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【2020 Application Example】 Peeking into a Baozi to See How AI Reduces Scrap Rates by 50% and Boosts Production Efficiency by 60% for Frozen Foods

From production line to dining table, who oversees the hygiene management of what we eat?

In recent years, there has been a continuous stream of news reports concerning food safety, such as repackaging expired goods, and poisoning incidents at Hong Rui Zhen. It's clear that people are increasingly concerned about the hygiene of their food. However, due to various quality control methods in food processing, there are inherent risks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has pointed out that unsafe food and water cause physical harm to 2 million people each year. Hence, international markets demand that food processing companies must establish a traceability system for products. This is why major domestic food processors also aim to set up a production traceability system to quickly trace back to problematic raw materials and initiate recall and destruction of problematic food.

Visible assurance, implementing production transparency

A major domestic food manufacturer producing frozen food and instant meals has expanded its market presence to North America, New Zealand, Japan, etc. They are also at the forefront in promoting food management domestically, having obtained certifications such as HACCP, ISO22000, ISO14001.

Since food production is labor-intensive, it is prone to quality impacts caused by worker fatigue. Additionally, the production lines often have unclear records of production quantities, processes, and timing. This obscurity in traceability makes it difficult to track production information when defects occur, leading to food safety management gaps that result in the scrapping of entire batches.

To address this, the Production Development Center at National Sun Yat-sen University utilized its advisory resources to help the food manufacturer tackle food safety management challenges, planning the use of AI technology to collect production data and establish anti-fraud and traceability for food production.

Intelligent manufacturing boosts food safety

Although the level of automation is not high in the processing of bakery products, the food plant in this case is keen to enhance the automation of its production lines and introduce smart manufacturing. For businesses, a traceability system not only helps establish brand image and increase product and brand value, but also gives consumers peace of mind due to the transparency of production lines.

Therefore, the Production Development Center at National Sun Yat-sen University matched AI technology service providers, Hong Ge Technology, in the first phase to plan the introduction of data collection devices to link food work orders information, reducing human operational omissions and capturing real-time production information through dashboards to ensure the consistency of production stage information potentially affected by human factors.

Schematic for intelligent production line planning

▲ Schematic for intelligent production line planning

The second phase involves using deep learning during the dough fermentation stage to calculate size and volume, analyze the relationship between temperature, humidity, fermentation time, and product volume, and assess whether to introduce AOI foreign object detection after freezing as a second quality control step.

Schematic of AI-integrated quality control for finished products

▲ Schematic of AI-integrated quality control for finished products

Food processing ID card, launching the AI-era of food safety tracing

In Taiwan, the understanding and acceptance of production history by consumers is gradually improving. From the supply of raw materials, processing, production, to distribution and sales, it is necessary to have complete control and provide transparent information. Publicly disclosing the production history not only increases trust between enterprises and consumers, but also aligns Taiwan's food safety environment with international standards.

In 2020, the Production Development Center at National Sun Yat-sen University will assist enterprises with the adoption of advanced AI technology, documenting the entire data process from industry to dining table and supervising food production processes to successfully implement product tracing, prevention of adulteration, and the establishment of high standards for products, thus advancing food processing products to international standards.

「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only. Translation date:2024-05-19」

Recommend Cases

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Using Plant Growth Chambers as an Example - Standardizing Electronic Device Procedures Based on Imaging

