In my July editor’s note, I suggested that new, fully automated factories with robotic production lines controlled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) would come to dominate the industry in the next decade. I noted that most legacy factories won’t be able to afford a large-scale robotics investment and I predicted that the new players would drive them out of business.
I stand by that prediction, but I’ve since come to realize that there are a number of ways in which legacy plants can put this new technology to work, too. Some of these legacy plants may be able to use AI to stay competitive for longer than I originally thought.
No, most of these older plants won’t have the resources for robotics and automated tables. And most of the owners won’t want to radically change the way they do business. But AI has other uses that are easier to implement.
Robots get the headlines, but there are many less glamorous ways AI can make a factory more competitive. These include optimizing building designs, creating 3D BIM models, tracking materials and components throughout the production process and optimizing deliveries to the construction site.
AI can even reduce downtime by making sure the facility itself is healthy. As an example, I recently looked into a company called Factory_OS. It’s working on a system that will use AI to monitor buildings for potential problems, such as water leaks or structural damage.
Innovations such as these have the potential to improve factory efficiency and reduce manufacturing costs. This will help to make offsite construction more competitive and more attractive to builders and developers.
Two compelling benefits of these lesser-known AI applications include sustainability and quality control.
First, being more environmentally friendly has become a priority industry-wide. By optimizing how building materials and energy are used in the factory, and by helping to design more energy-efficient buildings, AI can help make the industry more environmentally friendly.
Second, AI can help to improve quality control by automating quality inspections and by identifying defects, thereby ensuring that they will be corrected before the module or component leaves the factory. This will reduce costs and will bolster offsite’s quality reputation in the industry.
The above benefits of AI technology are available to any factory, even a well-established one. They don’t require huge financial investments, new facilities, or a radically different way of producing buildings and components.
However, they do require a willingness to try something new.
