BMW Using A.I. To Make Vehicle
The auto industry is experiencing a revolutionary transformation, fueled by the power of artificial intelligence (AI).
The shift towards autonomous vehicles has been widely discussed, with revenue projections for self-driving cars reaching over $70 billion by 2033, according to Future Market Insights.
However, AI’s influence is extending far beyond autonomous vehicles and is already making a significant impact on vehicle production.
As part of the industry-wide trend, the BMW Group is leading the charge by integrating AI technology to streamline its manufacturing processes.
In recent years, the Spartanburg plant in South Carolina, covering over 8 million square feet and responsible for 60% of all BMWs sold in the U.S., has undergone a series of upgrades to incorporate cutting-edge AI capabilities.
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With a staggering output of more than 1,500 vehicles daily, the plant is harnessing AI’s potential to revolutionize automotive manufacturing.
One significant application of AI at the BMW plant is in the body shop, where robots deftly weld between 300 and 400 metal studs onto the frame of each SUV, totaling around half a million studs daily.
What makes this process groundbreaking is the implementation of AI technology to ensure precision and accuracy.
BMW Group Manager Curtis Tingle explains that the AI system thoroughly inspects the placement of every stud, instructing the robots to make necessary corrections if deviations are detected, all without any human intervention.
“This is a fully closed loop,” Tingle emphasizes, “AI removes the need for human thinking and manual intervention from the equation.”
The introduction of AI in this process has yielded a remarkable fivefold increase in efficiency, far surpassing previous expectations.
The AI-based stud correction laser has already saved the company over $1 million annually, enabling BMW to reallocate six workers from the line to other crucial roles within the factory.
The AI advancements have also significantly enhanced BMW’s inspection process. Equipped with 26 cameras throughout the factory floor, the AI software promptly identifies potential issues with the vehicles as they progress down the assembly line.
These issues are then flagged for human workers to address, ensuring that only flawless vehicles are shipped out to meet global demand. Previously, human inspectors were unable to thoroughly inspect every vehicle, making the AI-powered inspection process a game-changer for BMW’s quality control.
Camille Roberts, BMW Group’s IT Project Lead, underscores the critical role of AI in speeding up the inspection process.
“It’s not really humanly possible to inspect every single car,” she explains, “the production numbers just wouldn’t meet the global demand.” However, with AI in place, the inspection process has become more comprehensive and efficient.
AI’s influence extends beyond the assembly line, as workers at the plant use factory scanner devices to capture measurements and high-resolution images of every centimeter of the factory.
This data is utilized to create a 3D “digital twin” of the plant, empowering BMW to make informed adjustments to production processes and understand their impact before implementation.
Oliver Bilstein, BMW Group’s Vice President of Logistics and Production Control, notes that the integration of AI has significantly expedited this scanning process, reducing it from months to mere days.
Looking ahead, BMW envisions its AI technology evolving into a self-learning system, capable of discovering and recommending new ways to further optimize the automated assembly line.
As the auto industry continues to embrace AI, BMW stands at the forefront of this transformative journey, leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to usher in a new era of efficiency and productivity in vehicle production.