ACE Issue 28 2021 | Page 34

Siemens and Google Cloud to cooperate on AI-based solutions in manufacturing

34

Google Cloud and Siemens , an innovation and technology leader in industrial automation and software , today announced a new cooperation to optimize factory processes and improve productivity on the shop floor . Siemens intends to integrate Google Cloud ’ s leading data cloud and artificial intelligence / machine learning ( AI / ML ) technologies with its factory automation solutions to help manufacturers innovate for the future .

Data drives today ’ s industrial processes , but many manufacturers continue to use legacy software and multiple systems to analyze plant information , which is resource-intensive and requires frequent manual updates to ensure accuracy . In addition , while AI projects have been deployed by many companies in “ islands ” across the plant floor , manufacturers have struggled to implement AI at scale across their global operations .
For more than 170 years , Siemens has built its business on pioneering technologies that have led the manufacturing industry forward . By combining Google Cloud ’ s data cloud and AI / ML capabilities with Siemens ’ Digital Industries Factory Automation portfolio , manufacturers will be able to harmonize their factory data , run cloud-based AI / ML models on top of that data , and deploy algorithms at the network edge . This enables applications such as visual inspection of products or predicting the wear-and-tear of machines on the assembly line .
Deploying AI to the shop floor and integrating it into automation and the network is a complex task , requiring highly specialized expertise and innovative products such as Siemens Industrial Edge . The goal of the cooperation between Google Cloud and Siemens is to make the deployment of AI in connection with the Industrial Edge – and its management at scale - easier , empowering employees as they work on the plant floor , automating mundane tasks , and improving overall quality .
“ The potential for artificial intelligence to radically transform the plant floor is far from being exhausted . Many manufacturers are still stuck in AI ‘ pilot projects ’ today – we want to change that ,” said Axel Lorenz , VP of Control at Factory Automation of Siemens Digital Industries . “ Combining AI / ML technology from Google Cloud with Siemens ’ solutions for Industrial Edge and industrial operation will be a game changer for the manufacturing industry .”
“ Siemens is a leader in advancing industrial automation and software , and Google Cloud is a leader in data analytics and AI / ML . This cooperation will combine the best of both worlds and bring AI / ML to the manufacturing industry at scale . By simplifying the deployment of AI in industrial use cases , we ’ re helping employees augment their critical work on the shop floor ,” said Dominik Wee , Managing Director Manufacturing and Industrial at Google Cloud .
Siemens and Google Cloud to cooperate to transform manufacturing by enabling scaled deployment of artificial intelligence .
https :// new . siemens . com / global / en / products / automation / topicareas / industrial-edge . html