Manufacturing AI

What is Microsoft Project Bonsai?

Microsoft Project Bonsai is a low-code AI platform that can be used to build AI-powered systems. These can provide guidance to operators or control industrial equipment. This allows optimisation of process variables, leading to an increase in production efficiency and reducing equipment downtime.

Going International

Nightingale HQ’s Richard Jackson attended a round table discussion regarding international trade with Wales Business Insider.

Nightingale HQ to speak at leading Irish manufacturing conference

This year the Nightingale HQ team will be attending the Conference on Digitalisation of Manufacturing lead by IDEAM Cluster and taking place in the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) in Limerick, Ireland. The event takes place on 15 – 16 June and will bring together a host of local and international manufacturers, and technology providers from across Ireland and the UK.

Advancing Digital Transformation of SMEs in the Midlands

Partnering on EI Digitalisation Vouchers with Irish manufacturers Midland Steel and Shabra Plastics.

Toolkits for Smart Manufacturing

Insights into customer examples from Ireland and the UK including Midland Steel and TMD Technologies.

Industry 4.0 in a post-Covid world

Mckinsey’s report on manufacturing operations after Covid-19 takes an interesting look into the potential adoption pathways companies will take on the way to Industry 4.0 and some of the ways technology is changing the sector. It also identifies what ’lighthouses’, organisations successfully transforming at scale, are doing to make them succeed.

UK Government supports AI approaches to manufacturing sustainability

The UK government released its AI strategy on 22nd September 2021. We’ve looked at the report and broken down how this will affect the manufacturing industry going forward. We outline some key areas such as skills shortages, addressing net-zero challenges, and new product development as well as the next steps manufacturers can take.

Can AI get you sued? How AI impacts IP

AI and intellectual property is a minefield. The UK Intellectual Property Office recently completed a public consultation to inform their policy and here I bring you thoughts and highlights.

MLOps is like process engineering for Data Science

The goal of MLOps is to streamline the development, deployment, and operation of machine learning models, by supporting their building, testing, releasing, monitoring, performance tracking, reusing, maintenance and governance, joining the efforts of Data Science and IT teams under a shared focus.

Digital Supply Chains and why you need one

Adopting a Digital Supply Chain is big step towards achieving bigger goals like faster, more precise processes with visibility for the whole company. Digital Supply Chains can be hard to implement, but having a strategy is key. Most manufacturers already have some sort of data from ERP systems so building a Digital Supply Chain can begin with embracing more digital integrations with the ERP system and improving governance of the platform. It is very important to ensure that the implementation of a Digital Supply Chain is taken as seriously as other core business processes.

Digital Twins and AI for manufacturers

Digital Twins are virtual replicas of real-world systems enabling low-cost modelling of the factory floor to help optimise processes. Combined with AI the Digital Twin can support improved forecasting, dynamic optimisation, and more.

Microsoft Build 2021 announcements for manufacturers

Microsoft Build 2021 is kicking off and whilst it tends not to be as announcement heavy as Microsoft Ignite, it’s still got some great things for manufacturers to pay attention to. This post gives a quick run down of the most important stuff you need to read about. Enjoy!

Smart Manufacturing is all about Real-Time Data Analytics

Manufacturers are spending far too much time on data entry or looking at stale data which is hindering growth. Here are seven ways real-time data can turn things around.

Announcing GoSmarter In A Day

Our GoSmarter In A Day workshops solve one problem like processing Accounts Payable incoming invoices to demonstrate the value such automation can bring.

What is Dynamics 365 Field Service?

Field Service is a core customer engagment application on the Dynamics 365 platform and, like the CRM itself, is fully customisable and extensible. Field Service helps streamline business operations by offering smart scheduling capabilities and much more.

What is Dynamics 365?

Dynamics 365 is a cloud-first platform providing CRM (customer relationship management) solutions for businesses. The platform takes a modular approach and offers a suite of products which can be tweaked and defined according to business needs.

Checklists make everything better - including responsible AI!

Building a checklist to cover the six key areas of responsible AI can drive better outcomes and returns for your business. Start with the list of areas as a discussion aid and grow your checklist with use.

Using AI to make your warehouse operations smarter

You can benefit from lower overheads by using AI to manage stock levels, whilst building a more scalable warehouse operation that is safer for employees, using AI.

Detecting defects with AI - a computer vision challenge

With the pace of output on machines ever increasing, quality control becomes a lot tougher. Using AI to detect defective products sooner can help scale your quality processes and avoid significant stops.

