AI is setting us all free - or is it? And how is it impacting manufacturers on the ground?

In the second part of a 2-part interview on how AI is changing the sector (part 1 is here), we sat our co-founder Theo Saville down to get his thoughts on the big picture: what's happening with AI in various areas, and where we are heading.

Q: How is technology playing a transformative role in manufacturing? Can you highlight some key trends and areas of impact?

A: Manufacturing is historically very slow to adopt technology, and it prefers to buy machines to software. I think that’s a big mistake, and the sector now needs to adapt the opposite approach, where machinery is more of an overhead and the software is what you invest in. Today software has a transformational aspect on how your business runs, and there is very bad software out there in manufacturing, as well as good stuff. It’s a big deal.

Q: Beyond just automation, how are different technologies being used to enhance manufacturing capabilities?

A: 3D printing is a massive pile of over-hyped nonsense. It’s a jack of some trades and master of none that will never compete with somebody who has the right equipment for the job you want to do, which means it is and will always remain a solution in search of a problem.

I’m obviously biased, but CloudNC’s CAM Assist technology, which applies AI to accelerate and automate precision machining, has a clear use case and real benefits to customers. It makes specialised manufacturing equipment that already exists and is in use, and is worth a lot of money, far more productive that it is currently. That’s a step change far and above what is possible with something like 3D printing.

Q: What are the main benefits of embracing technology in manufacturing?

A: If you don’t embrace new technology, your company won’t compete or ultimately survive, as it will be out-competed by those who are or become more productive. So adopting new solutions is critical.

Q: Are there any challenges hindering the wider adoption of advanced technologies in manufacturing?

A: There’s a combination of factors that makes it hard. First, the difficulty level of implementing new technology is very high, and it also takes a long time. When you add that with the skills issues in the industry - there’s both a skills gap (as there aren’t enough people) and a skills bottleneck (as there aren’t enough experienced manufacturing people who are extremely IT literate), implementation becomes very complex.

Q: What steps can be taken to support manufacturers, especially SMEs, in overcoming these challenges and leveraging technology effectively?

A: We need to make the sector easier for people to get into. Apprentice programs take way too long, aren’t interesting enough and aren’t, in the end, well paid enough. We need to make manufacturing a more appealing place to work and give people a faster route to making a reasonable income.

Q: How can technology contribute to a more sustainable manufacturing sector?

A: You need to apply technology so you can run your equipment more effectively and scrap fewer parts. In the sector we work in - precision machining - CNC machines are under-utilised by a factor of 4 and scrap rates are high, and every time you scrap a component you waste the resource and all the energy that’s gone into it. If you can use technology to get better in terms of execution, you can reduce your carbon footprint very quickly.

Q: Imagine a future where UK manufacturing is a global leader in innovation and technology. What would this future look like, and what steps can be taken to make it a reality?

A: The UK is already a global manufacturing leader, and always has been! How to maintain that position: I would drive for more digital education - we need to teach the next generation the ability to create products and use and program software - and we need to continue to make it easier for people to enter the sector and get to grips with its processes.

CloudNC exists in large part because when I first went to use a CNC machine, I couldn’t believe how difficult its software was to use and how long it would take to learn how to use it - and I’m sure I’m not the only person who felt the same way.  

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