Industrial AI-Next Big Step Towards Industries 4.0

Industrial AI is a key to unlocking the true potential of cognitive solutions to optimize costs and lead the business to experience robust productivity growth. The recent advancements in research have proven that artificial intelligence is no longer a sci-fiction and it has been widely accepted and adopted across distinct industries. Current global AI integration and revenue projections estimate that this technology can create the biggest impact ever by generating USD 126 billion by 2025 across manufacturing verticals only. Automation of labor productivity, intelligence-driven visual inspection systems, next-gen robotics, and machine learning models to learn from existing data and apply this knowledge to scale every operation on the floor, are a few trends that support and boost industrial AI growth over time.

Industrial AI is about embracing and scaling current industry architecture with artificial intelligence. Which includes automation of processes for data acquisition, advancing computing techniques to perform complex computational tasks at a faster speed with lower cost, faster and reliable connectivity with internal infrastructure, and more accessibility to cloud computing and data management. And in this article, we have tried to summarize how industrial AI can be leveraged to create a sustainable future for industries and how AI applications can mitigate challenges over time to experience continuous growth.

Get smarter with industrial AI

Artificial intelligence is not a new subject for many industrialists. Even though its applications provide an edge solution to almost every challenge, it truly depends on the researchers and top management to study the challenges very well in real time to create the utmost value out of AI. The major contributions of Industrial AI contribute to product/service innovation, process development, and insight discovery. Let us explore in detail;

1. Product applications for user value creation

AI can be embedded across the operations cycle to enhance existing products or services and to make them more reliable and scale longevity. AI acts as a bridge to fill in the gap between manufacturers and consumers. Below we listed a few applications of artificial intelligence that leverage machine learning algorithms, computer vision techniques, and deep learning frameworks to optimize your business-specific products/ services to generate optimized user value.

• Digital Twin

Digital twins are actual replicas of physical devices that help data scientists and IT professionals work beyond the manufacturing processes. This technology can seamlessly connect with distinct devices in different geographical locations through the internet of things, and the emerging world of the internet can act as a boon driving artificial intelligence and data analytics to make effective decisions and monitor heavy machinery without any physical examination.

• Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing most commonly known as 3D printing is one of the fastest-growing technologies that is occupying the digital transformation or smart manufacturing industries at a pace. The well-known types of Additive manufacturing are binder jetting, directed energy deposition, powder bed fusion, sheet lamination, material jetting, etc.

2. Process applications for product improvement

Digitization of process applications has fundamentally changed how AI has been used in the past and how it is going to be used in the future. AI technologies boost the scope and capabilities of conventional AI applications. An example is how adaptive and cognitive robots are scaled to perform shop floor tasks over time. And the applications of AI to enhance processes and optimize operations include:

• Cyber manufacturing

Modeling large-scale systems are one of the vital practices to scale process application. Cyber Manufacturing systems are a network of manufacturing service systems. These systems are resilient to faults. These systems deal with large and geographically distributed assets, which are hard to be modeled via an individual through physical examination. Advanced machine learning and AI algorithms can inspect the machine health and automate operations management to scale subsequent processes for product improvement

• Digital MRO

Digitization of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) is the new-age trend that is transforming operations in aviation around the world. Digital MRO is an amalgamation of a wide range of technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, smart manufacturing, big data analytics, etc. embracing this technology improves business efficiency and it is considered the next big step for process application and for product improvement.

• Smart Manufacturing

Smart manufacturing employs a broad category of AI techniques, deep neural networks, and machine vision practices that aims to digitize the head-tail of computer-integrated manufacturing processes to work in critical and adaptive environments that proportionally change with the needs and demands of markets and consumers. Smart manufacturing processes not only improve the product over time but, also helps in building sustainable futuristic applications.

3. Insight applications for knowledge discovery

Currently, the applications of AI are scaled at every stage of product/service development, delivery, and consumption to extract insights and reuse them to optimize or improve the product/ service portfolio of a business. AI has been playing a vital role in many critical areas, insights-driven are primarily focused to find out the root cause to assure the safety and quality of products or services. Insight application for knowledge discovery is a continuous process that helps identify hidden root causes for distinct problems in the past to prevent similar problems in the future. 

Industrial AI or artificial intelligence for industries is boosting the scope of industries aiming to attain and participate in the industry 4.0 revolution. As discussed in this article the applications of AI vary from industry to industry. Whether it is service-based or product-based, AI always can be leveraged to explore potential opportunities and grow your business in your niche. Industrial AI not only promises a sustainable future for effective operations but also promises a listed number of technologies that monetize your business irrespective of market circumstances. To learn more about AI or to know about how to employ AI within your industry to scale your operations, soulpage provides a free consultation!