How To Improve Quality During Manufacturing Processes

In manufacturing, product quality is a primary indicator of success. Poor quality not only leads to customer dissatisfaction and reputational damage, but also results in significant financial losses due to recalls, rework, and wasted materials.

To mitigate these major risks, manufacturers must focus on improving their quality processes, namely identifying and addressing defects early on. Fortunately, implementing digital quality gates with state-of-the-art technology ensures companies can detect and promptly address defects with minimal effort, maintaining high-quality standards throughout the entire production process.

In part two of our series exploring AWS Manufacturing solutions, we’re taking a deeper look at Syntax statistical process control (SPC) and Syntax Visual Inspection, and how bringing real-time statistical analysis of manufacturing data to the shop floor can help ensure more consistent quality.

The cost of a disconnected plant floor

It’s worth repeating that poor quality in manufacturing has far-reaching consequences — but you might not realize just how expansive the negative impacts can be. There’s increased costs from scrap, rework, and warranty claims that can quickly erode profits. There’s customer dissatisfaction resulting from defective products that can lead to lost sales and a damaged brand reputation. There’s regulatory non-compliance due to poor quality that can result in fines and legal challenges. Additionally, time spent addressing quality issues slows down production and affects delivery schedules, reducing overall organizational efficiency. Virtually no part of the business is safe from consequences when manufacturing quality isn’t properly safeguarded.

For example, a single undetected defect can lead to a product recall, costing millions of dollars and eroding customer trust. In a market where consumers have numerous alternatives, maintaining impeccable quality is not just a competitive advantage — it’s a necessity.

Implementing Digital Quality Gates with State-of-the-Art Technology

Modern manufacturing demands innovative solutions to maintain high-quality standards. Syntax offers cutting-edge tools designed to help manufacturers digitize their quality processes and implement effective digital quality gates.

Syntax Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Syntax SPC offers a powerful solution for statistical process control, providing real-time monitoring of manufacturing data to prevent issues before they escalate. Continuously analyzing production data enables earlier detection of deviations and potential problems, ensuring your manufacturing processes remain on track and you consistently meet quality standards.

What sets Syntax SPC apart is its seamless integration of SAP Digital Manufacturing (SAP DM) and AWS cloud services, combining best-in-class manufacturing execution with powerful, scalable cloud computing.

• Optimized for real-time performance: AWS handles heavy calculations in the cloud, allowing for fast, scalable performance. At the same time, SAP DM provides a native user experience for operators that’s intuitive and easy to use.
• Flexible and scalable: Syntax SPC adapts to different production environments with ease. Whether it’s a small-scale line or a large, complex manufacturing process, the system can scale accordingly without compromising performance.
• Enhanced process control and quality assurance: By combining SAP DM’s robust manufacturing capabilities with AWS’ scalable cloud infrastructure, Syntax SPC enables manufacturers to not only monitor their processes in real time but also to predict future deviations, optimize processes, and enhance overall quality control.

Watch our Syntax SPC solution in action:

Syntax Visual Inspection

Syntax Visual Inspection takes quality assurance to the next level by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to detect defects and anomalies in real time.

Harnessing the power of AI-driven vision systems means you can analyze visual data from a wider array of sources — video, still images, line scan cameras, thermal and infrared sensors. This evolution accelerates defect detection and reduces the risk of costly part failures.

• AI model pipelines: The solution is built on pre-trained AI models that are easily customizable for different product types and production environments. These models continuously improve over time, learning from new data and improving the accuracy of defect detection.
• Real-time feedback: With instantaneous feedback, operators are alerted the moment a defect is detected, allowing for immediate corrections that prevent defective products from reaching the final stages of production.
• Hybrid models: A combination of edge-based and cloud AI models delivers the perfect balance of performance and scalability. Heavy processing tasks are completed efficiently at the edge, while complex analytics and continuous model refinement are handled by the cloud.

When paired together, Syntax SPC and Syntax Visual Inspection create a comprehensive digital quality assurance system. This system provides end-to-end quality control by monitoring both the production process and the final product. By digitizing quality processes and implementing these technologies as digital quality gates, manufacturers can significantly reduce the cost of poor quality.

See how Syntax Visual Inspection transforms quality assurance:

Real-World Impact: Enhancing Quality with Syntax Solutions

Syntax is here to help you on your manufacturing  journey — where the costs of bad quality in production are too high to ignore. Our advanced solutions provide the tools you need to modernize your quality assurance processes.

With the powerful connection between AWS and SAP Digital Manufacturing, we offer a seamless integration that leverages the best of both platforms. The SAP DM frontend provides an intuitive interface for users, while AWS manages the heavy lifting in calculations, data storage, and handling on the backend.

Our AWS Manufacturing and Industrial Services Competency makes us the perfect partner to guide your modernization efforts. Leveraging industry knowledge and proven AWS solutions, Syntax empowers clients to streamline operating models and achieve greater efficiency at scale. This designation validates us to provide manufacturing customers with curated solutions that drive innovation.

Contact us today to learn more about how Syntax can help you improve quality during the manufacturing process. Stay tuned for our next article, where we’ll explore how IT/OT convergence* brings even greater connectivity to the shop floor.