Manufacturing Happy Hour · 1 Oct 2024 · 59m
Andrew Hastert, Director of Digital Strategy and Portfolio at Rockwell Automation, explains how generative AI and causal inference can help manufacturers escape "pilot purgatory" by simplifying complex tasks like programming and troubleshooting. He highlights that AI addresses the industry's talent crisis by capturing tribal knowledge and empowering new workers, while also noting that Software as a Service (SaaS) remains a primary source of ROI. Hastert advises manufacturers to focus on specific business challenges, partner with established technology providers like Microsoft and NVIDIA, and adopt off-the-shelf solutions such as Guardian AI to drive autonomous decision-making.
Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.
Engineering & simulationRockwell Automation Copilot
Generative AI is being integrated into Rockwell's programming environment to allow users to generate PLC code via natural language prompts, reducing the time required to create and validate code from hours or days to seconds.
“with generative air with like a copilot type of programming model that we're building into our own design software today, I can generate that code in seconds.”
Andrew Hastert · Hear it at 11:51
Logistics & fulfilment
A client uses AI combined with causal inference to analyze production, supply chain, and customer data to recommend optimized actions for raw material purchasing, production scheduling, and logistics decisions.
“they can recommend to their supply chain team, what actions to take around, what raw materials to buy, what production to schedule, when and where, and how to optimize logistics…”
Andrew Hastert · Hear it at 41:07
large enterprises
Other shows on the same ground, closest first.
Andrew Scheuermann, Cofounder and CEO of Arch Systems, explains how his company helps major EMS players like Flex, Jabil, and Plexus transition from data collection to intelligent actions using their Action Manager tool. He details how Arch captures tacit knowledge from aging experts and uses generative AI, specifically GPT models, to automate downtime analysis and train the next generation of workers. Scheuermann also discusses Arch's strategic expansion from SMT lines into box-build, semiconductor advanced packaging, and injection molding, leveraging partnerships with MES providers like Aegis Software to serve mid-market manufacturers.
Emily Laird, an AI integration technologist and host of the Generative AI 101 podcast, discusses how generative AI is transforming manufacturing by making historical data actionable for predictive maintenance and demand forecasting. She draws parallels between fast fashion and manufacturing, highlighting how AI accelerates design cycles and material efficiency through rapid prototyping and 3D modeling. Laird emphasizes the necessity of combining AI literacy with deep domain knowledge, arguing that AI acts as a co-pilot to preserve tribal knowledge and enable specialized roles rather than replacing human workers.
Rob Russell, Head of Predictive Maintenance at Siemens and co-founder of Senseye, explains how the company leverages Generative AI to transform predictive maintenance from simple anomaly detection to prescriptive decision support. He details how Senseye’s horizontal platform analyzes sparse maintenance records and sensor data to guide factory operators, effectively capturing institutional knowledge as experienced workers retire. Russell discusses the critical importance of implementing guardrails, ensuring human-in-the-loop verification, and integrating with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) to provide actionable, safe instructions on the factory floor.
Milan Kocic, Founder and Head of Sixth Sense at Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, discusses the role of AI in advanced manufacturing and the challenges of the US workforce. He highlights the Sixth Sense accelerator program, which supports startups like GelSight, and explains how generative AI tools from companies like Rafinex and Caster are augmenting design engineers rather than replacing them. Kocic argues that the future of manufacturing lies in collaborative robotics and AI-driven efficiency to address labor shortages and reshape the industry's public perception.
Fil Aronshtein, Founder and CEO of Dirac, explains how his company automates manufacturing work instructions to solve the problem of lost tribal knowledge when experienced workers retire. He details how Dirac’s software takes CAD files and uses physics simulations to automatically generate assembly animations, reducing manual effort by 80% while retaining critical tribal knowledge. Aronshtein argues that modernizing these instructions is essential for attracting the next generation of workers to complex industries like aerospace, automotive, and agriculture.
The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Manufacturing Happy Hour. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.