In recent years, global climate change and environmental issues have become increasingly severe, causing major impacts on agricultural production Traditional agriculture heavily relies on weather conditions, facing challenges such as unstable crop quality, plummeting yields, and difficult pest control Particularly in Taiwan, agricultural biotech companies and farmers have suffered continuous losses, creating an urgent need for innovative solutions Meanwhile, Taiwan's plant factory industry faces many challenges high equipment and labor costs, an incomplete industrial chain diminishing international competitiveness, and a lack of cooperation among enterprises, all of which limit industry development Additionally, COVID-19the pandemic has highlighted the importance of remote monitoring and management Traditional manual inspections and data collection methods no longer meet the needs of modern agricultural production These issues collectively underline the urgent need for smart agricultural solutions, driving companies like Taiwan's HaiBoTe to develop innovative projects integrating IoT, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence technologies HaiBoTe Cloud Data Integration and Analysis Platform Facing these challenges, the agricultural sector urgently needs a system that can precisely control growth environments, improve resource efficiency, enable remote monitoring, and facilitate intelligent management Existing plant factory equipment often requires complete replacement, with poor compatibility with older equipment, and sensors and camera systems may require different interfaces, making them inconvenient to use Therefore, there is a need for a flexible solution that can integrate various equipment and technologies, providing real-time monitoring and data analysis, and automatically adjusting environmental parameters based on plant growth conditions This demand exists not only in Taiwan but is also a global trend in the development of smart agriculture By incorporating artificial intelligence, more scientific evaluation standards can be established, optimizing production processes, improving yield and quality, while reducing energy consumption and environmental impact Additionally, such smart solutions can attract more young people to participate in agricultural production, promoting industry upgrading and sustainable development Overall, the demand for smart agricultural solutions stems from the urgent requirements to address climate change, enhance production efficiency, reduce costs, and achieve precise management, and this is exactly the problem companies like Taiwan's HaiBoTe are striving to solve Taiwan's plant factory operators are facing a series of severe challenges, which are gradually eroding their competitiveness and survival space Firstly, the high cost of equipment and operations is their biggest burden Each electricity bill feels like a heavy blow, forcing them to balance between ensuring product quality and controlling costs Secondly, the unpredictability brought by climate change has become their nightmare Sudden extreme weather events can destroy their carefully nurtured crops in a short time, causing massive economic losses What's worse, they find themselves increasingly at a disadvantage in international market competition In contrast, large overseas plant factories, with their advanced automation technology and well-organized supply chains, can produce stable-quality agricultural products at lower costs, putting unprecedented pressure on Taiwan's operators On the technical level, they also face numerous challenges Compatibility issues between new and old equipment often put them in a bind, encountering various technical obstacles when trying to integrate different systems Lack of precise data analysis and forecasting capabilities also makes it difficult for them to make production decisions and accurately determine the best growth conditions for each crop Existing monitoring systems provide data that is often disorganized, difficult to interpret and apply Human resource challenges are also severe, with young people generally lacking interest in agricultural work, making it difficult for them to recruit employees with modern agricultural skills Even existing employees often feel exhausted from tedious manual operations and monitoring tasks These problems are intertwined, creating a complex dilemma that leaves plant factory operators confused and anxious They urgently need a comprehensive solution that can enhance factory operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product competitiveness, helping them overcome difficulties and regain their footing in the fierce market competition In facing the various challenges of plant factory operators, Taiwan's HaiBoTe company has demonstrated exceptional technical innovation and a flexible customer-oriented development strategy They deeply understand that the solution must be able to seamlessly integrate existing equipment while providing highly intelligent management