Bosch Adds Artificial Intelligence to Industry 4.0

At the virtual Hannover Messe in Germany in April, Bosch Group (parent of Bosch Rexroth) celebrated "10 years of Industry 4.0" with new products, a review of its own experience with "connected factories" since 2012, and a preview of its pilot implementation of a new "universal AI solution for manufacturing" in its own plants. Developed by the Bosch Center for Artificial Intelligence, the new AI-based system reportedly "detects anomalies and malfunctions in the manufacturing process at an early stage, reliably reduces reject parts, and improves product quality." The AI solutions uses Bosch Connected Industry's proven Nexeed manufacturing execution system (MES) to automatically collect, process and analyze data from a variety of sources in near real time. Sensor data from machines and cameras serves as the basis for detecting fluctuations in a wide range of manufacturing processes, based on patterns learned from prior data. Nexeed Industry 4.0 software "translates" and visualizes the data, and the AI system offers recommendations for action to plant personnel--or could take direct corrective action in certain cases. The main tools in this process are custom-configured dashboards that present relevant data to human managers and operators.