The steel ball bearing, created by machine grinding a hard metal ball into a perfect sphere, is a crucial component in low-friction joints across multiple industries.
However, the processes around creating these vital components have changed very little since the early 20th century, and the overall process is now mostly automated.
The primary require human involvement is to troubleshoot when things go wrong.
This too could soon be handled by artificial intelligence, with Schaeffler manufacturing becoming one of the first companies to use Microsoft’s Factory Operations Agent, which uses OpenAI models to compare data across industrial processes to find the source of defects, energy leaks and downtime.
The agent compares data held in Microsoft’s Fabric analytics system, meaning it can be implemented across hundreds of Schaeffler’s plants worldwide.
Although it doesn’t directly control machinery, there are still safety concerns around the increasing use of AI on the factory floor, including the potential for systems to fail in unexpected ways and for human operators to be unable to recognise or intervene in these situations.
