Everyone is grappling with new technologies: futurologists, consultancy bureaus, asteroid miners, Oreo tasters… What will 2025 look like for them? How will it look for us? Read all about it in our regular round-up of manufacturing-related news. 

Fun fact: the name Augury comes from the Greco-Roman practice of observing bird behavior to receive omens that could offer insights into the future. According to Plato, this method was later superseded by haruspices, inspecting a sacrificed animal’s liver, since this was considered much more prestigious. 

So, in terms of hygiene alone, it’s easy to understand why crystal balls ended up cornering the soothsaying market.

The Long History of Futurology

“In A Century of Tomorrows, Glenn Adamson offers a hurtling history of the art, science, and big business of looking ahead,” according to ‘From Tarot Cards to Streamlined Design, We Can’t Stop Predicting the Future’.

“The act of probing into the future need not be predictive to be useful,” writes historian Adamson. “Instead, considering what the future might look like can focus attention on the good and bad of the present. Adamson opens with a fascinating, albeit brief, account of weather forecasting, which became more reliable with the advent of the telegraph: as he notes, ‘a lot of tomorrow’s weather is already here today; it’s just somewhere else, usually a little farther west.’”

In more recent weather news: ‘DeepMind AI Weather Forecaster Beats World-Class System’.

The Future Is Futuristic 

According to ‘Dreams Of Asteroid Mining, Orbital Manufacturing And Much More’, an army of “space cadets who see the world beyond Earth as something not just to be explored but conquered” is arising.

These cosmo-peneurs are confident they will soon be able to piggyback on asteroids to mine platinum and other precious metals, make optical fiber in Zero-G far superior to the conventional sort, or improve drug efficacy by crystallizing their ingredients in orbit. 

But it won’t be easy. “The obstacles would be formidable, even to the less ambitious goal of setting up a nursing home for retired billionaires. But formidable is not insurmountable.”

Go, space cadets, go!

Future Past

“A technology pioneered by Benjamin Franklin is being revived to build more efficient electric motors,” according to ‘Electric Motors Are About to Get a Major Upgrade Thanks to Benjamin Franklin’.

It’s said Franklin used his invention, an electrostatic motor, on a picnic to power a turkey rotisserie. However, enabling technologies only matured enough recently to make the motor efficient enough to go whole-hog. .

“It’s reminiscent of the early 1990s, when Sony began to produce and sell the first rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, a breakthrough that’s now ubiquitous. […] These motors could lead to more efficient air-conditioning systems, factories, logistics hubs, and data centers, and – since they can double as generators – better ways of generating renewable energy. They might even show up in tiny surveillance drones.”

Major players such as FedEx and Rockwell Automation are already testing the motors. 

Are Even the Fact-Based Soothsayers Threatened?

“The golden age for CEO whisperers may be coming to an end,” according to ‘Have McKinsey And Its Consulting Rivals Got Too Big?’.

“Not long ago the consulting industry looked indestructible. Fees rocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic as clients sped up efforts to digitize their businesses, diversify their supply chains, and respond to growing calls to bolster their environmental, social and governance (ESG) credentials.” 

But now there’s a slump in demand and widespread layoffs due to a potent mix of shrinking markets brought on by deglobalization, a waning interest in ESG, and seemingly endless technological disruption. 

But the consultants are not standing still, and are actively developing digital tools to improve their workflows. Many are also partnering up with the companies developing the AIs. “Such partnerships look like a welcome source of growth for the consultants. In time, though, they could become a drag – especially if they are successful. The quicker corporate clients become comfortable with chatbots, the faster they may simply go directly to their makers in Silicon Valley.”

However, these short-term gains from AI could lead the consultancy bureaus to irrelevance – “something for all the strategy brains to stew on.”

The Future Is Tasty!

It’s a problem for food developers: the tastings. According to ‘Oreo Owner Mondelez Taps AI to Tweak Its Classic Snacks’, this is especially true if you happen to be a health fanatic developing sugar products.

“I used to work in Sour Patch Kids, and if you did a tasting every day for a week, it was a nightmare,” says one food developer. 

But now AI is transforming the process. “Food scientists there use the AI tool to create optimal recipes by specifying desired characteristics, including flavor (‘buttery,’ ‘in-mouth saltiness,’ or ‘vanilla intensity,’ for instance), aroma (‘oily,’ ‘egg flavor,’ ‘burnt,’ among others) and appearance (‘amount of chips,’ ’roundness,’ ‘chip edges’ are considerations). The tool also considers parameters like the cost of ingredients, their environmental impact and their nutritional profile.” 

“Earlier iterations of the tool that weren’t given as much data made some unhinged suggestions. ‘Because [baking soda is] a very low-cost ingredient, it would try to just make cookies that were very high in baking soda, which doesn’t taste good at all,’ said one manager.”

So yes, you will still need human Subject Matter Experts in the loop to serve as tasters and brand stewards. “The brand steward is key… They’d be telling the tool: This is what the essence of an Oreo is.”

Nice work when you can get it.  

