On the Mark #11: Artificial Intelligence for metal manufacturers, predictive maintenance, nanotechnology’s food packaging future
Catching up on interesting news and innovations in production, packaging and more
AI and the future of metal manufacturing.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could be used in endless ways, including troubling scenarios where humans are completely replaced on the factory floor. Implementing AI for the wrong reasons (like replacing humans with AI because managers don’t want to deal with employee no-shows or mistakes) solves the wrong problem. Ultimately those companies will be at risk as soon as a competitor implements the same technology. But if metal manufacturers invest in training their people, metal fabrication jobs on the shop floor become knowledge jobs that are less likely to be automated. The future of AI for metal manufacturers is nuanced, where trained staff leverage AI to enhance their existing knowledge. The most profound and disruptive solutions will occur when humans are at the center of AI-enhanced solutions, creatively pushing the limits and capabilities of AI. Source: thefabricator.com.
Avoiding the scramble for parts with predictive maintenance.
Routine maintenance has historically been the predominant strategy to keep machines running on factory floors. But machines eventually wear out and stop working – a scenario that sends maintenance workers into a frenzy to find and fix problems quickly to avoid costly downtimes. Innovations in predictive maintenance are now allowing manufacturers to stay ahead of those parts supply headaches and maintenance fire drills. Thanks to advancements in smart sensors (and their recent increase in affordability), CPGs are learning where bottlenecks may appear in their production lines so they can replace parts before problems occur. Smart sensors are small micro-electric mechanical systems (MEMS) devices designed to be placed on existing infrastructure to create new points of asset management. The PMMI Business Intelligence report, “Packaging and Predictive Maintenance,” found that 70% of OEMs and integrators feel that run-time would be the most useful for predictive maintenance and data collection. Source: profoodworld.com.
Nanotechnology’s favorable future in food packaging.
Nanotechnology, defined as molecules in the range of one to 100 nanometers (100 nanometers is .0000039 inches), is increasingly being used in food packaging to reduce food and packaging waste. In fact, according to a report by Future Market Insights, the use of nanotechnology in food packaging is expected to increase 15% annually in the next decade. Nanotechnology has applications across many industries, but in packaging, nanotechnology can be used to keep foods fresher, longer. Nanomaterials can provide anti-microbial properties and resistance to changes in humidity and temperature to extend a product’s shelf life. Nano-sensors can be used to detect gases in food when a product spoils, alerting consumers by changing packaging colors, while serving as tracing devices for food safety. Nanotechnology could even provide covert battery sources to power intelligent packaging and more. Source: packagingdigest.com.
Manufacturing under attack: cyber security on the agenda.
While the manufacturing industry is in many ways still in the early stages of digital transformation, cyber threats to manufacturers continue to grow in number and sophistication. In the past few years, manufacturing has surpassed the financial services sector as the most cyber attacked industry. And by the end of 2021, cyber attacks cost the global economy an estimated $6 trillion – a figure that is expected to double by 2025. Clearly, it’s vital that manufacturers understand the threats and the risks involved and integrate cyber security as an integral element of their plans. But what it means to be “cyber secure” is a constantly moving target. As defenses strengthen, malware gets more innovative. By adopting a “zero trust” security model – where the mantra is “never trust, always verify” – and by having incident-response plans in place, manufacturers will be as ready as possible. Source: themanufacturer.com.