The Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI, President Shin Hee-dong) is leading multilateral cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) autonomous manufacturing.

KETI announced on the 2nd that it signed a business agreement with the German Machine Tool Association (VDW), the Korea Machine Tool Industry Association, and major domestic machine tool manufacturers at KINTEX in Ilsan on the 1st to develop autonomous manufacturing technology using standards and AI.

'Autonomous Manufacturing' refers to a future advanced production environment that minimizes human intervention (unmanned) by utilizing AI-based robots and manufacturing equipment throughout the entire manufacturing process.

This multilateral MoU, in which KETI, the Korea Machine Tool Industry Association, Hyundai Wia Co., Ltd., DN Solutions Co., Ltd., Smack Co., Ltd., and Hwacheon Machine Tool Co., Ltd. participated, was signed through SIMTOS 2024 (Special Exhibition on Robots and Digital Manufacturing Technology), the largest domestic production and manufacturing technology exhibition, and the participating organizations agreed to strengthen the competitiveness of the machine tool industry through AI autonomous manufacturing and to advance the digital standards of machine tools.

In addition, KETI Convergence System Research Center (Director Jaejin Ko), VDW, and the Korea Machine Tool Industry Association signed a three-party MoU to build an intelligent ecosystem based on digital standards for machine tools.

KETI Autonomous Manufacturing Research Center is continuously conducting research on standard-based interoperability technology and manufacturing AI technology, and is developing various autonomous manufacturing solutions based on element technologies and conducting verification at the Smart Manufacturing Innovation Center (SMIC) in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province.

In addition, KETI At the autonomous manufacturing special exhibition booth at this year's SIMTOS 2024 (KINTEX Hall 7), we successfully introduced AI-based autonomy and optimization for the first time in Korea, targeting the existing cutting processing plant operation method that focuses on the experience of skilled workers on site.

In particular, we presented a use case (applicable case) for the intelligence of machine tools together with Hyundai Wia Co., Ltd., DN Solutions Co., Ltd., Smack Co., Ltd., and Hwacheon Machine Tool Co., Ltd., and we plan to expand this to the domestic equipment industry in the future.

In addition, this exhibition introduced the Korea-Industrial Control System, a standard technology developed domestically in collaboration with the OPC Foundation, an organization leading standard industrial control and communication technology in Germany, and also revealed Korean control technology for autonomous manufacturing to the public.

KETI President Shin Hee-dong said, “Through this agreement, we expect that the national manufacturing technology competitiveness centered on AI autonomous manufacturing will be further strengthened,” and “KETI will take the lead in establishing an autonomous manufacturing ecosystem led by domestic companies utilizing digital standard technology.”