A review of AI tools for accelerated product development in the manufacturing sector

The fast-tracking of product development in the manufacturing industry is fuelling the adoption of sophisticated AI tools and platforms. This paper provides a critical analysis of AI technologies and their implications in product metamorphosis at different developmental stages like conceptual design, detailed engineering, prototyping, manufacturing planning and quality assurance. The functionality and industrial application of key AI tools, such as Autodesk Generative Design, Siemens NX feat AI, Ansys Granta MI, and custom machine learning frameworks, are compared and discussed. Real life scenarios from automotive, aerospace and consumer goods industries are used to illustrate the material advantages AI can offer. The paper also mentions the current challenges that need to be addressed, namely: data quality, legacy systems integration and employee skills gap. Moreover, trends such as explainable AI, autonomous manufacturing systems, and AI for sustainability are identified as research fronts. The future for sustainable and competitive manufacturing will not only need to focus on continued innovation, research, and inter-industry collaboration to realize the full potential of AI.