functions To this end, HaiBoTe's RampD team adopted a modular design approach to develop a system that can be flexibly configuredIoTIoT system The core of this system is a smart control hub that can communicate with various sensors and actuators During development, HaiBoTe worked closely with customers, deeply understanding their specific needs and operational environments They even dispatched engineers onsite to observe the daily operations of the plant factories, ensuring that the developed system actually solves practical problems This in-depth cooperation not only helped HaiBoTe optimize their product design but also established a close relationship with customers, laying the foundation for subsequent continuous improvements HaiBoTe's innovation is not just reflected in hardware design but also in their developed intelligent software system This system integrates advanced machine learning algorithms, capable of precise forecasts and optimal control of plant growth conditions based on large amounts of historical data and real-time monitoring information To help customers overcome technical barriers, HaiBoTe designed an intuitive and easy-to-use user interface, which even non-technical operators can master easily Additionally, they provide comprehensive training and tech support services, ensuring customers can fully utilize all functions of the system When facing challenges, HaiBoTe's technical team can quickly identify problems through remote diagnostics and provide solutions In one incident, during a serious equipment failure emergency faced by a customer, HaiBoTe's engineers guided the customer through system remote access, successfully instructing them on repairs and avoiding potential massive losses This full-range service not only solves customers' immediate difficulties but also strengthens their confidence in intelligent management, driving the entire industry toward more efficient and sustainable development HaiBoTe's developed smart agriculture solution not only brought revolutionary changes to plant factories but also painted an encouraging picture for the future of the entire agricultural industry The excellence of this system is evident in several aspects firstly, it achieves precise control of the plant growth environment, significantly improving crop yield and quality stability Through advanced artificial intelligence algorithms, the system can forecast and adjust optimum growth conditions based on historical data and real-time monitoring information, ensuring each plant grows in the ideal environment Secondly, it significantly reduces energy consumption and operational costs, improving resource efficiency The intelligent management system optimizes water, electricity, and nutrient supply, reducing waste and lowering manpower costs Additionally, the system's modular design and strong compatibility allow it to seamlessly integrate various new and old equipment, providing a flexible solution for gradual upgrades of plant factories Most importantly, the system injects a sense of technology and modernity into agricultural production, helping to attract the younger generation to the field and injecting new vitality into the industry Looking ahead, HaiBoTe's smart agriculture system has broad application prospects and expansion potential In addition to plant factories, this system can also be applied to traditional greenhouse cultivation, urban agriculture, and even home gardening In the field of aquaculture, similar technology can be used to monitor and optimize the breeding environments for fish or shrimp In the food processing industry, similar intelligent monitoring and forecasting systems can be used to optimize production processes and enhance food safety Even in the pharmaceutical industry, this type of precise environmental management system could be applied to drug research and production processes To further promote this system, HaiBoTe could adopt a multifaceted strategy Firstly, they could collaborate with agricultural colleges and research institutions to establish demonstration bases, allowing more people to experience the benefits of smart agriculture firsthand Secondly, they could develop customized solutions tailored to different scales and types of agricultural production, expanding the applicability of their products Furthermore, they could raise awareness and acceptance of smart agriculture within the industry by hosting forums, online seminars, and sharing success stories Lastly, they could explore collaborations with government departments to integrate this system into policies supporting the modernization and sustainable development of agriculture, thereby promoting the widespread adoption of smart agriculture on a larger scale Through these efforts, HaiBoTe not only can expand its market share but also make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of global agriculture, truly realizing the vision of technology empowering agriculture 「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-12-09」

