Software co-developed by AkzoNobel’s powder coatings business and CoatingAI is using artificial intelligence to help customers improve the application process and reduce their carbon footprint. The technology, called Flightpath, optimizes equipment settings to reduce defects and overspray, and improve powder consumption — helping to reduce costs, avoid rework, and save time and energy.
AkzoNobel has loaded data and database information from their testing of various lines over the years and has been working with customers, to test new lines and new configurations. In each of these situations, there’s pretreatment and then there is the coating being applied, typically using different equipment and at different frequencies under variable conditions. The CoatingAI programming has helped the company narrow this information down to the optimization of those variables, given the size of the part, the configuration, and process (film thickness, cure times, and oven temperature management). From a sustainability perspective, AN wants to make sure we’re using the least amount of energy needed to cure the polymer.
Because it’s AI, it’s machine learning. AI and industry are learning from a database of data. So as the data builds and AI looks at different gun configurations, temperatures, and part sizes, there are all these different variables. Machine learning helps to optimize it, and there’s always more room to grow there. This technology is real. But it’s not a robot. To optimize it, you still need knowledgeable people to validate it.