1: Enhancing Quality Control in Beverage Production
Suntory PepsiCo, a beverage producer with five factories in Vietnam, faced challenges in accurately scanning printed manufacturing and expiration date codes on its products. Often, codes were applied before the surface was completely dry, leading to smudging and resulting in production delays and costly stoppages.
To address these issues, Suntory PepsiCo collaborated with Pacific Hi-Tech to implement the Matrox Imaging “Machine Vision” solution. This AI-powered system, integrated with cameras, analyzes code label images to ensure they are properly attached, accurate, and legible. If a label is smudged, unreadable, or missing, the system instantly identifies the issue and ejects the defective product without halting the production line.
By efficiently detecting and removing flawed products, the Machine Vision System has streamlined Suntory PepsiCo’s quality control process. In contrast to manual inspections, which are slower and more prone to errors, this AI-powered approach significantly enhances speed and accuracy, keeping the production line running smoothly.
2: AI-Driven Efficiency at BMW
BMW, renowned for its sleek and high-performance vehicles, now leverages AI to match its production efficiency with its design excellence. The BMW Group has integrated AI into its manufacturing processes to handle repetitive tasks such as quality control, logistics coordination, and virtual layout planning.
AI-powered applications replace camera portals with automated image recognition systems, comparing production images against a vast database. This allows real-time detection and correction of production deviations. For instance, at a BMW plant in Germany, AI ensures the correct model designation is attached to each vehicle by analyzing thousands of images and distinguishing valid combinations from incorrect ones.
Beyond defect detection, AI addresses pseudo-defects—issues misidentified by older systems. For example, dust particles or oil residues on flat sheet metal parts were previously flagged as cracks. With AI, these benign issues are accurately identified, preventing unnecessary interruptions.
By integrating AI across its manufacturing lines, BMW maintains its high-quality standards while relieving employees of monotonous, error-prone tasks, ensuring efficiency and precision in every step of production.
