Artificial Intelligence for Machine Tools
In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has shown the potential to impact the work and growth of many sectors. Manufacturing is one of those sectors that can potentially reap large benefits from the integration of AI in various domains, such as supply chain management,quality control, and predictive maintenance, which have brought significant improvements inefficiency and productivity. The future of AI could bring smart factories, that are highly automated and can adapt to changing production requirements.
Machinery products using this technology are already available on the market and in service. Leveraging AI and machine learning can help manufacturers to improve operational efficiency, launch new products, customise product designs, and address challenges such as unexpected machinery failure or defective product delivery.
The deployment of these solutions represents an opportunity to improve the competitiveness of the European Union. Nevertheless, the potential for the manufacturing industries to continue to reap these significant benefits will rely on a legislative framework that allows manufacturers to further research, develop and test AI technologies in their production processes. It is fundamental for our sector that the proposed legislation will strategically support the European manufacturing industries in their deployment of AI to strengthen their competitiveness and innovative capabilities vis-à-vis the other largest economies.
This paper explores the current status of AI in the EU, its impact on the machine tools sector, standards development for AI in manufacturing and potential use cases of this technology in the sector.