GFT Technologies
GFT Technologies collaborates with NVIDIA
Earlier this week, GFT Technologies announced its collaboration with NVIDIA. The duo is teaming up to bring artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to the financial and manufacturing sectors.
Following the announcement, Manufacturing Quality had the opportunity to sit down with Ignasi Barri, Global Head for Data and AI at GFT. We discussed a variety of topics including the motivation behind the collaboration with NVIDIA, how AI can impact the manufacturing industry, and whether there are any metrology or quality assurance benefits regarding the pair’s solutions.
MQ: Why did GFT Technologies choose to team up with NVIDIA?
IB: Over the past year, there’s been a new sense of urgency among manufacturers around leveraging generative AI solutions to drive automation across their factory floors. NVIDIA is an industry leader in providing the tools and technologies needed to develop these solutions.
NVIDIA brings both the hardware to accelerate AI workloads via GPU and the platform to power it. Plus, its software is infrastructure agnostic—meaning that it can run in any cloud environment as well as on-premises. This gives us the framework to design and implement new AI use cases that streamline processes, improve manufacturing quality and boost overall productivity.
MQ: What type of “growth opportunities” do you believe these tools will present to various users, specifically relating to the manufacturing sector?
IB: At its fullest potential, AI will automate factory floors from end to end. We’re implementing a number of individual AI-powered processes to make this happen, such as automating repetitive tasks, optimising production schedules, and minimising machine downtime. The quality assurance applications are really exciting, too. These AI-powered visual inspection systems can detect defects with much greater accuracy and consistency than human inspectors, ensuring products meet the highest standards.
Another use case that’s seeing increased adoption industry-wide is predictive maintenance, which uses AI to analyse machine data and predict potential failures before they happen, allowing for proactive maintenance and avoiding costly disruptions. On the supply chain side, AI can analyse market trends and demand patterns to optimise inventory levels and streamline entire operations.
MQ: In the press release about the collaboration, quality control and efficiency improvements were touted as benefits that users from the manufacturing sector may experience. Could users also experience metrology-related enhancements?
IB: Our work with NVIDIA will provide a number of enhancements to metrology in manufacturing. Our AI solutions will improve measurement accuracy, automate data analysis, enable real-time monitoring, and even offer predictive insights by analysing historical data. As a result of this, manufacturers will be able to catch potential measurement deviations before they become a problem.
MQ: Could AI technologies inspire future metrology solutions?
IB: Yes, we’re working with global automakers to automate and enhance the welding measurement process, leveraging NVIDIA’s AI tools.
MQ: Do you have any predictions regarding future AI innovations, and how they might impact the manufacturing sector?
IB: Our work with NVIDIA will advance multiple existing AI use cases, as well as introduce entirely new ones. To name a few—we expect to see advanced robotics take on more complex tasks, boosting productivity and safety in factory environments. With generative design AI algorithms, we’ll also see more innovative and efficient product designs. We’re also in the process of developing new applications of digital twin technologies, or virtual replicas of physical assets, that will enable real-time monitoring and optimisation. On a broader scale, AI will also create new efficiencies that enable manufacturers to reduce waste and energy consumption in their production processes, promoting more sustainable manufacturing practices.