【導入案例】海量數位工程AOI機器智能手臂檢測系統 大幅提高瑕疵檢測精準度
Massive Digital Engineering AOI Intelligent Robotic Arm Inspection System Significantly Improves Defect Detection Accuracy

Taiwan is known as a manufacturing powerhouse, yet quality defect detection has always been a chronic sore point in production lines While AOI equipment is available to assist, most use fixed machinery which are limited by angles, resulting in less precise diagnostics and high false positive rates Massive Digital Engineering introduced an AOI intelligent robotic arm detection system that effectively reduces false positives and increases the accuracy of defect detection Generally, the yield rate of products affects the costs for enterprises and the return rate for customers The quality defect detection process in the manufacturing industry often necessitates a substantial amount of quality inspection labor Although there is AOI equipment to assist, these tools are mostly fixed detection machines Fixed cameras are easily limited by angles, resulting in less precise diagnostics and high false positive rates Thus, personnel need to re-screen and inspect afterwards, often manually visual inspection misses defects on average about 5, and can be as high as 20 Three major pain points in manufacturing quality detection Robotic Arm AOI with dynamic multi-angle inspection helps to solve these issues According to the practical understanding by Massive Digital Engineering, there are three main pain points in detecting product quality within the manufacturing industry Pain point one, manual inspection of product quality is prone to errors Currently, the manufacturing industry largely relies on human labor to inspect product appearance, but human judgment often entails errors, such as surface scratches, color differences, solder appearance, etc The error rate in defect judgment is high, and can only be inspected at the finished product stage, often leading to whole batch rejections and high costs in labor and production Pain point two, inability to quantify and record data from quality inspections Traditional manual inspections do not maintain inspection data, which makes it difficult to assign responsibility when quality disputes occur Moreover, high-end contract manufacturing orders from overseas brands often require traceability and corresponding defect records, which traditional human inspection methods struggle to meet Pain point three, limitations of traditional AOI visual inspection systems Current manufacturing uses AOI visual inspection systems, which due to the limitations of visual software technology, employ fixed cameras, fixed lighting, and single-angle operations This method may handle flat or linear-shaped products like rectangular or square items at a single inspection point However, it is more challenging to implement for products with complex shapes eg, irregular automotive parts, requiring multi-point and multi-degree inspections Massive Digital Engineering developed an AOI intelligent robotic arm detection system, effectively improving the accuracy of defect detection To address the pain points in quality inspection in manufacturing, Massive Digital Engineering initiated the concept of developing a multi-angle, movable inspection device, starting with the combination of two representative technologies in factory automation - robotic arms and machine vision By integrating robotic arms with AOI for dynamic multi-angle AI real-time quality inspection, the limitations of fixed inspection systems are addressed, and visual inspection techniques are enhanced by leveraging artificial intelligence, further elevating the sampling of images from flat to multi-dimensional and multi-angular Selected the automotive industry as the real-world testing ground to quickly respond to customer needs The AOI intelligent robotic arm detection system, utilizing AI technology including unsupervised learning, supervised learning, and semi-supervised learning, allows operators to use unsupervised deep learning techniques to learn about good products even when initial samples are incomplete or there are no defective samples, applying it in the visual inspection of automatic welding of car trusses This can solve issues of limited angles with fixed machinery before implementation, less precise diagnostics, and high false positive rates Automotive components are high in unit price and demand a stricter defect detection accuracy In industries that have adopted AI services, the automotive manufacturing sector was chosen as the real-world testing ground Massive Digital Engineering states that the automotive industry mainly consists of related component manufacturers and components typically have a higher unit price, hence requiring more in terms of quality inspection and yield rates, and demanding stricter accuracy Therefore, the automotive sector was chosen as the area for introduction By using a robotic arm combined with AI for dynamic multi-angle AOI visual real-time quality inspection, not only can the defect quality error rate of automotive components be improved, but the fixed-point AOI optical inspection can be enhanced to meet the measurement needs of most industries and finally, establishing a third-party system platform to build an integrated monitoring system platform, enabling immediate response and action when issues arise This system allows for recording and storing important data of products leaving the factory, serving as a basis for future digital production lines and virtual production At the same time, in the event of defects, it can immediately connect to Massive's MES monitoring system, quickly responding to the relevant manufacturing decision-making department, subsequently utilizing ERP systems for project management and reviews, effectively improving production efficiency and reducing production costs Helps to reduce communication costs and aims to become an industry standard In terms of industry integration, it provides a foundational standard for data continuity among upstream and downstream businesses, reducing communication costs within the supply chain Through certification of the contract manufacturers and brand owners, there is a chance to become the industry standard configuration Through the data database established by this project, operators can further optimize their supply chain management solutions using big data analysis Data Analysis, based on data, establish forecast planning, and utilizing technology to link upstream and downstream data of the supply chain, accurately controlling product quality In the future, when interfacing with European, American, and Japanese markets, which demand highly fine-tuned orders, operators can respond and integrate the industry supply chain Supply Chain more swiftly Ultimately, through the benchmark demonstration industry's field verification, such as with the automotive component manufacturing industry used as the benchmark demonstration field, by implementing the robotic arm combined with AI for dynamic multi-angle AOI visual real-time quality inspection system project, the supply chain connection between automotive contract manufacturers and OEMs can be optimized, becoming the industry standard Further seeking more AI teams to join the cross-industry development on the field collaboration platform, driving the overall ecosystem combining AI innovation with field application Self-driving vehicle developed by Massive Digital Engineering「Translated content is generated by ChatGPT and is for reference only Translation date:2024-05-19」

【導入案例】維繫遊艇王國美譽 嘉信遊艇導入國內第一套FRP複材超音波智慧檢測
Maintaining the reputation of the “Kingdom of Yachts” - Kha Shing Enterprise introduces the first domestic FRP ultrasonic smart inspection of composite materials

