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AI in Engineering – Friend or Foe?

AI in Engineering Friend or Foe?

Ethan Stansfield |

In your life time, you have likely seen an explosion in invention and improvements in technology. With processes becoming more efficient and accurate, many jobs have been made redundant overnight. We all worry for the future, and with he introduction of Artificial Intelligence, many fear what impact this will have on their specific field. With good reason too. You engineers are the backbone of industry and have been trusted for years. So what do you think? Is AI an enemy of engineers? Or is it more of case of us welcoming and embracing the potential of AI?

Who uses AI?

AI functions in business are becoming increasing common. The customer service sector is especially fond of AI tools to connect with customers. 56% of the customer service sector use a AI tool of some kind. And it makes sense when you think about it. Most the questions we have, have already been answered many times. Why not automate a response? With this mind. What about manufacturing? It’s estimated that only 25% of manufacturing companies use AI. When we stop to consider the potential issued that could be avoided with AI tool, it seems a very low percentage.

An interesting article from Lindsay Moore at TechTarget goes through a few examples of AI use in Manufacturing. In particular, the section ‘Predictive maintenance improves safety, lowers costs’ caught my eye. Here IGE we provide maintenance programs for many companies in the UK. AI driven data would certain help a lot of our clients. Calibration for most electrical and mechanical uses is recommended once a year. However the lifespan of instruments varies greatly. Keeping track of all these instruments maintenance needs is no easy task. But AI promises to make this process a whole lot simpler. For us and our customers, this is a win all round.

Learning on the Job

Like an apprentice on the tools, AI is learning on the job. For example: Every day around 3.5 billion Google Search are made. The data is instantly store and analysed on the fly. Just imagine the sheer volume of data being analysed! How can this possibly be quantified into useful data? AI data models are designed to pick and organise huge volumes of data into reports for the end user. Companies are even automating processes based on this data. This is far faster than any workforce could do, and AI doesn't have to stop for a smoke or a cup of tea.

Machine Muscle

How many tasks do you regularly do that can be automated? For manufacturers such as Tesla and BMW, the answer is a lot! One example is their use of AGV's (AI-driven automated guided vehicles) which ferry parts and products around the factory safely. Massively reducing potentially costly health and safety risks, speeding up inventory solutions and allowing engineers to engineer. In food manufacturing, Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) offer significant benefits. These vehicles, guided by AI, efficiently handle materials within the facility, optimizing operations. But the real advantage comes from combining AGVs with AI solutions. By integrating AI, AGVs can adapt to changes in real-time, improving efficiency and minimizing waste. Predictive analytics further enhance inventory management and ensure compliance with safety standards.

Consider the steel fabrication industry. A crucial part of worldwide industry and historically dangerous workplaces. Collaborative Robots (cobots) are revolutionizing traditional manufacturing processes. These intelligent machines work alongside human operators, enhancing productivity, safety, and precision. In a typical steel fabrication company, cobots excel in tasks such as welding, cutting, and material handling, where their agility and accuracy significantly augment human capabilities. Research indicates that integrating cobots into steel fabrication processes can increase productivity by up to 30%, while simultaneously reducing production costs by 40%. Furthermore, cobots contribute to a safer work environment by handling repetitive or hazardous tasks, thereby minimizing the risk of workplace injuries. Their intuitive interfaces and flexibility allow for easy reprogramming and adaptation to varying production needs, ensuring optimal utilization of resources. Additionally, cobots offer scalability, enabling businesses to adjust production volumes efficiently in response to market demands.

In AI we trust

One consideration is trust. Do engineers trust AI enough to harness it. A really interesting article by Beth Stackpole called ‘For AI in Manufacturing, start with data’ Highlights the importance of relevant data. Specifically data-centric and synthetic data type AI interfaces like ChatGPT now allow a ‘none coder’ a way in to creating a useful AI data model. Is your company willing to spend the time and effort to setup these functions?

We are most likely, unknowingly, reliant on AI in our day to day lives anyway. Whichever way we look, AI is revolutionising previously long-winded tasks. Can it provide a need boost in efficiency in your business.

I have personally found this to be the case for small business. Using AI platforms like ChatGPT have allowed me to write appropriate meta data for the thousands of web pages I've published over the years. A job I really grew to hate. Is there a task that you could put to AI. Likely there is, and we're wasting even talking about it. And there is the fear. We usually tar AI with the same brush. We assume it will end in a SKYNET Robot revolution against humanity. But if used correctly, it might well be a door to solving production, distribution and servicing issues worldwide. A tool to further the interests of grow and prosperity. 

Conclusion

AI is here to stay, whether we like it or not. So why not find a way for your company to gain from it. The advantages of AI are there for the taking, and you can guarantee you competitors are at least planning to use it soon. And it isn’t a race to the moon or anything nearly as complicated or expensive to implement. Ai could be used purely as a tool to free up your workforce from repetitive, laborious tasks. And could even be another problem solver to add to you team. At IGE we use it for all sorts of processes, making us faster and more efficient. Able to handle servicing task smoothly and with less mistakes.