Unlock Flexibility in Manufacturing: Fero Labs' Flexible Optimization uses industrial AI to dynamically adapt to both predefined and flexible production paths allowing for greater product optimization and results for steel makers, chemical producers, food and cement production.
Manufacturing is rarely a straightforward process. Whether we're talking about producing steel, petrochemical plastic production, or processing food, every product goes through a series of intricate steps.
Take steelmaking, for example: first, the raw material is refined in a furnace, then cast into an intermediate product, then hot rolled into its final shape, and possibly, finally, passed through a galvanizing line. In food processing, a similar complexity exists. A product may be dried, then blanched, fried, and cooled.
But real-world production lines are far more dynamic than these linear sequences suggest.
At Fero Labs, we've developed a new feature that helps manufacturers navigate and optimize this complexity, including flexible optimization when input data is missing or unknown.
Adapting to Flexible Production Paths
In real world manufacturing environments, there isn't always a fixed, linear sequence of steps for every product. Instead, some products may skip certain stages altogether, or follow an alternative path. For example, not all steel products require galvanizing, while some food products might need an additional round of frying or drying depending on their moisture levels.
Many of Fero Labs’ steel customers are producing multiple products off a single heat, and need to do so without compromising tensile strength or surface quality. Other steel customers of ours need to produce steel without insight to what the end product will be. This cold-charging process increases their speed to market, but costs can be high if engineers over-design margins to allow for the uncertainties of the unknown end product.
Traditional industrial systems often struggle to handle this kind of variability. That's where Fero’s advanced industrial AI comes in —adapting dynamically to these production choices, so that manufacturers can make the best decision for any given scenario.
AI for Known vs. Unknown Pathways
Manufacturers face two main scenarios when optimizing a production process. In the first, the path of a product is clear from the outset. For instance, if it's known that a steel batch requires galvanizing or what type of product it will become, then Fero Labs' AI system can recommend the most cost-effective and efficient approach to achieving their quality goals at the lowest cost possible. With full information upfront, Fero’s AI can help reduce costs, minimize emissions, and maximize productivity in ways that benefit both the bottom line and the environment.
In the second scenario, the production path remains uncertain until later. This might happen by design, as seen in "cold-charging" processes in steel plants. Here, semi-finished products are kept in inventory until a customer order comes in, at which point they're customized to meet specific needs of the end product. Fero Labs' AI system is designed to optimize even when faced with this unpredictability.
Planning for the Worst to Guarantee High Quality
Our new Flexible Optimization feature tackles uncertain production paths by ensuring quality under all possible outcomes. It evaluates the worst-case scenario to make sure that, regardless of the final steps, the product meets quality standards.
Although optimizing for the worst case means there may be a slight reduction in profits or emissions savings compared to the full-information scenario, this trade-off is balanced by other advantages. For instance, cold-charging enables manufacturers to respond faster to orders, which in turn can lead to greater customer satisfaction, a competitive advantage, and potentially higher revenue.
Flexible Optimization when Input Data is Missing or Unknown
Customers of Fero optimization have been able to adapt to changing conditions in real-time using no-code models built by their engineers, within the Fero platform. Now, the addition of the Flexible Optimization feature enables dynamic optimization even when input data is missing or unknown to ensure each batch is in-spec at all times.
The Fero Labs Advantage
By offering an AI system capable of handling both predefined and flexible production paths, the Fero platform empowers process and quality engineers to make smarter, faster, and more resilient choices.
Our latest Flexible Optimization feature goes beyond the constraints of traditional optimization by embracing the natural complexity of real-world manufacturing. At Fero Labs, we're excited to help our customers stay competitive, sustainable, and prepared for any production challenge.
If you’re looking for a competitive edge in 2025 we can help.
