ensures that products going through the inspection stage don’t just meet quality standards but are of higher quality and closer to nominal. 
 
Reduction of Scrap and Waste
 
Early detection of anomalies using AI techniques allows manufacturers to make quick industry-related decisions that won’t further impact production and create more waste. Reducing waste and scrap has a direct correlation with profit generation and the bottom line. When high-quality products are always created, manufacturers are maximising their output without having to scrap any materials. Utilising assets more effectively creates a reduction in the variable cost of each component, meaning lower prices can be introduced to become more competitive. Minimising component costs ultimately creates a more profitable company.
 
Implementing our solutions has allowed established clients to benefit from huge commercial gains. One JetSoft customer who using our solutions has reduced their scrap rates by over 60%, resulting in savings in excess of $2m a year.
 
AI solutions allow manufacturers to utilise their assets more effectively and take advantage of commercial gains. If you want to know more about how JetSoft can help you, get in touch.

Production loops can surface within any manufacturing sector, from pharmaceuticals to aerospace. The costs and implications of production loops can be detrimental to a business, meaning it is vital to acquire a stringent testing process to identify errors and meet those output expectations.

 
Production Loops   
 
In manufacturing, production loops generally materialise because of an error or an unknown, resulting in a good or component having to be remade or reworked. As high investments are spent in design, production and delivering a product, all components must match the specification, even the smallest defect or error could have damaging effects. Errors can happen due to defective equipment or material issues. For example, a batch of materials may unknowingly be of lower quality and therefore too weak for its intended purpose, leading to sub-standard products.

 
Production Errors
 
Production loops cost manufacturers unnecessary expense, the time spent re-manufacturing or fixing a product or component leads to additional costs and delayed output.
 
Remaking a component essentially doubles the cost and time to dispatch and delays other goods that were planned to be on the production line at that time. Brand reputation, customer relationships and trust are paramount to profit and growth. Delays to customers receiving their goods can drastically impact brand reputation and, in some circumstances, could even lead to clients going elsewhere.
 
Alongside this, defective products arising creates excessive consumption of materials and energy, significantly affecting profitability. These losses not only impact performance and production costs but also directly increase the carbon footprint with the additional CO2 emissions that are released.
 
 
Identifying the Root Cause
 
JetSoft’s solutions create visibility over the production line, which enables manufacturers to operate more reliable production and mitigate production loops. By centralising inspection data alongside vital production data, our OverSeer framework can derive further intelligence on your operations manufacturing process.
 
To receive detailed inspection data, our solution DigiOps allows manufacturers to digitise the inspection process, collating all the data formats into the OverSeer platform, where it will be combined with the array of production data you have available. Our specialised machine learning algorithms will analyse all the data inputted, in order to spot anomalies to identify common problems occurring.
 
  1. Reduce Extra Production Costs 
As an example, our solution may find that products going through equipment are experiencing higher inspection failure rates than those on other lines, indicating a problem with the equipment. Our solutions can help you identify exactly where a defect is originating by integrating inspection alongside other manufacturing data, so that maintenance of equipment can quickly take place to prevent another component facing the same failure and therefore the associated costs in re-make.
 
  2. Minimise Delayed Output 
Digitising paper-based processes through our solutions helps you to gain end-to-end visibility of all inspection data, to make quick and informative decisions. If a material defect rate is higher from a certain supplier, alternative materials may be sourced to ensure fewer defects and thereby fewer delays.
 
  3. Reach Net-Zero 
JetSoft can help you meet those looming carbon emission targets. Gain complete control and traceability over your inspection and manufacturing data, to identify the root cause of any production-related complications before they become a production nightmare. OverSeer can help you drive sustainability, by increasing quality control, spotting defects earlier on and where from, minimising the chance of a production loop. Fewer production loops mean the associated energy required is taken out of the equation and so are the carbon emissions.
 
  4. Meet Customer Expectations 
OverSeer curates an in-depth data process through our user-friendly analytics dashboard, allowing you to input all formats of data, from complex 3D images to the simplest of forms. Our solution can cross-compare real-time and historic data, to monitor trends and help you gain in-depth insight to produce high-quality products. Minimising production loops is integral to reaching quality controls to exceed customer expectations and stay ahead of competition.

 
A Framework for Success
 
Implementing a digital framework is critical to driving efficiency in your production line and paramount to reducing production loops.
 
By deploying JetSoft’s solutions, you are able to identify defects to improve future production processes, increasing your output and decreasing waste. High-quality and reliable output will create major opportunities to gain a competitive advantage in the manufacturing landscape, get in touch to find out more.