The Future is GenAI. If We Take A Deep Breath…

In other new use case news, “OpenAI and Google have unveiled their next generation of products,” according to ‘What Do The Gods Of Generative AI Have In Store For 2025?’.

In short, playtime is over, and now it’s time “to release clever products that prove there is a market for all this ingenuity.” However, the rush to produce has meant some of these products have been “marred by glitches”.

It seems GenAI  is evolving so quickly that the technology is defining the product. “You are normally taught not to be a hammer looking for a nail,” says Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s chief product officer. But “every two months computers can do something that we have never before been able to do.”

What is the moral of the story? Take a deep breath, people. Take a deep breath and lead with the nail: that problem that really needs solving. 

The New Crystal Ball On The Block

In summary, the future is hazy. No one and nothing – including crystal balls – are sure how it will play out. 

One thing is certain: the new telegraph in town is called AI. And 2025 might be the year it offers yet sunnier forecasts. 

Read last month’s Manufacturing – The News: ‘Will AI Become the Time Person of The Year?’.

The post Manufacturing – The News: The State Of Crystal Balls For 2025 appeared first on Augury.

In a recent edition of the Manufacturing Meet Up podcast, hosts and industry veterans Alvaro Cuba and Ed Ballina look back at 2024 and dust off their crystal balls to see what they see coming up in 2025. Let’s summarize!

 

It was a big year in manufacturing, and Ed and Alvaro discuss the stories and trends that shaped 2024 – and how they see 2025 developing. And here’s a spoiler: challenges remain, but the future looks bright as long as humans and machines work together and keep team-building. Watch the full episode! 

What Did 2024 Mean For Manufacturing?

1) Cost And Productivity Pressures

It’s all getting rather expensive for many reasons. Yes, we’re still dealing with the wake of COVID: incurred costs and wobbly supply chains. And yes, the labor market is still very tight. And for sure, consumers are getting tired of paying the price.

Manufacturers are looking for value and cutting costs, and this won’t be changing anytime soon. In fact, manufacturing has always been about making the best possible products for the least amount of money. So, it’s something we have to live and deal with. That’s where tech comes in…

2) Booming Global Market For AI

You couldn’t miss it: AI hit not only factories but also your family and communities. It’s everywhere and only set to grow. The global AI market for manufacturing is estimated to go from US$4 billion in 2023, to US$156 billion in 2033, growing at a CAGR of 45%.

Most companies believe AI will be a pivotal technology to drive growth and innovation in the sector. People are starting to see the value of the coins coming in. AI adoption in manufacturing is set to go from 26% in 2022, to 86% as of now, and to 93% in two years – which basically means everyone.

In short, it’s a revolution!  

3) Connected People

People still matter – big time. Yes, there’s a “Silver Tsunami” of retirements. But there’s also a “New Collar” class rising. Trades are at an all-time high in demand and get paid attractively well. Not to generalize, but these folk are not only out to punch the clock but want to find meaning in their work – and AI can help with that. Instead of working in breakdown mode, you can use Predictive Maintenance technology to get you to the equipment and address any issues before anything terrible happens. With no greasy messes to clean up, you can focus more on solving root causes. With a connected workforce, it’s no longer just about brawn but also brain. 

With purpose, everyone wins.  

What Will Matter In 2025 

1) Industry 5.0: Looping In The People

So all this Industry 4.0 tech is great for the shop floor – and job satisfaction. But we must do more to complement it with the front-line people using it and their skills. It’s estimated that around 44% of roles have evolved thanks to human-AI collaboration (and this will only continue). And, the idea behind Industry 5.0 is to empower people with the relevant skills to do their jobs better and to also make them more versatile and resilient.

Yes, you need to connect the workers to the tech. Still, you also have to connect them with each other – down the line, in the different factories in your portfolio, with the customer service people, supply people, quality people, etcetera. 

In other words, Maintenance and Operations will become better friends in 2025.

2) Next-Level Connectivity And Data

Once you connect the people, you need to connect the systems. Yes, we’re talking about bringing Machine Health together with Process Health so everyone can collaborate to achieve full Production Health. We’re talking about next-level connectivity for complete transparency and supply chain optimization. Once all these elements are joined, the results will be incredible.

3) Sustainability. The Real Thing

This is the year that sustainability starts to become less symbolic and more systemic. Before, we had C-Suite sustainability, which made a nice picture in the annual reports. And that’s important: we need goals to work towards in terms of benefiting the planet. But the real sustainability is in the lines. With tech-empowered operators and supervisors, your lines will run better – and that means less waste and energy use. And that brings serious dollars. 

By doing a better job in a more relaxed way, those working the line also have more time to think and introduce even more innovations. In other words, sustainability can start paying for itself. Ka-ching. But again, this is what manufacturing folk have been doing their whole careers. It’s always been a balancing act between productivity, quality, customer service, and all the rest. What Alvaro and Ed are saying is that it will all just get easier in 2025.

Happy New Year! Watch the full Manufacturing Meet-up episode: ‘2024 Trends, 2025 Predictions’.

The post Manufacturing Meet Up: 2024 Trends, 2025 Predictions appeared first on Augury.

