AI in the manufacturing industry: from hype to necessity
AI, cobots, and motion control are increasingly offering solutions for the manufacturing industry.
Published on June 2, 2025
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AI is popping up in more and more areas of society. The technology is now also being used extensively in the manufacturing industry. Numerous exhibitors will be demonstrating this on June 11 and 12 in Den Bosch. On those days, the Brabanthallen will be dominated by smart and scalable automation during the Vision, Robotics & Motion trade fair, organized by Mikrocentrum. IO+ spoke with four exhibitors who made it clear that AI has become a must for manufacturing companies.
A shortage of personnel, stricter quality requirements, and rising costs: manufacturing companies are facing major challenges. For more and more manufacturing companies, smart, scalable automation is no longer an ambition, but a necessity. After all, if you want to remain competitive, you have to work more efficiently. Technologies such as cobots, vision, and motion control are increasingly offering a solution. Visitors to the trade fair in the Brabanthallen will see with their own eyes how these innovations are being used—and how they are making a difference in the manufacturing industry.
AI is a promising technology that is increasingly being used on a large scale. Artificial intelligence has now gained a firm foothold in the manufacturing industry. And with good reason: it increases efficiency, improves quality control, and makes production processes more predictable. What used to be human work is now supported—or even taken over—by smart algorithms that continuously learn and adapt.
An inspection robot in development
Numerous exhibitors at the trade fair use AI in the manufacturing industry, including VBTI. Founder and CEO Albert van Breemen: “We are going to show the public how we use AI for visual inspection in the manufacturing industry.” The company is busy developing an advanced inspection robot. “We're keeping the name of the robot a secret for now, because it's still in the development phase. But we'll be giving an exclusive demonstration at the trade fair.” The robot is designed to inspect high-tech components, such as those used in ASML machines. Van Breemen: “Such machines are built from parts that are manufactured, assembled, and integrated by different parties. The requirements are extremely high: every scratch or stain is one too many. Where people currently inspect each part manually, our robot will soon do this completely autonomously. Thanks to smart AI algorithms, it recognizes errors quickly and accurately.”
The company also uses AI to make horticulture smarter and more efficient. Seasonal workers put on a VR headset and walk into the greenhouse. VBTI's software automatically recognizes how ripe the cucumbers are. "With a training program, we can teach new employees wearing the headset which cucumbers need to be harvested. This saves time and training costs. Thanks to AI, you can give instructions in any language, in a way that suits each employee's background. This not only ensures more efficient harvesting, but also pleasant working conditions in the greenhouse," says Van Breemen.
A smart system for machine builders
Baseboard can also be found on the exhibition floor. The company develops software for machine builders and manufacturing companies. In this way, they build a smart bridge between engineering and production. Co-founder Jasper Admiraal: "We want to put an end to fragmented Excel files and unclear work instructions. I worked for years as a work planner at high-tech machine builders. There, I saw how mechanics couldn't see the forest for the trees because of outdated documents. You can imagine: a mechanic is ready to start, but isn't sure which version of the instructions is correct. With Baseboard, you import engineering data and visually build the assembly process. Thanks to AI, you can now also upload an instructional video that is automatically converted into clear work instructions."
Baseboard plans to start using AI-driven assembly sequences this year. The software learns from previous projects which assembly sequence is most efficient from a technical and logistical point of view. “We are going to collaborate with other companies on various pilot projects to further develop and improve our software. So it's an exciting time,” says Admiraal.
Ultra-precise quality controls
Exhibitor Vintecc develops software solutions for industry with a strong focus on AI. The company is active in quality inspection, for example. Instead of placing personnel, who are already in short supply, next to the machines, manufacturing companies are increasingly opting for automation. Jochen van Lysebettens, business development manager: "Our team builds AI models that are trained on large amounts of data to perform automatic visual quality control—whether it's cookies or car parts. At the trade fair, we will show exhibitors how we can detect non-conforming products quickly and cost-effectively. This reduces costs and optimizes the production line.“
The company also focuses on synthetic data. Van Lysebettens explains: ”Sometimes ‘natural’ data is limited. Take potato data, for example. You have seasonal limitations and cannot always collect data. We work with synthetic data to create virtual products—digital potatoes in all shapes and sizes: large, small, ripe, overripe, with spots, pits, and bumps. We can digitally label and adjust every detail so that we can train AI models all year round, even outside the harvest season."
A daily schedule at the touch of a button
Many manufacturing companies still use pen and paper in the workplace. This is inefficient and hinders the use of AI. After all, without reliable data, there can be no smart automation. “At 24Flow, we therefore start with digitization on the shop floor, using user-friendly apps for operators so they can record data quickly and accurately,” explains co-founder Stijn Wijdaele. “This not only provides insight, but also peace of mind. Because right now, it's often chaos: planners in crisis mode, team leaders chasing orders, and customers constantly calling about delivery times. With a digital system like ours, that's a thing of the past.”
24Flow also focuses on AI solutions, for example, to generate schedules automatically. Here's how it works: AI helps planners create an optimal daily schedule at the touch of a button based on real-time data, capacity, and priorities. “Generative AI is also used to provide contextual support to operators. Think of warnings about quality risks or suggestions for the next step.”
