Global Sourcing Spotlight: Tariffs—The New Reality
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
The Rise of Collaborative Intelligence in Manufacturing
May 22, 2024 | Jennifer Davis, Arch SystemsEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Every modern manufacturer grapples with a common challenge: extracting actionable insights from the ever-growing sea of operational data. The challenge of the data deluge isn’t just overwhelming; it coincides with a broader shift in automation needs. While traditional forms of automation, such as robots, remain vital, the focus is expanding to encompass automating the very intelligence needed to run a factory efficiently. As a result, a new generation of tools and technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to transform the way factories operate.
Designed to unlock the true potential of data, AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data, identify hidden patterns, predict potential issues, and empower manufacturers to make data-driven decisions and optimize production processes in real-time.
However, AI's effectiveness hinges on high-quality, readily utilizable data. Manufacturers increasingly demand solutions that not only leverage AI but also seamlessly integrate with existing data infrastructure. Because of this, we’re seeing an exciting trend emerge: solution providers are increasingly forging partnerships to bridge data silos and unlock the full potential of AI for their clients. This collaborative ecosystem holds the key to accelerating the path toward manufacturing excellence.
While collaboration is crucial to accelerating that path, manufacturers must first have a digitalization plan, one that includes a specialized approach to data as well as alignment and commitment from internal teams to the successful application of it.
From Data to Actionable Insights: The Power of Analytics
Modern factories generate a wealth of data from machines, sensors, and software systems. But the true power lies in transforming the data into actionable insights to drive tangible improvements. This requires a seamless information flow, from rich machine data to insightful dashboards and, ultimately, actionable steps on the shop floor.
Here's a breakdown of the ideal data-to-action cycle:
- Rich machine data: Capture comprehensive data from all aspects of production.
- Standardization and brokering: Ensure data standardization through a central broker, allowing for seamless integration across different systems.
- Cloud analytics: Leverage the power of cloud computing for advanced analytics and AI model training.
- Insightful dashboards: Present insights and key performance indicators (KPIs) in a user-friendly and visually appealing manner. This allows potential bottlenecks, equipment failures, quality issues, etc., to be identified in real-time.
- Intelligent actions: Bring corrective actions to the surface, complete with AI-guided playbook recommendations, and enable annotation by factory experts—allowing excellence anywhere in the organization to become excellence everywhere.
Continue reading this article in the May 2024 issue of SMT007 Magazine.
Share on:
Suggested Items
FTG Achieves Major Milestone with TCCA Certification for Edge+ on Boeing 737NG Family
05/16/2025 | Globe NewswireFiran Technology Group Corporation (FTG) announced that its FLYHT subsidiary has been awarded a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) for the AFIRS Edge+™ product on the Boeing 737NG family of aircraft.
Corning Collaborates with Broadcom to Accelerate AI Data Center Processing Capacity
05/14/2025 | BUSINESS WIRECorning Incorporated, a world leader in glass science and optical physics, today announced a collaboration with Broadcom Incorporated, a leading supplier in the semiconductor field, on a co-packaged optics (CPO) infrastructure that will significantly increase processing capacity within data centers.
Breaking Down Barriers: The Connectivity of Machines in SMT Production Lines
05/14/2025 | Bill Cardoso, Creative ElectronAs the world increasingly moves toward erecting trade barriers, we find ourselves in a paradox. Across the globe, the rise in tariffs and protectionist policies is creating a more fragmented global economy, with nations seeking to insulate themselves from external economic pressures. However, within the confines of the SMT production line, the trend is moving in precisely the opposite direction—toward greater connectivity, integration, and collaboration. Rather than isolating one machine from another, SMT production lines are increasingly interconnected, with data being shared across various stages of the process to improve quality, efficiency, and defect detection.
Elementary, Mr. Watson: Design Data Packages—Circle of Concern or Circle of Influence?
05/14/2025 | John Watson -- Column: Elementary, Mr. WatsonI've often been asked, "Can you have a perfect PCB design?" At first blush, it seems like the answer should be yes. After all, if you follow all the rules, double-check your work, and use the right tools, it should be perfect. Right?
The Shaughnessy Report: Solving the Data Package Puzzle
05/12/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy -- Column: The Shaughnessy ReportIf you ask fabricators about their biggest challenges, they’ll often point at PCB designers—the readers of this magazine. Yes, you! Why is it so difficult to create the ideal data package? It’s a fairly straightforward task. But this part of the design process keeps tripping up designers, even those who started in the industry before Pink Floyd split up.