{"675572":{"#nid":"675572","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AI and Automation Converge in Expansion of Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen it comes to manufacturing innovation, the \u201cvalley of death\u201d \u2014 the gap between the lab and the industry floor where even the best discoveries often get lost \u2014 looms large.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAn individual faculty\u2019s lab focuses on showing the innovation or the new science that they discovered,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/stebner\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cAt that point, the business case hasn\u0027t been made for the technology yet \u2014 there\u0027s no testing on an industrial system to know if it breaks or if it scales up. A lot of innovation and scientific discovery dies there.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/manufacturing\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI) launched the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (AMPF) in 2017 to help bridge that gap.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENow, GTMI is breaking ground on an extensive expansion to bring new capabilities in automation, artificial intelligence, and data management to the facility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis will be the first facility of this size that\u0027s being intentionally designed to enable AI to perform research and development in materials and manufacturing at the same time,\u201d said Stebner, \u201csetting up GTMI as not just a leader in Georgia, but a leader in automation and AI in manufacturing across the country.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAMPF: A Catalyst for Collaboration\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELocated just north of Georgia Tech\u2019s main campus, APMF is a 20,000-square-foot facility serving as a teaching laboratory, technology test bed, and workforce development space for manufacturing innovations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe pilot facility,\u201d says Stebner, \u201cis meant to be a place where stakeholders in academic research, government, industry, and workforce development can come together and develop both the workforce that is needed for future technologies, as well as mature, de-risk, and develop business cases for new technologies \u2014 proving them out to the point where it makes sense for industry to pick them up.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to serving as the flagship facility for GTMI research and the state\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia AIM\u003C\/a\u003E (Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing) project, the AMPF is a user facility accessible to Georgia Tech\u2019s industry partners as well as the Institute\u2019s faculty, staff, and students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have all kinds of great capabilities and technologies, plus staff that can train students, postdocs, and faculty on how to use them,\u201d said Stebner, who also serves as co-director of the GTMI-affiliated Georgia AIM project. \u201cIt creates a unique asset for Georgia Tech faculty, staff, and students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBringing AI and Automation to the Forefront\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe renovation of APMF is a key component of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2022\/09\/02\/economic-development-administration-awards-georgia-tech-65-million-ai-manufacturing\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E$65 million grant\u003C\/a\u003E, awarded to Georgia Tech by the U.S. Department of Commerce\u2019s Economic Development Administration in 2022, which gave rise to the Georgia AIM project. With over $23 million in support from Georgia AIM, the improved facility will feature new workforce training programs, personnel, and equipment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESet to complete in Spring 2026, the Institute\u2019s investment of $16 million supports construction that will roughly triple the size of the facility \u2014 and work to address a major roadblock for incorporating AI and automation into manufacturing practices: data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work going on across the world in using machine learning in engineering problems, including manufacturing, but it\u0027s limited in scale-up and commercial adoption,\u201d explained Stebner.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMachine learning algorithms have the potential to make manufacturing more efficient, but they need a lot of reliable, repeatable data about the processes and materials involved to be effective. Collecting that data manually is monotonous, costly, and time-consuming.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe idea is to automate those functions that we need to enable AI and machine learning\u201d in manufacturing, says Stebner. \u201cLet it be a facility where you can imagine new things and push new boundaries and not just be stuck in demonstrating concepts over and over again.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make that possible, the expanded facility will couple AI and data management with robotic automation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u0027re going to be able to demonstrate automation from the very beginning of our process all the way through the entire ecosystem of manufacturing,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/steven-sheffield\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESteven Sheffield\u003C\/a\u003E, GTMI\u2019s senior assistant director of research operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis expansion \u2014 no one else has done anything like it,\u201d added\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-aim-welcomes-new-managing-director-industry-partnerships\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESteven Ferguson\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research scientist with GTMI and managing director of Georgia AIM. \u201cWe will have the leading facility for demonstrating what a hyperconnected and AI-driven manufacturing enterprise looks like. We\u2019re setting the stage for Georgia Tech to continue to lead in the manufacturing space for the next decade and beyond.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESince 2017, the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u2019s pilot facility has bridged the gap between manufacturing research and industry. Now, the facility is set to expand not only its size, but its capabilities for AI, automation, and data innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u2019s pilot facility will continue to bridge the gap between manufacturing research and industry with its new AI- and automation-focused expansion."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2024-07-23 17:08:45","changed_gmt":"2024-07-23 17:19:01","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674410":{"id":"674410","type":"image","title":"AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn early rendering of the main expanded research area at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (Credit: Lord Aeck Sargent).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1721754934","gmt_created":"2024-07-23 17:15:34","changed":"1721754934","gmt_changed":"2024-07-23 17:15:34","alt":"An early rendering of the main expanded research area at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (Credit: Lord Aeck Sargent).","file":{"fid":"257915","name":"AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1981481,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering.jpg?itok=uCEAviBT"}},"674411":{"id":"674411","type":"image","title":"AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering_2_Page_1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn early rendering of the main expanded research area at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (Credit: Lord Aeck Sargent).\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1721755093","gmt_created":"2024-07-23 17:18:13","changed":"1721755093","gmt_changed":"2024-07-23 17:18:13","alt":"Another angle of an early rendering of the main expanded research area at the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (Credit: Lord Aeck Sargent).","file":{"fid":"257916","name":"AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering_2_Page_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering_2_Page_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering_2_Page_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2012688,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/07\/23\/AIMPF_Interior-High-Bay-rendering_2_Page_1.jpg?itok=2Mey-3pd"}}},"media_ids":["674410","674411"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/ampf.research.gatech.edu","title":"Learn more about AMPF"},{"url":"https:\/\/georgiaaim.org","title":"Learn more about Georgia AIM"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-congressman-tours-georgia-techs-advanced-manufacturing-pilot-facility?_gl=1*iv3j1g*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjAzMDYzNTcxLjE3MjE3NTQ1MDk.*_ga_DBF4MB426N*MTcyMTc1NDUwOS4xLjEuMTcyMTc1NDU4OS4wLjAuMA..","title":"Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility"}],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"179355","name":"Building Construction"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186857","name":"go-gtmi"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAudra Davidson\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EResearch Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/manufacturing\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["audra.davidson@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}