Page 56 - Plastics News June 2023

TECHNOLOGY

house hardware, such as servers, manufacturers. High-value, cost-ef- gence to generate and execute opti-
which consume space and energy, are fective AI solutions are more accessi- solution given customer-defin
noisy, emit heat, and require mainte- ble than many smaller manufacturers constraints and parameters, such as
nance contracts. realize. AI projects improved equip- function specifications, cost, an
ment uptime, increased quality and lead time, by exploring vast combina-
What can AI do for manufactur-
throughput, and reduced scrap with tions of design and production alter-
ing?
healthier bottom lines and increased natives based on material and process
The whole industrialized world is profits. Using AI in manufacturing availability.
abu talk o artific intel- context means using data to make ac-
ligence (AI). AI is not new. It has been tionable decisions faster and more ac- If you have not yet learned Six Sigma,
used in everything from e-commerce curately than a human can do. There it’s never too late. Doing so will be
chatbots to voicemail to handle rou- are two specific areas where this wo an financia in-
tine tasks in both business-to-business makes a lot of sense — forecasting vestment. definition, Six Sigma a
and business-to-consumer applica- and understanding anomalies or outli- set of methodologies and tools used
tions. However, since the advent of ers.” to improve business processes by re-
open AI systems like ChatGPT, it has ducing defects and errors, minimiz-
risen to the top of the conversation. Lean in to lean manufacturing, 5S ing variation, and increasing quality
The obvious question: What can AI For many in the manufacturing space, an efficiency. goa o Six Sigma
do for manufacturing? And what has it adopting lean manufacturing concepts is to achieve a level of quality that is
already done for industry? has become a game changer, as well. nearly perfect. We consulted Dr Fred
The five core principles of lean manu- Rispoli, an instructor at Stony Brook
While AI is not yet perfect, it can be University in Long Island, New York,
incorporated into certain production facturing are defined as value, the and author of the book Essential Tools
value stream, flow, pull, and perfec-
tasks. for Process Improvement.
tion. These are now used as the basis
Scheduling is complex, especially to implement lean. Manufacturing.net “Six Sigma is an approach to manu-
for contract manufacturers (aka job states that “lean manufacturing has facturing that will eliminate unneces-
shops), and AI can simplify and opti- enabled businesses to increase pro- sary steps in your production process
produc flo throug manu- duction, reduce costs, improve quali- cycle and help to better serve your
facturing facility while increasing sales. ty, and increase profits.” For example, customers,” said Rispoli. “The re-
AI can also assist with pricing by ana- optimizing setups and available labor sult — a reduction in defects as you
lyzing more data more quickly than resources related to daily throughput watc you co go down an profi
any human. improvements of 5% per day offers climb. Six Sigma has proven itself as
AI simplifies manufacturing operations hug financ o time. a powerful system, creating a culture
by fully automating complex tasks and Closely related to lean manufactur- of continuous improvement within an
requiring less manpower. It gives busi- ing, 5S is a cyclical methodology, de- organization. The methodology helps
nesses the agility to quickly revise fin serie o steps: Sort, in manufacturers identify waste and im-
production plans or immediately ad- order, shine, standardize, and sustain prove inefficiencies. Six Sigma meth-
ju flo on schedu the cycle. This results in continuous ods are not limited just to a produc-
or product changes. improvement. Let’s take a real-world tion floor; to a area o
your business.”
AI can enhance production in the fol- example. Suppose your customer has
lowing ways: “For use cases including ordered a new, complex part you Manufacturing today demands the use
but not limited to predictive mainte- n to fabric fo fi time. of 21st century technology to achieve
nance, reducing false error rate, and How does your staff set about pro- and maintain a competitive edge as
cross-functional process optimization. ducing it? Generative manufacturing max profitability.
This technology is not only for large po o artific intelli-

56 PLASTICS NEWS June 2023