The Newsweek Excellence Index spotlights companies that are successful at business while also out to elevate the well-being of customers and their communities. “Like the others on this illustrious list, our values define what we do as a company,” writes Augury’s VP of People, Danelle DiLibero. “And by following these values, we’re here to stand the test of time.”

We’re In The Relationship Business

“We don’t sell sensors and AI. We sell trust,” said Augury Co-Founder and CEO Saar Yoskovitz in a recent interview. “At Augury, we understand that our responsibility doesn’t end with putting sensors on machines. It goes well beyond that to the success and growth of our customer’s users and communities.”

Augury prides itself to be a company that delivers value – in every sense of the word – and that’s why we are proud to be included on the Newsweek Excellence Index 2025, as a company representing the Industrial AI/Advanced Manufacturing industry

Mindful Business Leadership

Newsweek and its partner, Best Practice Institute (BPI), have compiled this index from 1,000 companies in 25 industries and 100 categories.

As they put it: “Corporate success is not defined solely by the bottom line. This year, a group of companies set themselves apart as champions of business excellence by balancing financial success with a dedication to ethical practices, social responsibility and global sustainability. […] These companies prove that thriving requires not just strategic acumen but an unwavering commitment to doing the right thing for their stakeholders.”

We’ll certainly take that.  

Timeless Not Timely

The list features many startups. And we hope they stay on this list for years, along with ourselves now as a midsized company, and that we grow further together. 

Meanwhile, the included legacy companies are notable in that they have withstood the test of time and have been unwavering in their actions. These companies allow the foundation of their values to drive almost everything. They don’t change these values when faced with new situations or trends. These companies are timeless, not timely. They don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk.

Companies like Disney and Hilton consistently fulfill the expectations of those who engage with them. We hope that when people engage with Augury as employees or customers, they have the same feeling.  

People First. Always

The list aligns with one of our core values: People First. This value doesn’t end with our employees, it also includes our customers. We’re people who care and want to innovate while changing the face of manufacturing by helping people do their jobs better. 

 And we’re not here to be a fly-by-night. And we not only want to stay on this list, we’d like to see it grow.


 Read (and watch): “We Don’t Sell Sensors And AI. We Sell Trust”.

The post People First: Augury On Newsweek Excellence Index 2025 appeared first on Augury.

Ever wonder why your Christmas lights seem to have a mind of their own? Then take this jolly – and very educational – journey into the colorful world of making sure your holiday illumination stays illuminated. Augury Solutions Architect Cliff West lights the way!

Twinkling Troublemakers

Picture this: You pull out your carefully stored Christmas lights, excited to deck the halls, only to find a tangled mess of un-festive cheerlessness. Don’t worry – it’s not just you! These twinkling troublemakers have a secret science that makes them more complicated than your uncle’s politically charged Xmas dinner conversation.

Over at Augury’s bustling online community, The Endpoint, I’ve written an article that the season was screaming for: ‘Untangling the Mystery of Christmas Lights: Why They Fail and How to Fix Them’.

The shocking truth is that Christmas lights are like a delicate electrical chain gang. Each light is connected in a series, which means they’re basically holding hands in a long, fragile line. When one light goes out, it creates a domino effect of darkness that can drive even the jolliest elf mad! 

Seasonal Cheer On Hold…

Here’s the nerdy (but cool) part: Each bulb has a sneaky little backup system called a shunt. When a bulb’s filament dies, the shunt is supposed to create a secret electrical bypass, keeping the rest of the lights shining bright. But here’s the catch – every time a bulb is bypassed with the shunt, it increases the current in the circuit, making more bulbs likely to burn out.

The mathematics of light strand reliability is hilariously depressing. Assuming each bulb has a 99% chance of working, a strand of 50 bulbs only has a 60% chance of fully functioning. Stretch that to 150 bulbs, and you’re looking at a mere 22% chance of a complete, working light strand!

It’s A Christmas Miracle!

Pro tip: Invest in a Light Keeper Pro. It’s like a Christmas light doctor who can diagnose and sometimes resurrect your dying decorations. It can detect voltage and even send a high-voltage pulse to revive stubborn shunts.

The moral of the story? Replacing bulbs as they fail is key. And maybe, just maybe, cut those Christmas lights some slack. They’re working harder than you think to spread a little holiday cheer!

So, the next time your lights go out, remember: it’s not user error – it’s reliability statistics with a dash of holiday mischief!

Read the full in-depth article: ‘Untangling the Mystery of Christmas Lights: Why They Fail and How to Fix Them’.

The post A Tangled Tale of Christmas Light Reliability appeared first on Augury.

At Augury, we use a rainbow of AI techniques: picking the right AI application for each specific purpose. “It’s all about using the right tool for the right job,” says James Newman, Head of Product and Portfolio Marketing at Augury. “Whether it’s Industrial AI, GenAI, or Causal, they all have particular strengths that can work to make your work easier and more impactful.” 

It’s safe to say that Augury has always been in the Reliable AI business. And happily, we continue to create more tools that are reliable when applied correctly and for the proper use cases. We’ll use any technique to improve our models in real-time. It’s what we do. 

