Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds enormous potential for (partial) automation, it is scarcely used in the metal industry by SMEs. This is despite numerous challenges such as skilled labor shortages and supply chain difficulties. One reason for this is that AI is mostly perceived as a black box. In other words, the comprehensibility and influenceability of AI results are not given for users, and AI predictions cannot be directly validated. This drastically reduces the acceptance of AI. Therefore, there is still a high need for transformation towards digitalization and the use of AI. Especially in the metal industry, automation solutions are urgently needed not only in production (e.g., robots) but also in so-called indirect areas such as work preparation.

The research project X-Loop aims to develop an AI system for the prediction of offers (especially automated price calculation) for sheet metal and machining components, based on part and order information, existing company data, and individually set parameters (e.g., material, surface, and fit dimensions) and to use a comprehensible and influenceable approach for users. The project focuses on labor-intensive administrative tasks in the metal industry and will explore, using the example of price calculation, how new approaches from the research field of "Explainable AI" (XAI) can be developed as a lever for targeted Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) use of AI systems for (partial) automation in the metal industry and what added value they bring.

As a result, the project can be understood as an assistance system that provides evaluation and decision support functions for price calculation in the context of offer preparation, facilitating, optimizing, and accelerating the current manual work of users (e.g., work preparers, project managers, and salespeople). The project results are intended to significantly reduce the workload for price calculation in manufacturing companies while simultaneously increasing the quality of the (partially) automated price calculation. In the long term, the project aims to create guidance on how the responsible use of AI (keyword: human-machine cooperation) can be successfully implemented in SMEs.

Cooperation Partners:  goCAD GmbH,  Inlinity Technologies GmbH 

Application partners: Köbler Zerspan- und Rundschleiftechnik GmbH Co. KG, LST Laser & Schalttechnik GmbH & Co. KG

Project Period:  July 2024- June 2027