Artificial intelligence (AI)-based manufacturing optimization solutions for composites

 Plataine (US), a leading provider of AI-based manufacturing optimization solutions, announced that it has delivered immediate results for a leading aerospace manufacturer in the Middle East by automating and streamlining cutting & kitting operations. The company produces composites-based aero structures using cutting-edge technologies and was keen to explore the latest AI technologies to further optimize their manufacturing processes, increase production rates and reduce material waste.

Plataine’s AI-based solution automatically provides optimized production plans based on incoming work orders, available inventory, and production restrictions, empowering the aerospace manufacturer to better utilize their existing inventory. This includes using rolls to their full extent by cutting plies around defects as well as utilization of remnants and short material rolls. As a result, the manufacturer succeeded in significantly increasing its production capacity, reducing the material waste generated during recuts. Complete automation of the cutting and kitting process has made production more efficient and has prevented human errors in many processes, significantly increasing net profitability per product. Plataine’s innovative AI-based system automatically reads the work orders needed and considers the defects on each roll digitally. It then performs ‘smart material selection’, utilizing the right material for the job, using up remnant materials, which often go to waste. The solution always takes exposure time left (ETL) of time-sensitive freezer-stored raw material into account. In addition, the dynamic cut-planning solution provides full documentation of all material consumed, creating a Digital Thread, providing full traceability of the process while enabling improved quality control and audit readiness at all times.