Meanwhile, there’s a push to regulate AI, and many governments already have regulations – or will have them soon. In general, it’s about making emerging AI technologies transparent, explainable, safe, and based on FAIR data. These are all reasonable ideas everyone should aspire – in the name of creating  Trustworthy AI.

Reliable AI – AI that works to produce the proper desired outcomes – is very much part of this vision. And as you all know, in an industry like manufacturing, you cannot afford mistakes in terms of both safety and the bottom line.

State Of The Art Industrial AI – And Beyond

Our so-called bread-and-butter AI is industry-renowned for its ability to predict when a machine will break down – in fact, it’s even guaranteed. Designed for purpose-built solutions, this AI will continue growing with more use cases, capabilities, and new ways of leveraging insight. And, we’ll continue to use our neural networks to do the heavy lifting in terms of in-depth modeling. 

We will also keep experimenting with new and emerging forms of AI. For instance, our recent success with our Machine Health algorithms in applying Continuous Learning, which represents one of the more significant milestones in our quest toward overall expert-level AI, was primarily thanks to the rich – and accurate – training data created by Generative AI.  

“Yes, GenAI has a reputation for hallucinating. But it would be best to remember it’s a tool, not an outcome. Gen AI’s accuracy is 100% based on the model it’s being executed against and the parameters around which it is being controlled.”

GenAI Is Your Friend If It’s Used Right

Yes, GenAI has a reputation for hallucinating. But it would be best to remember it’s a tool, not an outcome. GenAI’s accuracy is 100% based on the model it’s being executed against and the parameters around which it is being controlled. GenAI is not evil. It’s down to the people to control it.

The large language models (LLMs) of GenAI work by sucking up lots of data, learning the patterns, and then working to predict the following pattern – in an often-unknowable way. It’s about answering a question that resembles the answers people usually give. Hence, when it doesn’t have the data to fill in the blanks correctly, it starts hallucinating.

In the case of Continuous Learning, we ensured the LLMs we developed only had access to quality data – namely, the over 500 million hours of Machine Health data taken from over 100 types of machines and dozens of industries. In other words, reliable data begot reliable outcomes.  

“By embedding a GenAI agent into our platform, we are now able to let our users engage with our AI very quickly and in the natural language they prefer – bringing our best-of-class AI to the front row, as it were.”

Complicated But Doable: GenAI As Reliable AI Assistant

It will take time to unfold all of GenAI’s potential and value, and it will take even more time for a high-risk industry like manufacturing that cannot afford to base its decisions on a hallucination. GenAI is still coming fast, but it will require a lot of work underneath it. 

However, one other GenAI use case we will see in the short term is related to how the inner workings of all of Augury’s AIs have been largely hidden from our users. Yes, you are accurately told what machine needs fixing and how to do it within a specific time frame before it becomes a problem. However, the users could generally only dig deeper in a rather manual and cumbersome way. 

By embedding a GenAI agent into our platform, we are now able to let our users engage with our AI very quickly and in the natural language they prefer – bringing our best-of-class AI to the front row, as it were.  

An AI To Help Explain AI 

Naturally, we’re not talking about just throwing ChatGPT at it, which would spark hallucinations and insufficient insights. You need to control the data that ChapGPT is dealing with carefully – and the same goes for any custom LLM we develop.

Either way, this AI agent will help users better understand what’s happening with the AI in the background. Those working on the factory floor can start querying the platform directly for supporting evidence: Why must I look at this machine? What is the metadata? Can I compare the metadata with the metadata of another machine? Has this happened before? Who fixed it and how?

This is where GenAI can shine: engaging with a trustworthy model to give you additional insight. 

“It’s not just about considering how one thing impacts another but also how it affects many different factors and what changes you need to make to get your desired result.”

What Will Causal AI Mean For The Future Of The Factory Floor?

In many ways, Causal AI offers the perfect fit for fully transparent and safe AI. Because it’s all about learning cause-and-effect relationships between different data sets, these Causal AI models are very explainable thanks to their very construction. 

As we aspire towards full Production Health, we can loop in more knowledge models based on domain expertise – combining data sets from maintenance, production, operations, quality, etc. As we bring in these other data sets, we’ll use Causal AI to examine all the cause-and-effect relationships between what we see on the machines and what the system produces. 

In short, it’s about finding true causality rather than just the correlations offered by GenAI. It’s not just about considering how one thing impacts another but also how it affects many different factors and what changes you need to make to get your desired result. 

“In short, Reliable AI is not about a single methodology.”

The Dance Of The AIs – As Choreographed By Humans

Causal AI will be huge for manufacturing. By allowing manufacturers to find relationships they may not have seen before, Causal AI will spark whole new ways of doing things to optimize processes. 

And to help explain these intricacies, a GenAI agent may be looped in to help – but without losing the power of the Industrial AI that forms the backbone of highly accurate, and dare we say it, reliable AI insights. It’s this dance between different technologies that will define the future of manufacturing. 

