The Digital Route to Sustainable Manufacturing
More than 5,000 leaders, including businesses and investors, have said they will slash U.S. carbon emissions by half by 2030, and work toward net-zero by 2050. Manufacturing stands to play a significant role in meeting this ambitious goal. And digital technologies can play a significant part in enabling them to achieve sustainability goals.
By deploying artificial intelligence in manufacturing systems, organizations can unify and analyze massive datasets to generate real-time insights. For example, AI can be used to monitor internet of things (IoT) data and dynamically adjust energy consumption. AI-driven visibility into the manufacturing chain allows businesses to optimize consumption of water, energy and other natural resources, as well as address the biggest emissions sources. And AI can analyze the carbon emissions of various transportation modes and recommend the most sustainable options. That said, this requires the establishment of cross-organizational data-sharing, and consolidation of fragmented data, across suppliers.
Apart from providing detailed insights into manufacturing waste, generative AI can help innovate reusable packaging materials, optimize material layout during cutting and machining, and design products that are biodegradable or recyclable.
By analyzing product lifecycle data using AI models, manufacturers can analyze the total environmental impact of their products, including greenhouse gas emissions, resource usage, pollution and waste creation. This is increasingly becoming possible due to IoT data from smart, connected products. Today, aircraft manufacturers are optimizing the design of components for aerodynamic performance, structural integrity, fuel efficiency and material consumption, as well as for simulating and testing virtual prototypes to conserve physical and financial resources. Finally, generative AI tools can monitor various information sources to keep manufacturers up to date with the latest trends, regulations, consumer expectations and improvement opportunities in the field of sustainability.
To harness the power of AI, organizations must prioritize applications that integrate quality assurance at every stage of the product
