REHAU Industries SE & Co KG used Fujitsu AI to test a new AI-based quality inspection solution. The results were impressive. This solution will help REHAU optimize quality control by providing features like defect detection for its production processes for essential products.
One of the top producers of polymer-based solutions worldwide, REHAU Industries SE & Co. KG is situated in Rehsau, Upper Franconia, Germany, and is a globally active REHAU Group member. The company provides cutting-edge goods and services in building technology, windows, interior fittings, profiles, cooling, and fluid and rail solutions.
The Fujitsu quality inspection AI solution pilot study focused on extrusion profiles. It is one of REHAU’s leading products. Quality assurance is difficult due to the wide variety of products and the strictest requirements for a flawless surface. REHAU makes more than 200,000 distinct variations of these in numerous facilities across the globe. They do it in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles. At the end of the line, the profiles are twisted into coils after being produced on massive machines that use the extrusion technique.
Background Information on the Fujitsu AI Platform
Fujitsu AI Platform offers cutting-edge AI innovation components and AI core engines. It makes it easier for businesses to use AI and allows customers to verify various AI solutions more quickly. While collaborating with users of the new platform, Fujitsu realized that these users needed to customize the AI innovation components. It offered to meet their unique business requirements. Delivery lead times for finished AI solutions to clients have occasionally increased. It is due to AI engineers’ laborious hand adjustments of AI components and modifications of prototype technologies.
Fujitsu created a new technology that lets users alter AI innovation components via natural language on Fujitsu’s Kozuchi platform to expedite the deployment of optimal AI solutions.
Regarding the Recently Created Technology
The recently created technology creates a set of solutions in a graphical manner. It satisfies consumers by interpreting programs and mathematical expressions transformed by Large Language Models (LLMs). The new technology makes it possible to create mathematical expressions at the expert level in this way. The latest technology allows for the automatic generation of various AI models customized to clients’ needs. It works in areas like prediction, optimization, and anomaly detection by training AI models using this graph data.
Reliable Inspection Procedures are Necessary with Artificial Intelligence
Until now, Rehau has relied on line workers’ visual inspection to ensure quality control in its production processes. However, this labor-intensive process presented several challenges, such as the inability to check the quality of the manufactured goods at the beginning or end of a bundle or during production without taking samples. Despite excellent process stability and control, this posed a persistent danger of undetected errors and quality control difficulties.
Nearly All Flaws Were Found by Ongoing Monitoring
In response to these obstacles, Fujitsu provided a new quality control system that expedited the process in pilot operations. In 99.32% of the test data sets, the system effectively identified over 99 percent of the errors. Using photos of the produced profiles in their best states, the integrated AI was taught, enabling the system to accurately identify a wide range of manufacturing flaws.
The Fujitsu solution also allows for the identification and analysis of relevant processes that cause faults by continuously monitoring and recording the quality of the products. This guarantees that such flaws and anomalies can be foreseen based on the knowledge acquired and avoided.
Superior Quality Products
Implementing the new Fujitsu quality control system can improve product quality and lower waste and complaint rates. This lowers costs and promotes more sustainable production in general. We now intend to move the pilot into a functional system as the next stage and ideally investigate other use cases.
REHAU was really pleased with the high level of professionalism in the partnership with Fujitsu, which was demonstrated by the quick implementation and the solution-focused methodology. Soon, Fujitsu Quality Inspection will implement a system for entirely automated visual quality inspection of the extrusion profiles made by REHAU, enabling the business to make better use of its limited resources than in the past.
Fujitsu Solutions t HMI – Hannover Messe 2024
During HMI – Hannover Messe 2024, which takes place from April 22 to 26 in Hannover, Fujitsu will showcase its products at every stage of the manufacturing process (planning, design, manufacture, and management). These products include intelligent inspection solutions and technology that support sustained change in the manufacturing sector.
Final Words
Fujitsu AI wants to increase societal trust by using innovation to create a more sustainable environment. With more than 100 nations under our belt, their 124,000 people are the go-to partner for digital transformation, helping tackle some of humanity’s biggest problems. As a pioneer in artificial intelligence, Fujitsu has been encouraging the study and creation of cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies for more than 30 years.