In short, Reliable AI is not about a single methodology. It’s about using the right combination of methods to provide reliable answers to people in reliability. 


Stay tuned for more exciting Augury AI info! Reach out!

The post Reliable AI: Providing Reliable Insights For Reliability Professionals appeared first on Augury.

There’s no such thing as 9-to-5 when you work at a global company. But it doesn’t mean you need to fall for an associated brand of calendar creep as you deal with different time zones and work cultures – not to mention 24-7 accessibility. So, how do you protect yourself for the sake of your personal health, and achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency?

 

Do you remember the good old days of good old-fashioned calendar creep? It was a time when your calendar was packed with too many non-essential meetings. Sure, a full calendar can give the illusion you’re having an efficient day. But are you having an effective one?

You could fight back easily enough by being vigilant: questioning the cadence of regular meetings (Can we make this weekly, bi-weekly?), wondering if you are really required (Was I cc:ed or actually needed?), or rethinking the parameters (Maybe do it over lunch?). These lines of inquiry would help you prioritize and ensure each meeting had an actual purpose for you being there.  

But lately, there seems to be a newer brand of calendar creep. It’s a little more ephemeral, targets those working at global companies, and was triggered by how digitally accessible we’ve all become.  

There’s Nothing Wrong With Shaking Things Up

Anytime you work at a global company, you must be flexible: typical working hours are unrealistic. There will always be conflicting time zones, holidays, seasons, and work styles.

When starting my career, I had a project with an office in Asia. We were exactly 12 hours apart. Whenever we met, it would be 8 a.m. or 8 p.m., and we would swap back and forth. It worked well because we agreed on it and felt that the burden was both minimal and shared. 

We tried to make it feel like a unique event and not a routine occurrence.

Later in my career, my global team (in multiple countries and time zones) would meet as a whole every quarter. The only time that truly worked was 5 a.m. Eastern. Again, this was a bit of a burden to some but we made it work by doing our best: setting the calendar dates far enough in advance for the team to make personal schedule adjustments, offering a hotel to those who had longer commutes, and making sure that the conference room was stocked with coffee, lots of coffee. We would also make sure to tell the team it was totally acceptable if they needed or wanted to leave early that day. In other words, we tried to make it feel like a unique event and not a routine occurrence.

Yes, You Can Make An Exception, But…

However, during COVID-19, it all changed. Booking a Zoom became essential. What would have been a quick hallway conversation or pop-in now required finding a slot on a calendar. But sometimes, there were no slots, and when time was of the essence, you would reach out to arrange something earlier, later, or over the weekend.

And this is where the new calendar creep was born. Because once you make an exception, there’s the danger of it becoming the rule – that working nights and weekends becomes the new normal.   

Calendar creep doesn’t sound all that scary until it is.

Have We Become Too Accessible?

Meanwhile, mobile access has continued to spread, and email is always with us via either your laptop or your phone. I loathe the day they put Wi-Fi on the airplane – it used to be the perfect out-of-office. Is nothing sacred? Before, I could use the time to catch up on work (or not). But now it’s expected to utilize the Wi-Fi and be available.

Would you miss a doctor’s appointment for a meeting that could be scheduled later?

Calendar creep doesn’t sound all that scary until it is. It can become a real problem if it begins to affect your personal life or your health. Perhaps a family member holds a mirror up by asking if you will be on the phone again after dinner. Or it may start with a compromise: you forgo yoga to take a call. And that’s okay occasionally, but if yoga is your therapy, it’s another story. Would you miss a doctor’s appointment for a meeting that could be scheduled later?

It’s a slippery slope.  

So, How Do You Fix It? Who’s Responsible?

So, how do we confront this new brand of creep? I see the solution as a three-way tango. 

First, the company must set some norms regarding respect for each other’s time. For instance, you can set out some basic expectations regarding hours and productivity. Leaders must also lead by example, for instance, by learning how to schedule their messages to go out during acceptable working hours – and thereby not feed the expectation you need to be available 24-7. We also need to do everything to keep our hands off holiday days – and not catch ourselves using  phrases like “Just this once” or “No worries, it’ll be super quick”. 

Then there’s the person booking the appointment. They should show empathy and understanding for the people they invite and respect someone’s time and calendar. It’s not always easy or efficient, but rather than just sending an invite, maybe asking permission before booking is a way to get buy-in from the person you are requesting. 

People who get frustrated with calendar creep may not have set their boundaries.

Yes, It’s Mostly On You 

However, the real responsibility lies with the person who accepts or declines an invite. The creep will continue if you don’t speak up or block out those no-go areas. People who get frustrated with calendar creep may not have set their boundaries. Start with something small like blocking your calendar with focus times. See how it goes and build from there.

Some tools can help – for instance, you can expand your toolbox to include not just auto-accept but also auto-decline. You should also have some standard responses available to provide the reason for your decline. “I am unable to make it at that time as my calendar is already previously booked.” “Let’s move this to a time that works better with both of our schedules.” “I see that there’s already a qualified group attending. Please proceed without me and send me the notes to review post-meeting.”  

You still have a job to do.

