On May 31, according to media reports, the ABB Super Robot Factory in Pudong, Shanghai, successfully increased the success rate of “tightening screws” on the production line from 80% to nearly 100% by introducing AI technology. This breakthrough marks a new stage in the intelligent transformation of the global manufacturing industry.

In traditional manufacturing environments, the accuracy of image recognition technology is only about 20%. Through the application of deep learning technology, ABB has been able to effectively deal with problems such as light changes, part differences and even defects in the factory environment after more than a year of model training. This innovative technology has been successfully applied in ABB’s Swedish factory and will soon be replicated in the Shanghai Super Factory.

The in-depth application of AI technology is reshaping the industrial production model. Taking welding inspection as an example, ABB’s intelligent weld quality inspection efficiency is 20 times higher than that of manual labor, realizing the process integration of “welding and inspection”. At present, ABB is working with technology companies such as NVIDIA to develop a digital twin platform to improve the level of production line management through problem data traceability analysis.

Predictive maintenance is another typical case of AI transforming traditional manufacturing. ABB’s motor downtime prediction research based on massive historical data has attracted more than 50 universities and more than 300 researchers to participate. The head of the company’s motion control division said that the productization process of the research results of the Xi’an Jiaotong University team is being promoted.

Data shows that the number of ABB’s global AI projects has doubled in the past year, reaching more than 250. These projects cover multiple fields such as workflow optimization and customer cooperation development. In the Chinese market, ABB’s AI applications have achieved remarkable results: Xiamen Industrial Center has achieved an annual carbon reduction of 13,400 tons through rooftop photovoltaic intelligent regulation; Qingdao Special Steel’s high-speed wire production line has achieved intelligent linkage between abnormal state warning and digital control with the help of AI image recognition system.

With the in-depth application of AI technology in the industrial field, the manufacturing industry is ushering in a revolutionary change in efficiency improvement and quality control. ABB’s practice shows that intelligent transformation has become an inevitable trend in the development of the global manufacturing industry.