It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when Trelleborg started using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve its processes and products.
“Our first steps in a tangible way for sealing solutions were probably taken in around 2017,” says Gordon Micallef, Business Unit President within Trelleborg’s sealing solutions business. “At that time, we began to look at the possibilities AI presented centrally, through information systems and process management, creating the Digital Transformation and IoT teams.”
AI offers some immediate opportunities for process improvements, Micallef says, and he sees even more opportunities in the future. “For instance, we’re well on the road to effectively using AI in automated inspection,” he says.
Inspection machines using traditional detection technology look at the surface of a part and identify lighter or darker defects when compared to the general area being inspected.
“This technology has served us well over the years,” says Micallef. “However, there are some sealing geometries and parts where traditional detection methods are not effective.” Currently, Trelleborg has a project coming close to industrialization addressing these challenges.
“We take pictures of the parts produced and classify them as good or bad,” he says. “There may be a variety of defect types and sizes, and the machine is taught which parts are correct and which are defective. The more you teach the machine, the better it becomes at recognizing the parts that do not meet a specification.”
Another example of AI in action at Trelleborg is the Shim Wizard. Already in use, based on AI analysis, it recommends the best compound and properties to enhance the performance of automotive brake shims to design engineers. This results in a reduction of test time, leading to a faster time-to-market. In the pipeline are projects to improve rubber mixing and energy excellence.