Microsoft Ignite 2021 announcements for manufacturers

Microsoft Ignite is kicking off and as usual it's packed with announcements. This post gives folks in manufacturing a quick run down of the most important stuff they need to read about. Enjoy!

Inspiring women in UK manufacturing

CEO Steph Locke was listed among 30 inspiring women leading the way for youngsters of all genders to get involved in manufacturing. But why are there so few women in manufacturing, and why should we care? It all boils down to what happens when an industry is run predominantly by one demographic.

Creative Disruption - UK Digital Manufacturing Week 2020

Major crises cause economic and social damage but they also inspire innovation. This was a major theme Digital Manufacturing Week, who themselves had to disrupt by holding the 6,000 plus attendee event completely online. For our startup based in Wales, the opportunity to tune in to an amazing line-up of speakers from across British manufacturing and connect with the community from the comfort of our own homes was bliss. It was our first time at the event and here are some of our highlights as to who is pushing the boundaries in manufacturing right now.

£147 million investment into manufacturing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been heating up for several years, and the recent challenges imposed by COVID-19 have accelerated efforts to get this tech in the hands of businesses to drive innovation and build agility and resilience. AI has been receiving lots of attention from the UK government and is one of the four Grand Challenge areas in the Industry Strategy.

Nightingale HQ to present at Digital Manufacturing Week 2020

World-class manufacturers will take the virtual stage at the 2020 Digital Manufacturing Week happening from 9 - 12 November. The Originator of Industry 4.0 Henrik von Scheel and leaders from Cobra Beer, Dyson, Rolls Royce, Airbus, Autodesk will all share experiences of bouncing back in uncertain times. We have also been selected to present at the Made Smarter Emerging Technology Show taking place on Friday 13 November.

Manufacturing the future

Industry 4.0 has been budding over the last decade and has a long way yet to mature, however, the onset of the Covid-19 global pandemic has presented a suite of challenges and accelerated the need for solutions. The manufacturing industry has not had the flexibility of remote work to fall back on due to its dependency on onsite workers. Manufacturers will have had to make big changes to ensure the health of workers as they return to workplaces. At the same time, they’ve had to contend with the unpredictability of supply and demand, which could remain unstable for a prolonged recovery period. So how has this impacted manufacturing and what does this mean for the future?

The shift to AI in manufacturing: post pandemic growth

There is no doubt that AI has enabled major efficiencies in predictability and capacity across the supply chain in manufacturing. The global pandemic has also accelerated digitalisation and automation as key strategic priorities for business, particularly manufacturing.

Understanding the techniques behind AI in manufacturing

It’s no secret that the disruption of Industry 4.0 and the challenges presented by Covid-19 have been a push for manufacturers to evaluate digital transformation and consider going smart with AI in their factories. This article, adapted from the webinar shared below, is aimed at manufacturers who are interested in the techniques, data infrastructure and processes needed to support building internal data science & AI intellectual property.

The Historian and AI Webinar (AIFightsBack)

AI for manufacturing has huge potential. As well as clear AI use cases like robotics and automation, the wealth of data being consolidated into industrial time series via historian appliances presents an opportunity for further AI applications. Using the data being consolidated, we can build early warning systems for critical issues, optimise maintenance programs, and improve processes.

AI in Manufacturing (presentation, video, and quick guide)

Yesterday, we ran our first AI in Manufacturing webinar, in association with the Irish Centre of Business Excellence. You can grab the slides, read up on the topic, and/or watch the webinar below.

Teaming up with Irish Centre for Business Excellence Network (ICBE)

We are delighted to team up with Irish Centre for Business Excellence Network (ICBE) Advanced Productivity Skillnet to bring three webinars on AI in Manufacturing as part of the AIFightsBack series.

Mastering AI in manufacturing: the three levels of competency

Manufacturers have been facing continual pressure to improve their technology base, reduce costs, and improve quality since the Industrial Revolution. Manufacturers are used to change but not every manufacturer can or will embrace it at the same rate. Also, no manufacturer jumps straight to being an expert at the new thing they're needing to adopt. The same goes for Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an emerging change in manufacturing.

Industry IoT, smart factories and AI in manufacturing

The world of manufacturing is on the brink of another revolution due to the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications. Aside from clear use cases like robotics and automation, big data applications are coming into play, thanks to industrial time series data collected by data historians. Thriving on all this data, AI systems can be built to send early warnings, optimise processes, predict maintenance and enforce quality control. By collecting the right data, manufacturers can get really creative with their AI solutions, and it can set them apart from the competition.