Introduction:
Human civilization has developed from a primitive stage to the one where we are right now. This modern age of existence was only possible due to the advancements in various fields that allowed us to reach this standard of leisure. The current level of comfort is leagues ahead of anything that could have been achieved some couple of centuries ago. One big reason for this is the blessing of manufacturing. Manufacturing products of all sorts has been a key in providing the people with different necessities that they may require. And the instrument of Artificial Intelligence has been a great help in furthering this goal of making global consumption easy and accessible to all.
What is Manufacturing?
To put it simply, manufacturing is the process with which we can convert raw materials into valued products fit for market consumption. This process of making merchandise out of raw materials can be done by either hands or machinery. Before the age of industrial expansion many such goods were made using tools by human hands and this method of production supplied the markets of those times for a long time. However, in this age of global interconnectedness these methods are unable to meet the demands of the ever-increasing market. As a result, the large-scale conversion of parts, components and raw materials into finished products is undertaken by modern machineries.
Manufacturing in the Modern Times:
The shift in the ways that constituted the procedure of manufacturing is easily distinguishable. Now, for the most part, we have moved from creating things manually to a more mechanized approach. Even the word’s Latin origin i.e. manu factus literally meant made by hand. This is a stark difference from the one that was in operation for the majority of human history but one that is understandable. Considering the modern milieu, this is something without which society can’t hope to function normally. The new sequence of the manufacturing process is a bit different from the traditional arrangement in the way that it introduces some other provisions as well. Now advanced manufacturing presents us with various intermediary procedures to create several components for the final piece. Many items have to be designed beforehand using top-notch engineering and the whole mechanism is often aided by various chemical and biological components. This is most effectively achieved due to the assimilation of AI into the manufacturing arrangements.
Use of AI in the Process:
The involvement of machines in the process of manufacturing has been constantly increasing. This sector has witnessed AI predominance due to its ability for self-optimizing automation that greatly boosts production. Artificial intelligence is highly capable of detecting errors so that big mistakes can be prevented in the future. It provides transparency regarding the several stages of manufacturing which is desired by many employers. In addition, the process is unhindered by any disturbances which may occur due to human causes. So, the industries can lighten their dependence on labor and other associated troubles in an effort to reduce waste while ensuring efficiency.
It is predicted by Accenture that by the end of 2030 the Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) will have a global economy of more than 10 trillion USD. Instruments and equipment like the tracking mechanism, 3D printing technology, automated product design, robotics, wearables, etc. will become the face and it’ll help a lot to reduce the cost of manufacturing and increase the rate of production. The implementation of predictive maintenance will reduce the maintenance cost of equipment and machine by 30% and this will reduce the breakdown by 70%.
Nowadays most companies are using technologies like the Industrial Internet of things (IIoT) and Collaborative robots (Cobots).
Siemens has used the IIoT technology and offers software called MindSphere. It is a cloud-based OS that enables the machine to collect data that can be used as an asset to create a machine learning model for analysis.
Rethink Robotics offers a Cobot named Sawyer. As per the claim by this company Sawyer uses machine vision technologies which helps the manufacturer to achieve better productivity and higher quality of the finished product.
Conclusion:
From manual handlings to a more machine-structured process, the development of manufacturing has seen quite a lot. This means that now in a world where human beings receive every single item of daily consumption through these procedures. It would be safe to say that modern technological improvements are a must if we want to run this world. As such the significance of AI in manufacturing has been critical in defining the trends of our contemporary existence.
