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How AI Helps Factories Work Better

April 24,2025

How AI Helps Factories Work Better

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a really big change for factories. It's making things like smart robots and smart ways to manage supplies. These new things can make factories work faster and produce more.

AI is becoming popular in factories quickly. Experts think that by 2035, factories could make $3.8 trillion more because of AI. Most companies believe AI is very important for making their businesses grow and come up with new ideas.

 

So, where will AI help the most?

AI can do many things in a factory. It can help robots work safely with people. It can watch machines with sensors and guess when they need fixing.

AI can also help create factories that don't need lights on because they are fully automatic. It can find mistakes in products and help make new products faster. It seems like AI can do almost anything!

This sounds great, but how is AI actually used in factories now? Which companies are using AI in real ways?

We found four companies that are using AI in different industries. These companies are doing amazing things with AI, like checking the quality of products and making computer programs for machines. They are also helping make clean energy better.

These examples show that AI is not just something for the future – it's helping factories right now!

 

1) Robots That Grab Food Carefully

The food and drink industry was one of the first to use AI in their machines. AI helps make sure things are done the same way every time, which is important for food safety. Robots that can grab things are especially helpful for moving food quickly on belts. But they need to be careful not to damage the food.

Soft Robotics - The mGripAI system

A company called Soft Robotics made a system called mGripAI. This system uses soft grippers (like hands), 3D cameras (like eyes), and AI (like a brain). It can pick up soft foods like meat, fruits, and vegetables from factory lines without squishing them. It's already good at handling tricky chicken parts.

This system uses NVIDIA technology to think very fast. It's like the hands, eyes, and brain for picking things. This will help food companies make more food safely.

 

2) Checking Quality with AI

Audi's practical applications of AI

The car company Audi is using AI in its factory to check the quality of welds on car bodies.

This AI system checks 1.5 million welds on 300 cars every work shift. Before, people did most of this by hand. Workers used to check about 5,000 welds per car with special tools.

Now, AI helps workers find problems more easily, making quality control faster and more accurate. Audi plans to use this in other factories too.

The information from the AI system is also being used to guess when machines might need fixing. This is part of Audi's plan to make their factories digital by 2025.

 

3) Making Computer Programs for Machines Faster

Autodesk's - CAM assist

A tool called CAM Assist uses AI to help make computer programs for machines that cut metal. This tool works with Autodesk's Fusion 360 software. It makes creating instructions for the machines much faster.

People who use CAM Assist say it can handle 80% of the work of planning how the machine should cut. This saves a lot of time and also lets people make small changes easily. The benefits are faster programming, quicker training for new workers, and better cost estimates. After a successful test in 2023, the company is making this tool even better for more complicated machines.

 

4) Helping Make Clean Energy

Siemens - AI-powered virtual twins

A company called Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy uses AI to make better plans for wind farms. This helps them make more energy and spend less money. They have thousands of wind turbines around the world making a lot of power. Making this power efficiently is very important because the world needs much more wind power in the future.

Siemens Gamesa uses AI to create virtual copies of wind farms. These virtual copies help them guess how the real wind farm will work, considering things like wind direction and where the turbines are placed. This lets them decide the best places for turbines and how to control them to make the most electricity.

 

In conclusion – AI will be used everywhere

These examples show that AI can be used in many different ways in factories. And new ways are being found almost every day. AI is very helpful for looking at information, making things better, and making factories more efficient. This is important for solving the many problems that factories often face.

AI helps prevent expensive mistakes and helps businesses make smarter decisions. By using AI, factories can react faster, have fewer problems, and find new ways to grow – helping them succeed in the future.

At EU Automation, we know it's important to stay up-to-date with these new technologies. We help you find the automation parts you need so your factory lines can keep working well. We use our big network and knowledge to help you understand the complex world of modern manufacturing, keeping your business running smoothly and ahead of the competition.

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