How big is AI potential in automobile production?
ECK: Production is a region where many people and machines work on their products in particular. The interaction between the various steps throughout the process chain is extremely complicated. This process also provides a huge amount of high quality, structured data, which makes production an ideal field of application for AI. AI can simplify and automate processes for all involved, ensuring product quality and improving profitability. Today, digitalization assumes that it can reduce factory costs by up to 30% overall. AI is a critical part of this.
Keckle: AI also controls them with even greater targeting, while increasing transparency around decision-making processes. We want to improve our production every day. AI is the perfect tool for that.
Where does Audi currently use AI in production?
Keckle: Audi currently has two specific use cases for artificial intelligence in production. The first is the body structure at the Neckarsulm site where AI monitors spot welding quality. We use welding machine data to conclude whether individual spot welding is doing well. As a result, Audi employees no longer have to check all the spot welding themselves, instead focusing solely on prominent employees.
ECK: Another use case is the Ingolstadt Press Shop. So AI checks the image of the part that was pressed to detect cracks. Today it serves as a supportive function by showing operators pre-selecting the problematic part. In the future, AI will make decisions autonomously. This use case has two advantages: First, the steps are automated. Second, operators benefit from AI support.