But It’s Still A Dynamic Business World

Let’s be honest, you can’t just decline-decline-decline. You still have a job to do. So, you have to own your own work/life balance by knowing your own non-negotiable times, while at the same time being available, engaged and productive. 

It’s a tightrope. But at least we can walk it together, and as a result make everyone’s day both efficient and effective.

Read more from Augury’s VP of People, Danelle DiLibero.

The post The New Face Of Calendar Creep – And What To Do About It appeared first on Augury.

This global manufacturer produces flavors for the food industry and fragrances used in beauty and well-being products. Deploying Augury in one of its U.S. plants, the company found quick time-to-value when alerted on a Rox 1 fan and motor just days after installation.

Industry—Flavor and Fragrance//
Machine—Rox 1 fan & motor//
Fault Type—Rotating mechanical looseness//

From Baseline to Alarm

Four days after installing Augury Machine Health sensors on a Rox 1 fan and motor, the machine came out of baseline, immediately indicating “Alarm” status due to signs of rotating mechanical looseness. According to Augury’s analysis, the asset displayed an increasing trend in elevated acceleration amplitudes at the driven fan.

Figure 1: Platform showing machine coming out of baselining activity and into Alarm (March 2024)

The Recommended Fix

Augury advised the plant’s maintenance team to move quickly and attend to the following recommendations:

• Slow rolling the shaft to feel for resistance or roughness
• Performing life and endplay checks with dial indicators to verify bearing/housing clearances
• Ensuring adequate lubrication

The Taste of Victory

The plant’s team executed a successful repair during scheduled downtime based on Augury’s feedback. Along with new belts, bearings, and laser alignment, they also secured the base of the asset to the concrete foundation below. 

Figure 2: Reduction in overall velocity post-repair, July 12 onward

Figure 3: Reduction in high-frequency vibration post-repair, July 12 onward

Plant floor leadership estimated slightly more than $18K in costs avoided – a huge win in saving product, maintaining throughput, reducing waste, and using energy efficiently.

More importantly, a win like this goes deeper than costs avoided. It can also be counted in less tangible ways, like increasing worker safety and morale when repairs are planned in advance rather than operating in reactive, firefighting mode. 

Ready to learn how Augury’s Machine Health can help you find stability and predictability on your plant floor? Contact our team for a no-pressure conversation on solutions to your toughest production challenges.

The post Tasting Productivity & Smelling Success: Leading Flavor and Fragrances Manufacturer Avoids $18K in Costs with Machine Health appeared first on Augury.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of industrial technology, Internet of Things (IoT) predictive maintenance has emerged as a groundbreaking approach to equipment management and operational efficiency. This comprehensive guide explores how IoT is revolutionizing maintenance strategies across various industries.

What Does IoT Stand For?

IoT is the Internet of Things, a technological framework connecting physical devices, sensors, and systems through Internet-enabled communication. In maintenance applications, IoT creates a smart network that:

• Transforms traditional reactive maintenance approaches
• Provides unprecedented visibility into equipment performance
• Enables data-driven maintenance strategies
• Connects previously isolated industrial systems
• Supports real-time monitoring and predictive analytics
  

Read: ‘IoT Can Be Reliable And Easy To Maintain – If We Collaborate’

What Does IoT Mean in Maintenance?

In the context of maintenance, IoT represents a network of interconnected sensors, devices, and software systems that collect, transmit, and analyze real-time data about equipment performance and condition. This technological ecosystem enables:

• Continuous monitoring of machinery and infrastructure
• Real-time data collection and analysis
• Proactive identification of potential equipment failures
• Enhanced decision-making capabilities
• Significant reduction in unplanned downtime

How is IIoT Technology Useful in the Predictive Maintenance of Industrial Processes?

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technology offers transformative benefits for industrial maintenance:

1. Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities

• Continuous real-time equipment tracking
• Comprehensive performance data collection
• Instant alerts for potential issues
• Detailed historical performance analysis

2. Operational Efficiency

• Reduce unexpected equipment failures
• Optimize maintenance scheduling
• Minimize production interruptions
• Improve overall equipment effectiveness

3. Cost Optimization

• Decrease emergency repair expenses
• Extend the equipment life cycle
• Reduce unnecessary maintenance interventions
• Lower overall operational costs

What Technologies Are Used in Predictive Maintenance?

Predictive maintenance leverages multiple advanced technologies:

• Machine Learning Algorithms
• Artificial Intelligence
• Cloud Computing
• Big Data Analytics
• Advanced Sensor Technologies
• Edge Computing

Q/ If a machine dies without a sensor to tell you, how will you find out?
A/ Catastrophe and/or downtime

What Sensors Are Required for Predictive Maintenance?

While increasingly found bundled together in a single unit, critical sensors for effective predictive maintenance include:

1. Vibration Sensors

• Detect mechanical irregularities
• Monitor equipment oscillation patterns
• Identify potential bearing or alignment issues

2. Temperature Sensors

• Track thermal variations
• Detect overheating components
• Prevent potential thermal-related failures

3. Acoustic Emission Sensors

• Capture sound frequency changes
• Identify microscopic structural modifications
• Detect early signs of mechanical wear

4. Electrical Current Sensors

• Monitor power consumption
• Detect motor performance variations
• Identify potential electrical system issues

How Does IoT Help the Process of Automation?

