IBM’s Maximo helps prevent production snags by predicting when machinery needs maintenance

The upcoming extended-range Ram 1500 Ramcharger pickup won’t look much different from its gasoline-powered counterpart. But under its fenders, the vehicle will use a flexible chassis with many different parts and, of course, a completely different drivetrain, wiring harnesses, cooling packages and more.

Now add in the myriad models, trim levels and options and the fact that both the Ramcharger and the internal combustion engine-powered 1500 pickups will be built on the same production line, and you have immense manufacturing complexity. Over at rival Ford, there are more than 400,000 permutations of F-Series pickups.

This is the type of complexity where artificial intelligence such as IBM’s Maximo software can help automakers reduce production line-stopping mistakes that cost money and ding quality.

IBM’s software experts are working to expand Maximo’s capabilities to help ensure the right parts are installed on vehicles and to deliver early warnings when production machinery is in need of maintenance.

“AI-based algorithms can digest masses of data from vibration sensors and other sources, detect anomalies, separate errors from background noise, diagnose the problem, and predict if a breakdown is likely or imminent,” a McKinsey & Co. report on automotive uses for AI found.

That could result in a “more than 20 percent increase in equipment availability,” according to the consulting firm, as well as up to 25 percent lower inspection costs and up to 10 percent lower total annual maintenance costs.

For years, this suite of vision-based AI tools has helped automakers and suppliers reduce manufacturing defects on assembly lines right where they occur. If a part is missing or incorrectly oriented in a transmission, for example, the line comes to a stop and the problem can be quickly fixed on the spot. Stamping out defects where they occur saves both automakers and suppliers money.

Some version of Maximo, which debuted in the mid-1980s, is in use at more than six of the world’s 10 largest automakers, according to IBM.

Now, IBM has beenexpanding the software’s capabilities to new frontiers to address growing manufacturing complexity and to help plant managers avoid unplanned-for downtime caused by faulty machinery. Maximo monitors the health of production machinery and tooling by using data to predict when critical maintenance is needed.