Industrial AI moves closer to the factory floor as workers gain control of automation
Artificial intelligence is beginning to move beyond analysing manufacturing data towards managing the everyday activities of factory workers. The development raises questions about how manufacturers can automate operational processes without losing the knowledge, oversight and accountability that underpin production. Poka, an IFS company, has launched AI Studio, a no-code platform designed to allow manufacturing teams […]
Semiconductor manufacturing faces a growing computational bottleneck
The increasing complexity of advanced semiconductors is creating a manufacturing challenge that cannot be resolved through improvements in production equipment alone. As chip designs become more intricate, the computing resources required to prepare them for manufacturing are becoming a potential constraint on production efficiency and technological progress. Siemens and NVIDIA are addressing this problem through […]
Precision and productivity are reshaping industrial robot design
Manufacturers are demanding more from industrial robots as production requirements become increasingly complex. Higher output must be achieved without compromising precision, while rising operating costs and pressure on factory space are forcing manufacturers to reconsider how automation equipment is designed and deployed. ABB Robotics has introduced two industrial robots, the IRB 1700 and IRB 1700ID, […]
Industrial AI faces a new challenge in managing intelligence at the edge
As manufacturers move beyond experimenting with artificial intelligence towards deploying applications on factory floors, the ability to manage software across distributed industrial equipment is becoming an increasingly important consideration. Collecting operational data is only part of the challenge. Manufacturers must also make that information accessible to applications and maintain those applications across potentially large numbers […]
Digital investment helps Manchester clothing manufacturer triple in size
For smaller manufacturers, digital transformation often begins with replacing manual processes rather than introducing sophisticated automation. The experience of Manchester clothing manufacturer WAWWA demonstrates how relatively modest technology investments can improve production efficiency and create capacity for growth. The sustainable clothing business has tripled its turnover and workforce, creating 20 jobs over two years while […]
Smaller businesses are finding that AI success depends on focus rather than scale
Smaller businesses may have an advantage over larger organisations in adopting artificial intelligence, with new research suggesting that clearly defined applications and employee training are more important to success than technological sophistication or the size of an organisation. Research from Dell Technologies, involving 2,013 UK SME decision-makers and 713 representatives of large businesses, found that […]
Remote operations put industrial automation at the heart of BP gas project
The development of increasingly autonomous industrial facilities is placing greater demands on the control systems that allow complex operations to be managed safely from a distance. BP’s latest offshore gas project in Azerbaijan offers an example of how integrated automation and digital engineering are becoming central to the design of critical industrial infrastructure. Emerson has […]
When a manufacturing data error takes two weeks to fix
Building a Formula 1 team from scratch places enormous demands on manufacturing systems. Cadillac Formula 1’s experience reveals how correcting an apparently simple data error can involve reconstructing a complicated history of production transactions. At Cadillac Formula 1, correcting the records for a single type of component has sometimes taken two weeks. As individual components […]
