Optimization of production processes through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) - employees as key players

Artificial intelligence has been an integral part of our production sites for several years now. From 2015/16 it found its way into the voestalpine Wire Technology Group sites. "We receive crucial support from sensors that read data from machines and systems," explains Steffen Dibow, Managing Director of the Finsterwalde site. These sensors are integrated into machines and can, for example, detect oscillations and vibrations in order to provide early warning of possible bearing damage - something that is imperceptible to the human eye. Dibow emphasizes: "This means scheduled preventive maintenance."

is defined in Finsterwalde as "data-based assistance systems", whereby past data from machines and systems is used to derive knowledge for current and future challenges.

Carsten Langhof, responsible for process engineering, reports on ongoing investments in production data acquisition. This collects data from drawing machines, including production parameters such as the speed at which the wire is drawn through the machine. The collected data enables a comparison of target and actual parameters, allowing deviations to be detected at an early stage and the entire production process to be optimized. The long-term goal is to use this wealth of data to control and plan the entire process chain - from order initiation to completion - in such a way that machines are better utilized, quality continues to improve and customers can enjoy immediate delivery reliability - all with the help of artificial intelligence.

The integration of AI is a joint process in which the employees of voestalpine Wire Germany are actively involved. Diego Alex emphasizes that this is not just an IT issue, but also a production issue. For two years now, there has been a working group of employees at the Finsterwalde site who are contributing their expertise. Close coordination with an automation engineer who knows the systems inside out is crucial. At voestalpine Wire Germany, we are driving forward the integration of AI and, according to Steffen Dibow, it is a continuous process of change that is becoming increasingly efficient as the technical possibilities develop.