“AI isn’t there yet, right? I know it is used for generating content and creating images. We are aware of its potential to revolutionize the back office, but it is too early to have it plug into operations.”
Eric, the CEO of a mid-market manufacturer of carbon fibres grew skeptical when I showed him Trigent’s suite of digital manufacturing IT solutions and, in particular, an AI-driven solution that instantly received a sharp rebuttal.
“AI is only for the big boys, others can wait,” he remarked and insisted I demonstrate only the digital manufacturing IT solutions that would help his company automate workflows.
To be honest, I was equally not keen on AI evangelism. But then I wondered, isn’t it important to bust the myth around AI, especially to a High Mix Low Volume (HMLV) manufacturer?
“You earlier revealed how carbon fibres face a unique set of challenges,” I began my AI pitch. Sprinkling the CEO language, I asked, “Cost management remains at the top of your priorities, right?”
“Absolutely, if I were to add some nuance, I’d say, the biggest challenge is ensuring our fibres seamlessly blend into the existing structures at the lowest possible cost.” He perfectly summed up the universal challenge faced by the carbon fibre makers. “New-world beauty (carbon fibres) meets old-world charm (steel, iron structures) — that is the crux of what we do! Has Trigent got a low-cost adhesive that combines the both?” he smirked.
“AI is the low-cost adhesive you are looking for,” I wanted to cast my belief onto the AI cynic but held my thoughts.
The CEO quickly moved on. “It’s not that simple, you know.” He illustrated the challenges of carbon fibre compatibility with existing structures and how the application of carbon fibres is in itself a highly specialized process involving skilled technicians. “And then there is the rain and snow: environmental factors that could affect the compatibility,” he frowned.
The CEO then elaborated on the high cost of carbon fiber strengthening compared to traditional materials. He emphasized that effective resource management could significantly impact the project and, ultimately, the company’s profitability.
As I made a mental note of painpoints typical to carbon fibre manufacturing, I was convinced AI along with other digital manufacturing IT services could be a game changer.
I inquired about the company’s current resource management, and Eric pointed to certain tools that mimic spreadsheets. However, it became clear that the real optimization came from his managers’ intuition and experience.
“If I were to say, AI-assisted schedulers are helping manufacturers optimize their resource consumption to 40-50%,” I took my first shot.
“Not us, not composite manufacturers,” he shrugged off.
“HMLVs are the biggest beneficiaries of AI-assisted schedulers.”
He considered my words before finally saying, “Tell me more”. The cynic in the CEO finally gave way to a patient listener. I began with a text-book definition of AI-assisted schedulers.
| When a new customer order arrives, the AI manufacturing solutions analyzes order details including product specifications, quantities needed, and delivery deadlines. It then scans your historical data relating to previous production times, material availability, and machine performance. As a key part of AI in manufacturing industry advancements, It also factors in worker shifts, current workloads, and machine performance before delivering a production schedule aligned with customer deadlines and optimized resource usage. Once the plan is generated, it is time to ensure that production runs as per schedule. The AI engages in adaptive resource allocation, considering real-time factors such as labor shortages, machine breakdown, and material lead times. It makes continuous adjustments in resource allocation so that the production schedule always remains on track. |
I ended my monologue emphasizing that AI-assisted schedulers will act as smart assistants, complementing your current manufacturing IT services and helping managers validate their intuitions.
“But aren’t we scheduling jobs for, what, now 20 years? Never been able to achieve the results even with all our experience.” Eric was stunned by the 40-50% optimization promise of AI-driven schedulers.
As he explained how the job required a unique human understanding, I caught the subtext. The CEO assumed I was projecting AI as a replacement for humans.
I leaned in and said, “We have to see AI as an extended arm of your human expertise. Even the best schedulers, no matter how skilled, can only process a few constraints at a time, but in reality you know the amount of moving parts. It is inhuman to expect to process all of these variables, but again that’s where artificial intelligence services for business can act as a partner, spotting patterns we tend to overlook, thus amplifying your decision making.”
Silence only meant Eric was all ears. I gave him more insights into our artificial intelligence services.
“With AI plugged in, there would be zero tolerance for wastage. Your machines are not idle; your skilled labor is effectively utilized. Your schedules are not affected by your supplier delays, because AI can predict the delay and schedule the job accordingly. Finally, the system has enough room to balance rush orders and ongoing production.”
“The extended arm is going to be costly or complicated,” the CEO rode on his preconceived notions of AI. I countered by explaining how cloud-based artificial intelligence solutions cost in the range of some of the digital manufacturing solutions he was familiar with, and more importantly had the ability to deliver ROI within months.
“Within months?”
“Yeah, because the AI accelerator helps you build your MVP in weeks,” I sensed it was a perfect time to introduce the Trigent AI studio.
Trigent’s AI studio empowers enterprises to build secure, enterprise-grade AI applications and generative AI agents using their proprietary data with military-grade security. A ninja team of domain and tech experts help you translate your prototypes into a fully-functional MVP in less than 12 weeks. Trigent Ninja team will then help you make the switch from a pilot MVP to a production-ready product deeply integrated with your third-party components, legacy systems, and core IP.
The program may have mildly earned Eric’s admiration, for he was now thinking about actual implementation.
“Does the implementation of artificial intelligence solutions disrupt everyday operations? Does it demand a steep learning curve for the managers?” More incoming questions but they were easy to address. I highlighted how AI, especially AI-assisted schedulers run in parallel with existing processes, allowing human managers to compare AI recommendations with their own I, thus augmenting their schedules.
The CEO finally relented but shifted the discussion to the dual challenge of carbon fibre manufacturing.
“If cost management is an animal, quality control is a beast,” he said, putting the spotlight on the complexity of integrating carbon fibres with existing structures.
“Does AI have a solution for quality control?” he asked emphatically.
I responded, “Let’s break it down into the twin challenges: wastage during production and inevitable human errors before production.”
He was surprised by my accurate inferences. Human errors are bound to happen during the compatibility study when engineers manually research and test materials, delaying production. But what if manufacturing IT services powered by AI can study past projects and suggest the best carbon fiber material and bonding technique based on structural properties?
The CEO could see the future unfolding. “I understand AI has a way around human errors, but what about anomalies caused by the environment? Weather often plays spoilsport affecting application timelines, often delaying production. You know, carbon fibers are extremely sensitive to humidity, temperature, and UV radiation.”
But the new AI optimist in him quickly countered his own skepticism, “I am sure there must be an AI-based digital manufacturing IT solution that can…maybe detect anomalies in temperature during resin curing and automatically alert the technicians!”
“Absolutely, Eric, AI has proven its merit in accurately predicting weather events.” I highlighted some of Trigent’s digital manufacturing solutions that involved IoT-based temperature monitoring and real-time alerting, which help manufacturers sidestep these environmental challenges.
Eric finally acknowledged AI’s potential in carbon fibres manufacturing, and also saw its broader impact, believing that HMLV manufacturers as a whole can benefit from this novel manufacturing IT services.
“We better hurry before the big guys have their hands on AI,” he said with a booming laugh!
I am pleased I could help the CEO see the truth in AI-assisted scheduling, one of the most powerful manufacturing IT solutions available for carbon fibre manufacturers. But the fact is, if properly implemented, it could be a boon, especially for HMLV manufacturers who face custom orders, last-minute changes, and resource constraints.
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