Schaeffler and Siemens debut the Siemens Industrial Copilot at SPS 2023, a GenAI innovation automating machine engineering and operations.
Schaeffler and Siemens recently showcased their collaborative GenAI breakthrough, the Siemens Industrial Copilot, at SPS 2023. This GenAI-driven assistant is designed to enhance Siemens’ existing automation solutions by optimizing both engineering and support operations.
Facing a shortage of skilled programmers, Klaus Rosenfeld of Schaeffler highlights the Copilot as a promising development. It enables automation engineers to rapidly generate control codes for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) through natural language inputs. The Copilot accelerates the automation and digitization journey, freeing up engineering resources for more complex tasks and empowering less experienced factory workers to transition into technical roles.
The Copilot’s workflow involves a machine expert writing down the required machine actions in a text document. The GenAI chatbox then processes this input, swiftly creating an 80% complete software solution. This process significantly reduces the time-consuming manual steps traditionally involved.
Klaus Rosenfeld emphasizes the importance of digital transformation at Schaeffler, with GenAI solutions like the Industrial Copilot being key to this strategy. The Copilot also aids in identifying and rectifying machine errors, accessing relevant documentation and guidelines to support factory staff. This feature aims to reduce machine downtime, enhance efficiency, and promote sustainable production.
Cedrik Neike from Siemens views this as the dawn of a new era where humans can communicate with machines in their own language. He foresees AI becoming ubiquitous in the industry, with Siemens and Schaeffler leading the charge in making generative AI industrially viable.