Using AI in Quality Control Production:

Reducing Costs and Improving Efficiency

 

 

 

 

The Problem with Traditional Quality Control

Few things frustrate customers more than receiving damaged products. For companies, maintaining consistent product quality is essential whether they produce oven doors or auto parts. Inaccuracies during production can be costly and harmful to reputation.

Eigen Innovations, a New Brunswick–based AI startup, is solving this issue using Intel technology. Their software helps manufacturers identify flaws early and maintain high-quality standards, all while reducing costs.

How AI Enhances the Inspection Process

Jon Weiss, Chief Sales Officer of Eigen Innovations, explains how their automated inspection platform, OneView, allows manufacturers to detect defects that human eyes or traditional methods often miss. Instead of testing random samples, OneView inspects every single part on the production line.

This approach not only increases efficiency but also saves time and money. As a result, manufacturers can be confident that only the best products reach customers.

The High Cost of Poor Quality

Defective products don’t just hurt customer satisfaction they also eat into profits. Weiss notes that some manufacturers unknowingly spend up to 40% of their revenue on quality-related issues.

However, it’s often difficult to detect defects in real time. Many manufacturers rely on sample testing, but this method leaves a significant portion of the product unchecked. With limited visibility, bad products may go unnoticed until it’s too late.

Real-Time Solutions with OneView

Eigen’s OneView software changes the game. It enables manufacturers to identify defects immediately. They can pinpoint which parts are affected, where the problem occurred, and what caused it.

Moreover, OneView can automatically trigger a robot to remove faulty items or halt production. The AI is always learning, analyzing imagery from the line to improve future detection.

According to Weiss, customers benefit most from the platform’s cloud capabilities. Once a customer is satisfied with an inspection model, they can deploy it across all machines with one touch.

Success Story: Southern Fabricators

Southern Fabricators, a North Carolina-based manufacturer, produces complex welded components for heavy-duty machinery. They adopted OneView to enhance quality checks on hundreds of parts produced daily.

When AI detects a potential weld defect, it notifies technicians and displays a dashboard of detailed metrics like fuse time and temperature. It also uses thermal imaging to confirm whether a weld meets the standard.

This traceability helps mitigate recall risk. If necessary, only the defective batch is recalled, saving both time and money.

Plant Manager Rocky Carpenter shares that with Eigen’s technology, the company reduced rejections and achieved full ROI in just six months.

The Power Behind the Platform: Intel Technology

Running AI in industrial settings is no easy task. Graphics processors can overheat or fail due to debris. That’s why Eigen uses Intel CPUs and the OpenVINO™ toolkit. This setup offers high speed and low latency ideal for fast-paced factory environments.

Weiss gives the example of a specialty paper manufacturer. In just eight seconds, machinery buildup could cause $120,000 in damage. With Intel and OpenVINO, Eigen’s AI acts within one second, preventing costly failures.

Flexibility and Customer Choice

What sets Eigen apart is its flexibility. Their system is hardware-agnostic, allowing clients to choose their preferred setup. OpenVINO provides the horsepower needed, while data flows smoothly into a single dashboard.

This flexibility has become a key selling point. It allows customers to customize deployments without sacrificing performance.

Built for the Factory Floor

Unlike other AI companies, Eigen focuses solely on manufacturing. Their thermal camera inspections detect flaws invisible to the human eye. The goal is to simplify AI adoption no data scientists or complex coding required.

Technicians can train models and troubleshoot issues with just a few clicks. This user-friendly interface ensures high impact with minimal effort.

Empowering the Workforce

Despite concerns that AI is replacing jobs, Weiss argues the opposite. Many factories struggle to fill roles due to tough working conditions. Automating dirty, dangerous, or dull tasks frees people to focus on more valuable work.

“We want people doing higher-value, higher-impact tasks,” says Weiss.

Conclusion

Eigen Innovations is revolutionizing AI in quality control production by delivering powerful, flexible, and real-time inspection solutions. By partnering with Intel, they provide manufacturers with tools to improve quality, reduce costs, and empower workers not replace them.