Antolin, Gestamp and Fersa embrace AI to transform industrial processes

Autoparts from Spain provides a platform that integrates information on the automotive products manufactured and the main companies in the sector, as well as gathering market data in Spain, to offer professional services globally.

“Artificial intelligence has wide applications in the automotive industry, allowing the optimisation of supply chain processes as well as improving the vehicle efficiency,” said Begoña Llamazare, spokesperson for the organisation. “Trends move towards an increasingly higher adoption of artificial intelligence in the sector, in a context of increasingly connected and autonomous vehicles and smarter cities which are going to transform our urban environment.”

Interior components supplier Antolin is using AI and generative AI to improve industrial and management processes, automating certain tasks to enable employees to focus on higher value tasks. According to Autoparts from Spain, Antolin is using automation to reduce worker fatigue during quality control tasks and it has standardised the process across its global facilities to improve efficiency and workplace safety. As part of that the tier supplier has replaced manual forklifts with mobile autonomous and collaborative robots.

Antolin has also increased its productivity through Internet of things (IoT) technology, using it to capture and monitor process data to perform predictive maintenance and advanced analysis. It is also using AI to improve 3D design and documentation.

“The company is experimenting with AI assistance to improve information queries, report generation and translation of sentences, promoting collaboration and interchange of ideas among employees,” said the company.

Meanwhile, Spanish parts maker Gestamp has incorporated using Industry 4.0 technology on efforts to improve energy efficiency and sustainability, according to Diego Mallada, Gestamp’s chief information officer for digitalisation.

The supplier is also using digital technology to support collaboration and interoperability in across the supply chain. “A collaborative system of real data interoperability can improve operative efficiency and provide the required traceability to reach CO₂ reduction goals,” said Mallada. “The popularisation of AI has posed a serious challenge for companies such as Gestamp because it is not an end in itself but a tool to reach business goals.”

Here Mallada tells Automotive Logistics about how Gestamp is emerging as a leader in integrating digital networks and AI across its supply chain, revolutionising automotive supply chain management through advanced industry 4.0 strategies, emphasising federated networks and superior data quality.

At the same time Fersa Bearings is using what it calls Industry 5.0 technology to implement AI in strategic decision-making in operation planning and optimisation, the application of digital tools in plants, vision systems and automated quality control, as well as developing digital twins in its operations to predict failures. Fersa said that combining that technology with human intuition and knowledge was optimising strategic decision-making.

The companies involved in Autoparts from Spain signal the central role of personnel in the AI transformation of automotive industrial processes. Gestamp’s Mallada said integrating AI with human experience is key to achieving a connected, flexible and efficient factory. At Antolin, meanwhile, AI is enabling workers to focus on value-added tasks to improve efficiency at the same time as job satisfaction.

“AI has improved efficiency, safety and quality in productive processes, but its real potential happens when it’s integrated with the human factor and presence and experience,” said the organisation. “The AI revolution in Spanish automation is a clear example of how technology can transform industries pushing innovation progress up towards a more efficient and safe future.”