IoT significantly enhances automation by:

• Enabling autonomous system monitoring
• Facilitating self-diagnostic capabilities
• Supporting predictive decision-making
• Reducing human intervention in routine tasks
• Creating intelligent, self-optimizing systems
• Integrating multiple technological platforms
• Providing seamless data communication

Like the Future, IoT Is All About Automation

Conclusion: IoT Is A Major Technology That Will Keep Growing in Importance

IoT predictive maintenance represents a paradigm shift in industrial operations. It can really transform how you and your company approach equipment management. By leveraging advanced sensors, intelligent analytics, and interconnected technologies, businesses can achieve unprecedented operational efficiency, cost optimization, and strategic performance.

As technology evolves, IoT predictive maintenance will become increasingly sophisticated, offering industries worldwide even more refined insights and capabilities.

Read: ‘Finally… The World’s First Edge-AI Native Machine Health Sensing Platform’.
Or reach out and contact us.

The post IoT Predictive Maintenance Explained appeared first on Augury.

With its first annual Spotlight Awards Ceremony, Augury recognizes manufacturing facility teams’ dedication and hard work, going the extra mile with Machine Health. After all, while tech can work to impact people, plants, and the planet, it needs people to make it happen. Thank you to our 30+ site winners, including runner-up Frito-Lay Coventry and our grand winner Fortune Brands New London!

Celebrating Success

The inaugural Spotlight Awards ceremony took place on November 20, 2024. For the first edition, Augury highlighted maintenance and reliability teams with incredible initiative, awarding them the “Beam of Excellence” designation. 

Evaluating hundreds of plants, we identified the top 5% of customer sites based on their performance in the following criteria: high response rates, IoT serviceability, number of active users, and quantified wins. In short, these plant teams raised the bar on Machine Health and predictive technology for their companies – and deserve recognition. 

Listed in alphabetical order, the 2024 Spotlight Awards “Beam of Excellence” winners: Amcor / BAZAN Group / Canfor (2 awards) / Colgate-Palmolive (3 Awards) / Dairy Farmers of America / GAF (2 Awards) / Fortune Brands Innovations / Indorama (3 Awards) / ICL Group / Keurig Dr. Pepper / Molson Coors / Nestlé Purina Petcare / PepsiCo (8 Awards) / Reyes Holdings / Roseburg / Toray Industries / Wis-Pak.

It’s About People, Not Just Technology

Hosted by Ed Ballina and Alvaro Cuba, industry veterans and hosts of the popular Manufacturing Meetup podcast, the virtual ceremony opened with special remarks from Augury’s co-founders: CEO Saar Yoskovitz and CPTO Gal Shaul.

“Seeing the work that you guys are doing, the amount of dedication, effort, and creativity that goes into making wood products, food, beverages, toilet paper – and the list goes on and on – has just been amazing and inspiring for us to start a company and see how can we fit in to help you,” says Gal. 

“Especially these days, when manufacturing faces so many headwinds, from geopolitical challenges to supply chain issues, the economy, talent shortage, which we all feel daily. And we believe that there is a way out. Right by leveraging technology and modern tools, we can fundamentally transform how manufacturing is being done,” adds Saar.  

“This impressive diversity tells a great story about how technology is transferable across sectors and geographies.”

“At the same time, we understand it’s insufficient to put the sensor in the right location. It’s not enough to provide an alert just in time. If there’s no one on the other side to take action to repair the machine, we won’t achieve anything. And that’s why you are such a crucial part of our story.” 

It’s In The Diversity – And The Numbers

The winning facilities and teams, covering a broad range of manufacturing verticals, hailed from three continents, eight countries, and 20 U.S. states. 

“This impressive diversity tells a great story about how technology is transferable across sectors and geographies,” says Ed.

But there’s another big story: in the numbers. As a group, these top performers achieved:

• 1.3K+ Machine Improvements 
• 4,300K+ Hours of Downtime Avoided 
• $11.8M+ Maintenance Costs Saved 

Incredible Stories Of Cultural Change

However, metrics only tell part of the story. Leading up to the event, each facility helped craft their transformation story – providing additional input about how they’ve transformed the way they work around Machine Health technology. 

All of these sites have incredible stories of culture change, digital integrations, new processes, and updated roles and responsibilities. And in the end, two stories stood out and were recognized at the ceremony.

Drumroll Please. The Runner-Up Is… Frito-Lay, Coventry

The runner-up was PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay in Coventry, UK, which was already featured in a BBC feature about how the facility advanced manufacturing through Machine Health. Coventry’s numbers are impressive: a response rate of 94% and avoiding 650K+ costs and 65+ downtime hours.

