AI vision systems are increasingly being used in manufacturing environments to improve accuracy, flexibility, scalability, and productivity.  AI vision systems can be used for a variety of applications, including quality control, predictive maintenance, and robot guidance.  In this article, we will explore the advantages of AI vision systems in each of these three areas and how they can help manufacturers improve the performance of their production lines. 

AI vision systems can be used to detect defects and anomalies in products during the manufacturing process. This includes missing parts, scratches, blemishes, or dents on a product. The system can alert operators to fix an issue before it goes further downstream. Traditional rule-based vision systems are limited in their ability to detect subtle variations, whereas AI vision systems can analyze large amounts of data and detect these differences. 

AI vision systems can be used to detect equipment anomalies, identify potential failures before they occur, and schedule maintenance activities accordingly. This allows manufacturers to prevent unplanned downtime, as AI vision systems can incorporate real-time data from sensors, adapt to changing conditions, and learn from new data over time. Rules-based approaches are less flexible in this regard as they can only identify problems that have been explicitly programmed into the rules. 

AI vision systems can also be used to help robots navigate and operate in manufacturing environments. This can include identifying objects to be picked up, as well as detecting obstacles and hazards that may be in the robot's path.  Manufacturers like Asyril use an AI based vision approach to train new parts on their flexible feeding systems. The process for training new parts for a robotic pick and place application is much faster and seamless compared to a rules-based approach. 

AI vision systems offer numerous advantages over traditional rule-based vision systems in terms of accuracy, flexibility, scalability, and productivity.  AI vision systems can be used for a variety of applications, including quality control, predictive maintenance, and robot guidance, allowing manufacturers to improve the performance of their production lines.  If you'd like to learn more about how AI vision can be used to optimize your facility's process, reach out to our team and we'll be in touch.