Manufacturing
AI that works on thefactory floor.
Not robots replacing workers. Smaller, practical systems that cut waste, predict breakdowns, and stop your team firefighting problems that shouldn't reach them.
Two weeks. Fixed price. Honest answer on what's worth doing.
Common situations we help with.
The figures below are ranges manufacturers we work with typically see once a system is bedded in, not guarantees. Your starting point sets the size of the gain, which is what the diagnostic establishes.
Predictive maintenance
Critical machinery breakdown risks unscheduled downtime and expensive emergency repairs. We engineer systems that analyse continuous sensor telemetry (vibration, heat, power draw) to identify component drift before catastrophic failure occurs.
→ Typically: Substantial drop in unplanned downtime, shifting maintenance to planned changeover windows.
Quality control & automated inspection
Manual inspection across high-speed lines suffers from fatigue-induced oversight. We deploy computer vision models tailored to specific defect modes (surface abrasions, dimensional drift, misalignments) at critical line stages.
→ Typically: High-accuracy defect interception before assembly or customer shipment.
Demand forecasting & stock optimisation
Excess safety stock ties up operational cash, while under-stocking risks lost orders. We develop custom predictive models using historical order patterns, seasonal variance, and verified supplier lead times rather than generic heuristics.
→ Typically: Measurable inventory reduction while safeguarding production continuity.
Process line optimisation
Complex factory lines hide unexpected bottlenecks across shifts and machine changeovers. We synthesise cycle time, MES, and PLC logs to pinpoint exact line constraints.
→ Typically: Throughput gains achieved by re-sequencing without capital machinery expenditure.
A manufacturing project we can name
“We used to dread spec sheets. A senior engineer would spend half their morning on data entry before they could even start quoting. Now the system handles it in minutes and we barely think about it.”
Senior Engineer, UK valve supplier
AI-powered valve specification extraction. 6 minutes per document down from hours. 97.3% field accuracy across 120 test documents. 200+ person-days saved. Delivered through Appoly's parent firm. Most of our NDA work in manufacturing follows the same pattern.
Read the full project ↗Spec sheet · extraction workflow
Source · page 2 of 14
Extracted
- Size
- 4 in
- Checked
- Class
- 150
- Checked
- Body
- A216 WCB
- Checked
- Trim
- 316 SS
- Checked
- Actuator
- Note 4
- Held
Why manufacturers
work with us.
We start with the problem.
Not the technology. We look at what's costing you money, whether that's downtime, defects, stock, or slow processes, and find the right tool for that specific job.
UK team. UK data.
Your data stays in the UK. Our engineers are in Leamington Spa, not outsourced. We understand UK manufacturing: regulations, supply chains, workforce dynamics.
Pilot first, scale second.
We prove it works on one line or one product before you commit to a full rollout. Most pilots pay for themselves in under six months.
Your team owns it.
We don't build black boxes. Your engineers get the code, the documentation, and the training. If you want to extend or modify the system later, you can.
Find out what's worth doing.
Two weeks, fixed price. We'll look at your operations, identify where AI would help, and tell you honestly whether it's worth the investment.
If there's nothing worth doing, we say so. No charge for the second week.