AI and Machine Learning Usher in a New Era of Intelligent Industrial Automation

In the week that we at Oden launch the industry’s first cloud and edge Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework for manufacturing, I wanted to examine what this means for the future of intelligent industrial automation.

The manufacturing sector is excited about the potential of AI and ML. 2018 research from The Manufacturer that 92% of senior manufacturing executives believe that digital technologies, including AI, will empower them to increase production and efficiency.

While many other sectors have adopted AI and ML, manufacturing has been slow to progress their application. This is because the complexity and specificity of manufacturing processes have required heavily customized solutions developed by internal data science teams.

Yet Machine Learning and AI have so much to offer manufacturing. The future is all about intelligence and intelligent industrial automation where manufacturers never automate a bad process. Let’s look at some of the potential deployments of AI and ML technologies.

How AI and ML with transform manufacturing

Machine Learning and AI will ultimately be able to provide manufacturers with prescriptive answers to production challenges that humans simply cannot. The top line is that, in tandem, they will help manufacturers make products as efficiently as possible, eliminating waste and reducing downtime.

Repeat processes can be automated and continually improved to their optimum production and efficiency levels as the application learns, assesses and iterates those processes.

It all starts with data. The success of any application of AI and ML relies on the quality of data collected. Manufacturers need to gather the right data in the right formats and in the right quantity. Otherwise, the application could ‘learn’ the wrong things and will not make informed decisions.

Automation is going to play a huge role in the digital transformation of manufacturing as producers embrace Industry 4.0. AI and ML are key to making that automation effective. We see a huge gap between manufacturers who are exploring automation, AI and ML, and those who are deploying them successfully.

To make the adoption of AI and ML much simpler for all manufacturers, we’ve developed the industry’s first end-to-end Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence framework for manufacturing.

A new framework for manufacturing

Oden’s new, patent-pending infrastructure spans both the cloud and the edge, the framework allows manufacturers to deploy mission-critical ML and AI applications to avoid machine failure, eliminate waste, and optimize production in real-time.

The framework integrates ML algorithms and data science tools with both structured and unstructured data from machines, operator inputs, quality assurance (QA), work order, environmental monitors and product specs. The hybrid cloud and edge infrastructure delivers the power of the cloud without compromising the requirements of mission-critical applications.

Manufacturers can use the framework to continuously monitor their manufacturing process to predict quality and machine health, detect abnormal behavior, and provide recommendations on recipes and process settings. They can also prototype and test new ideas rapidly, and deploy them quickly with little or no overhead.

Every organization is unique and manufacturers cannot take a “one size fits all” approach to deploying AI and Machine Learning. This is why we’ve developed a platform to provide manufacturers with the flexibility that they need to deploy intelligent industrial automation in their production processes and supply chains.

Are you excited about the potential of AI and ML at your factory? Have you any questions about how you could apply them and become a future-proof, intelligent manufacturer? Check out our whitepaper on ML and AI applications for manufacturing or get in touch to learn more.

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