Aerospace manufacturer implements Plataine AI solution

An American aerospace manufacturer implemented Plataine’s 
(Waltham, Mass., U.S.) AI-based solution to digitize, automate and improve its material flow and production processes. Plataine’s solutions were implemented to automate manual, paper-based processes, improve operational efficiency and minimize costly errors.

The aerospace manufacturer serves civil, commercial and defense markets and uses advanced techniques, such as automated fiber placement (AFP) among other manufacturing processes. The company was looking for a cloud-based solution to improve production processes, track the location and condition of expensive composite materials and improve on-time delivery. These material items require accurate tracking and monitoring of temperature, expiration date and material remaining shelf life to reduce potential quality issues and waste. In addition, because the company must comply with rigorous aerospace regulations, it requires a high level of traceability for each part it produces.

The company implemented Plataine’s AI cloud-based solution to automate the entire material flow from receiving through handling to the production of the final part. The process starts at the customer’s material supplier that prepares the shipment, including shipment documentation, attaches RFID labels to all items and includes the relevant quality documentation. The receiving process on the customer side will be completely automated. The shipment boxes are moved through an RFID gate, and all shipment items are read and compared to the shipping slip. The automated receiving process takes minutes, saves operators’ time, reduces manual errors and is fully traceable.

Plataine automatically calculates remaining shelf life and other required parameters based on the material location and environmental temperature. In a case where material is not delivered to a station in a timely manner, Plataine’s solution sends an immediate notification to the responsible person on the factory floor. The customer also benefits from Plataine’ predictions on material thawing time, according to its size and type, helping the operators to know when the material is ready for production.

Plataine’s solution also provides the company with strict inventory control and interactive dashboards, helping the customer to reach the highest material utilization and a reduction in material expiration and production delays.

Using IIoT and AI technologies, Plataine maintains a digital thread, providing a complete genealogy and history for each manufactured part. When spools are loaded onto the AFP machine, the operators know which spool was used on which pin and for which work order. When a quality problem is identified, only the defective layer can be removed as opposed to scrapping the entire part.  

“It is thrilling to be working with a world-leading aerospace manufacturer as they pursue their goal of digitizing their entire manufacturing process,” says Avner Ben-Bassat, president and CEO of Plataine. “Plataine’s AI-based software will ensure efficient and automated production processes that will assist them in remaining a cutting-edge manufacturer.”

Also read about how Plataine’s automation solutions improved a composite aerostructure manufacturer’s cutting and kitting operations, or about its AI-based scheduler.