Hexagon's Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Intelligence division has introduced an automated computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) programming tool, called ProPlanAI, that cuts the time taken to program factory machine tools by 75%, the company reported. Powered by Microsoft Azure services built into Hexagon's cloud-based Nexus connectivity and collaboration platform for discrete manufacturers, the artificial intelligence technology is the next step in the evolution of CAM programming enabling machine shops to achieve operational excellence at scale.
Hexagon's AI application applies Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cosmos DB and Azure Databricks to help manufacturing businesses of any size to apply their institutional knowledge more quickly, easily and thoroughly by applying artificial intelligence (AI) to automate time-consuming process planning.
ProPlanAI "learns" from the data being created by a company's CAM programmers. This enables manufacturers to automatically explore existing programming information to predict ideal outcomes tailored to a company's preferences, production capabilities and needs. Available within Hexagon's desktop CAM software and powered by Nexus, ProPlanAI will continuously learn and adapt, ensuring programs are as efficient and productive as possible.
Chuck Mathews, General Manager for Production Software at Hexagon, said: "In a highly competitive market, productivity on the factory floor is crucial. While many machines are now automated, the programming of them is often long and laborious and requires highly-skilled professionals that are spread thinly. We have collaborated with Microsoft to leverage their powerful AI capabilities through Nexus, so manufacturers can boost productivity by allowing their programmers to focus on complicated tasks where their knowledge has the greatest impact. Because manufacturers use their own pool of data to build programs, suggestions automatically reflect the knowledge and experience of individual businesses, as well as the parts they produce and the machine tools they use. This ensures that new staff members can be quickly brought up to speed, while also ensuring that there is no knowledge drain when a person leaves a company or retires-something that is vital in an industry facing a skills shortage."
On top of streamlining part programming, the technology could potentially help businesses identify latent standard practices, provide notifications about deviations from company programming standards and make better use of product manufacturing information (PMI) embedded in design files for even more automated CNC programming.
ProPlanAI also features a co-pilot that can guide people through the process of setting up a machine and present to them programs that work. As well as offering support and guidance-for example tips on how to use the software, processes to make a specific part and the best machining strategy to use-users can use chat functionality to ask specific questions and to launch commands.
For more information contact:
Hexagon Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Intelligence
250 Circuit Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
401-886-2000