The Waterborne Symposium 2025

Abstract

"Every manufacturer is hearing about the “Industrial Internet of Things” (IIoT) or Industry 4.0 and, of course, Artificial Intelligence (AI) – and their promise to revolutionize how we make products.  So, if you ask any expert, “What parameters should I actually be controlling?” you’ll often get a quick “All of them!” answer.  But that’s a cop-out.  It’s easy, but not practical.
The fact is, despite the proliferation of sensing technologies that have endowed us with the ability to monitor virtually every aspect of our environment and process, implementing these comes with a cost. It’s not just about the sensors themselves. It’s also about the supporting network. And the processing. And the effort and energy costs. Unfortunately, these often get ignored during the upfront planning stages, and this can result in some significant surprises on the back end of the project.
Moreover, the hype and promise of AI has a powerful allure, which can only be realized if truly understood and carefully implemented – and when it comes to AI, data is king.
In short, it is essential to balance the cost and effort with the return. Nowhere is this more apparent than with the application of paints and coatings, which often involve the most expensive and energy intensive processes in the manufacturing plant.
In this presentation we will:
    define and contrast IIoT and Industry 4.0 and address their ramifications to modern manufacturers.
    discuss the potential for AI implementation in manufacturing and the requirements to make it successful.
    identify the properties that are essential to monitor at each point in the coating process.
    identify the properties that are essential to control at each point in the coating process.
 describe the best practice to implementing data collection and control to leverage the future of AI."