The Kaohsiung-based Kha Shing Enterprise Co, Ltd was established over 40 years ago, and is Taiwan's largest customized yacht company with customers all over America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, earning Taiwan the reputation of the "Kingdom of Yachts" Current FRP hull inspection still relies on traditional methods, such as visual inspection and knocking sounds, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive Kha Shing has applied PAUT array ultrasonic inspection to hull FRP composite materials for the first time, and combined it with AI to interpret ultrasound images, develop complete intelligent solutions, and create emerging markets for inspection companies Kha Shing Enterprise Co, Ltd was formerly Kha Shing Wood Industry Co, Ltd, and was a factory specializing in wood import in Kaohsiung Linhai Industrial Park when it was first established It began to design, manufacture, and sell yachts in 1977 After the second-generation successor of the company, President Kung Chun-Hao entered the company, he made a breakthrough in the previous manufacturing model that relied mainly on the skills of master craftsmen, introduced digital manufacturing to accelerate shipbuilding, and began to make larger yachts, ranking in the top 20 manufacturers worldwide among manufacturers of large yachts over 24 feet It also set a record of delivering 94 yachts within one year, earning Taiwan the reputation of "Kingdom of Yachts" Defect detection ensures yacht quality, using AI to replace humans to achieve higher efficiency Defect detection is very important to ensuring yacht quality At present, the yacht industry still uses very traditional defect detection methods The hull structure is usually made by hand lay-up or the vacuum infusion process, using visual inspection or knocking and the frequency of the sound to determine defects It requires time-consuming manual inspection If there are any defects, they must be reworked and repaired, and a gel coat subsequently sprayed The hull must be constructed in sections to facilitate inspection For large yachts over 24 meters long, construction in sections is very time-consuming and labor-intensive To shorten the time of the yacht manufacturing process, Kha Shing Enterprise will first carry out the gel coating process for the hull, and then perform the hand lay-on process The hull manufacturing process has two types of composite material test specimen structures In terms of 54-foot yacht hulls, the hull contains gel coat, core material, fiber and resin, and the total thickness is about 32cmplusmn01cm, which is twice the total thickness of FRP hull without core material of about 16cmplusmn01cm Defects such as incomplete impregnation of glass fiber or residual air bubbles between glass fiber and resin occasionally occur during the manufacturing process The types of defects include insufficient resin, voids, and delamination Once defects occur, the supply of hull materials will be insufficient and yacht delivery will be delayed Schematic diagram of types of FRP hull In order to solve this problem, Kha Shing Enterprise has engaged in technical cooperated with the metal materials industry and the AI technology industry, combining the ultrasonic inspection expertise of the metal materials industry with AI technologies developed by the AI technology industry in recent years to help solve issues of Kha Shing Enterprise with defect detection The method uses PAUT on the composite material structure of yachts, conducts FRP ultrasonic evaluation to determine the thickness of the yacht hull and material properties, and evaluates the ultrasonic probe frequency applicable to the hull structure based on professional ultrasonic experience After testing, a frequency of 5MHz and a probe width of 45mm can successfully find the location and size of defects in the simulated defect test specimen The three parties jointly found defect detection solutions from array ultrasonic evaluation, AI technology model development, and actual application in yachts The image inspected is an ultrasound image The image displays different colors based on the ultrasonic feedback signal An AI model that automatically identifies defective parts is established through the YOLO algorithm If the amount of abnormal data collected is insufficient for training, the CNN-based Autoencoder algorithm is used to collect normal image data for training and construct an AI model for abnormality detection The object detection YOLO model is trained by inputting image data marked as having defects, while the abnormality detection model is trained by inputting image data without defects Simulated defective specimen corresponding to PAUT results Defect detection by and AI system can shorten the construction period by 15 months and speed up determination by 50 After the development of this AI system is completed, it will be validated on actual 54-foot yachts of Kha Shing Enterprise, and can effectively resolve issues with defects The application of AI technology in ultrasonic inspection for intelligent determination is expected to accelerate determination by approximately 50, and will also shortens the construction period by 15 months, effectively improving the speed and quality of the yacht manufacturing process As Taiwan develops larger and more refined yachts, it will create opportunities for industry optimization and transformation, as well as opportunities for the development of key technologies The application of an AI ultrasonic inspection solution for composite materials is the first of its kind in the yacht industry, and is expected to attract more yacht manufacturers with inspection needs The AI ultrasonic inspection solution for composite materials has three major competitive advantages 1 Professional inspection experience and digital database to facilitate process management and analysis 2 Automatic AI determination and identification quickly identifies defects and provides immediate feedback to process engineers 3 High-efficiency process inspection provides defect repair recommendations, reduces damage rate, and improves the strength and quality of composite materials The application of AI technology can optimize the yacht manufacturing process, reduce manual inspection, create added value through the application of AI in Taiwanrsquos yacht industry, increase international purchase orders, and allow Taiwan yachts to continue to enjoy a good reputation in the world Furthermore, this business model has also spread to fields of application related to composite materials, increasing cross-sector market usage It is estimated to contribute approximately NT14 to NT2 billion in economic benefits to Taiwan's equipment maintenance and non-destructive testing market