“The introduction of Augury was a bolt out of the blue. We’ve gone from prehistoric to Star Wars in a couple of weeks,” says Kevin Thomas, Condition Monitoring Specialist at the facility. “It allows me to see the bigger picture and have an accurate story of what is going on. We used to run our equipment to destruction or until the line came down. Now, we can collaborate with the engineering teams to balance production. It feels good not to run about and react to major changes every week.”

“Part of what makes this site’s story so exciting is how they’ve connected the dots not just between Machine Health and cost savings, but also with the tangible impacts of other critical areas like safety, equipment lifespan, and team efficiency.”

And First Place Goes To… Fortune Brands’ New London facility

Like many other winners, the first-place team was initially skeptical due to poor experiences with other systems. However, that did not hold back the Fortune Brands’ New London, North Carolina facility. They fully embraced Augury’s solution, achieving 2.5X ROI in 8 months and 94% Serviceability. The facility is now expanding its Machine Health coverage from 40 to 140 machines. 

Part of what makes this site’s story so exciting is how they’ve connected the dots not just between Machine Health and cost savings, but also with the tangible impacts of other critical areas like safety, equipment lifespan, and team efficiency. 

“I was a bit apprehensive,” says Ric Wojcik, Senior Manufacturing Engineering Manager. “In my past maintenance life, I was introduced to and tried similar systems that simply did not perform. I could tell that Augury was unique from the other companies and could be a game-changer for us, and I was willing to take the chance. I am so pleased that we did!”  

“We’ve seen the difference and look forward to what the future holds.”

Looking To The Future: Upward And Onward

“We are excited,” says Ric. “And it just goes to show that the hard work that went in by these guys – Jesse, Jonathan, Troy, Matt, and Todd – was instrumental in getting all this stuff going on here at the facility. We’ve seen the difference and look forward to what the future holds.” 

As Saar put it: “It’s not just solving today’s challenges, but also looking towards tomorrow’s challenges. When we work with you and your peers, we hear these stories of life before Augury: waking up at 2 am, firefighting, heavy, laborious work… Today, you can focus on what really provides more and more impact and what really matters. So, we ask ourselves, how do we take that to the next level? And the answer is by working even closer with you, by listening to your feedback, by having you guide us on our journey.”

Cheers to the winners on a great 2024! Tune in next year for more success!

Learn more about the Spotlight Awards – and Machine Health. 

The post Spotlight Awards: Shining A Light On Augury Customer Achievements appeared first on Augury.

Augury’s Saar Yoskovitz returned to the New York Stock Exchange’s Floor Talk to update the audience on the current state of Industrial AI, the need to shift the focus from Generative AI to Reliable AI, and how implementing digital tools needs to be backed by impact and cultural change.

Time To Rethink The Manufacturing Toolbox

“The manufacturing leaders we work with understand that the tools they used to have in their toolbox are no longer available,” says Saar Yoskovitz, Augury’s Co-Founder and CEO, during an interview on NYSE Floor Talk.

“Manufacturers can no longer just offshore to China because of geopolitical issues. They can’t just hire more people because skilled talent is very hard to find. They can’t raise prices because of the economy and consumer pushback. And at the same time, there is increased scrutiny around sustainability, from both the consumer and regulations.”

In other words, more and more manufacturers are investing in AI and other digital tools to attain their productivity and business goals. In this process, the question becomes: “How do we leverage new technologies to create real business impact and fundamentally change how our teams are structured and organized?”

Talking Innovation

Judy Khan Shaw hosts Floor Talk, a taped interview segment from the New York Stock Exchange. The show is renowned for allowing innovative business leaders to discuss timely topics, initiatives, and milestones.

After his first appearance in March 2023, Saar returned in November 2024 to discuss how manufacturing and industrial AI have evolved over the last 18 months since his previous visit. 

Three Insights Into Why Industrial AI Is On The Rise

According to Saar, Generative AI is coming out of its hype cycle, and expectations are coming back down to earth along with it. And there’s three reasons for this:

1) The Understanding That AI Is A Tool, Not An Outcome

“You must begin with the business outcome or impact that you want to solve for, and then walk it back to find the right tool or technology they need to use to get there,” says Saar.

2) There Is No Room For Mistakes – Especially In Manufacturing

The large language models behind GenAI are known for their hallucinations – which is not ideal for making life-and-death decisions that involve safety. “The algorithms and models must be trained with the relevant domain expertise. This is what we call Reliable AI, not Generative AI. For example, our models and algorithms have been trained on over half a billion hours of machines we’ve monitored. So, real-life machine behavior is fed into the model to create the best outcome for the user.” 

3) Digital Transformation Is Also About Cultural Transformation

“How is this technology being used at the end of the day? We talk about copilots and AI agents, but do they actually impact the day-to-day life of a maintenance technician or an operator?” In other words, tech is useless if it isn’t used by the users to its true potential. Hence, a change in tech involves a corresponding change in culture. “And I think that’s crucial as we implement more and more technologies,” says Saar. 

Looking Ahead To 2025

“From a macro perspective, the industrial market’s headwinds will remain,” according to Saar. “So, how do we leverage technology to overcome them? I really believe the opportunity is greater than the challenges.”

Watch the full interview.

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