AI's Role in Manufacturing Efficiency and NPI Success with Instrumental CEO Anna-Katrina Shedletsky

EMS@C-LEVEL · 23 May 2024 · 25m

AI in practice: one real use of AI described

What this episode covers

Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, CEO and founder of Instrumental, discusses how her company uses AI to accelerate New Product Introduction (NPI) and improve manufacturing efficiency. She highlights a case study with Meta, where Instrumental's technology saved 900 engineering weeks annually across seven programs by identifying defects earlier in the EVT phase. Shedletsky explains the concept of the 'shadow factory' (rework and bone piles) and how reducing its size frees up capacity. She also advises manufacturers to focus AI adoption on solving specific, high-impact business problems rather than chasing trends, noting Instrumental's nine-year journey from startup to an established player in the contract electronics space.

AI in practice

Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.

ManufacturingInstrumental

The system aggregates data from images and functional tests, leveraging AI to find connections and insights that identify root causes of defects, accelerating the engineering process and improving yield.

“The part of what goes in the factory is just like the tip of the spear of aggregating data from images . Also functional test data and leveraging AI to find connections and insights and identify defects and identify root causes accelerate that engineering process…”

Speaker 2 · Hear it at 6:27

Mentioned

Companies
Instrumental, Meta, Apple, Koh Young, Global Electronics Association
Also
GE Predix

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 45m

    Leveraging Data to Reimagine the Product Design Process with Instrumental CEO Anna-Katrina Shedletsky

    Anna-Katrina Shedletsky, CEO and co-founder of Instrumental, explains how her platform uses AI and aggregated product data to optimize manufacturing and reduce waste. Drawing from her experience leading product design teams at Apple, including the high-risk Apple Watch program, she details how Instrumental helps companies close feedback loops in development and production. She highlights specific use cases, such as using unsupervised learning to correlate visual inspection data with functional test failures, to improve yield and accelerate time-to-market. Additionally, Shedletsky discusses her Women in STEM Mentorship Program and Instrumental's recent recognition on the Inc. 5000 list.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 39m

    Starting Small With AI and Emerging Manufacturing Technology w/ Jarred Knecht

    Jarred Knecht, founder of AI quality inspection software KonnectAi and president of ProEV and ECI, explains how his family’s wire harness business evolved from industrial sectors to EV and defense markets. He details the development of KonnectAi, an AI-powered visual inspection tool designed to replace the irreplaceable institutional knowledge of veteran inspectors like 'Joe' without adding cost or complexity. Knecht discusses the challenges of implementing technology in traditional manufacturing, emphasizing a 'baby steps' approach to workforce adoption and the strategic value of AI in business development and talent retention.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 31m

    When Legacy Thinking Gets in the Way of Manufacturing Innovation w/ Annie Lu

    Annie Lu, co-founder and CEO of Laminar, explains how her company uses process-aware AI and proprietary sensors to optimize process manufacturing, specifically targeting Clean-in-Place (CIP) and changeover inefficiencies. She details how Laminar overcame early dismissal by legacy industry scientists by proving the technology's viability directly with major customers like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Coca-Cola. Lu argues that manufacturers must move beyond 'pilot purgatory' by designing for scale from the start, focusing on tangible ROI and change management to drive productivity and sustainability across entire factory footprints.

  • Additive Snack · 1h 02m

    When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM

    Bart van der Schuren, CTO of Materialise, explains how the company transitioned from a 1995 service bureau to a production powerhouse, recently surpassing prototyping with serial manufacturing. He details the three pillars of Materialise—manufacturing, software, and medical applications—and highlights rapid adoption in hearing aids, dental, and drones, contrasted with the slow, recertification-heavy aerospace sector. Van der Schuren argues that AI-driven automation and in-situ quality control are critical for reducing New Product Introduction (NPI) costs and scaling production in regulated industries.

  • NPI Sherpa · 19m

    DeepDive: Notable Interview Recaps - NPI TACTICS & TEAMWORK (19m35s)

    Rob Carl, CEO of Global NPI Solvers, applies his 40 years of electronics industry experience and Kilimanjaro climbing methodology to New Product Introduction (NPI). He argues that the 'Valley of Death' between prototype and mass production requires treating manufacturing like a survival expedition, where 'rocks' like unscalable tolerances (e.g., 5-micron vs. 20-micron) kill projects. Carl emphasizes that high performers must pivot by dropping legacy tools ('trekking poles') and that true success is stabilization, not just launch, achieved through distributed strength and respecting factory workers via the philosophy of Ubuntu.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EMS@C-LEVEL. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.