Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, a global leader in digital reality solutions combining sensors, software, and autonomous technologies, shared its insights on global manufacturing industry trends in AI autonomous manufacturing and carbon neutrality, as well as sustainable DX strategies.

Hexagon successfully completed the 'Hexagon DX Executive Forum' held at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas on the 29th.

Hexagon shared successful digital transformation (DX) and sustainable management strategies on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) autonomous manufacturing and carbon neutrality, with the attendance of approximately 100 people including Hexagon's key executives, executives from large and small and medium-sized companies in various industries such as defense, aviation, automobiles, shipbuilding, construction, and machinery, as well as professors and researchers from academia.

The event featured keynotes, sessions, and exhibits discussing topics such as factory automation and autonomy for manufacturing companies, and achieving sustainability. Hexagon introduced digital innovation cases utilizing AI and autonomous manufacturing, as well as Hexagon’s green tech portfolio for achieving carbon neutrality.

Professor Jeon Chang-rok of Daegu University (formerly of IGM World Management Research Institute), who gave the keynote speech at the event, presented on the topic of “How to Grow Exponentially in the AI Era” and discussed ways to utilize AI as a strategic asset. Professor Jeon emphasized that in order to utilize AI as a growth engine for companies, there needs to be a fundamental change in the way we work, as well as active use of external resources and efforts to maximize data-based connectivity.

The session featured speakers including Erik Josefsson, CEO of R-evolution, a subsidiary of Hexagon AB, the parent company of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, and Hong Seok-kwan, Vice President and Lee Woo-young, General Manager of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Korea. The three sessions covered the following topics: △Digital innovation from energy to nature, △Hexagon automation and DX technology for building an eco-friendly manufacturing industry environment, and △The need for actual data-based carbon emissions in the manufacturing process and LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) methods.

Erik Josensson, CEO of AlEvolution, introduced AlEvolution’s various digital innovation projects that aim to reduce carbon emissions and expand the sustainable economy by utilizing Hexagon’s advanced technologies. AlEvolution is conducting projects in solar, wind, hydrogen, and ecosystem monitoring, and has applied digital asset management solutions to the design and development of green hydrogen and green ammonia plants for H2U, an Australian hydrogen infrastructure development company. This has enabled H2U to maximize productivity and efficiency across all stages of the facility’s life cycle, from planning, design, construction, handover, operation and maintenance, based on Hexagon’s digital reality technology.

Hong Seok-kwan, Vice President of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Korea, analyzed the challenges companies face in creating an eco-friendly manufacturing environment and introduced Hexagon’s sustainable design, analysis, production, control, quality, and asset management solutions. Through Hexagon’s eco-friendly manufacturing solutions, companies can reduce the time and cost required for initial design, product manufacturing, and quality assurance, and minimize carbon emissions with efficient smart design and production. Hexagon provides customized solutions to manufacturing companies in various fields such as automobiles, shipbuilding and marine, defense, energy, electrical and electronics, and batteries, supporting asset and data management, measurement and quality control for smart manufacturing, and the establishment of key technologies and systems for automation and autonomy.

Lee Woo-young, Head of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Korea, introduced the need for developing a carbon monitoring platform for the manufacturing environment and Hexagon’s carbon emissions database (DB) solution. Manufacturing companies around the world are working to reduce carbon emissions across the entire life cycle and supply chain of their products, including raw materials, product production, sales, disposal, or reuse, in response to the climate crisis. For example, the European Union (EU), which is leading the carbon neutrality discussion, has decided to require manufacturers and sellers of electric vehicles, battery systems, batteries, and battery materials to separately calculate and submit carbon emissions for each battery model produced at each manufacturing plant. In contrast, Korea is insufficient in establishing a DB for the LCI (Life Cycle Index), which is an essential element for measuring the carbon emissions of a product throughout its entire life cycle. Accordingly, Hexagon enables the efficient construction of an LCI DB, which is an essential task for domestic companies to enter the global market, by linking real data using various measuring and measurement sensors with a cloud-based platform.

At the exhibition hall set up at the event venue, attendees experienced Hexagon’s green tech portfolio in various fields such as hydrogen, batteries, energy, autonomous manufacturing, and data platforms. Hexagon showcased design and engineering solutions including solar farm solutions, battery pack solutions, aviation noise analysis solutions, and autonomous driving solutions. In particular, the solar farm solution space scanning demo conducted in collaboration with Hexagon’s affiliate Leica Geosystems attracted much attention. Using the computational fluid dynamics solution ‘Cradle CFD’, Hexagon performed a simulation of the space scan data of the Archidona solar power plant in Spain. Through this, the solar power plant can analyze various scenarios, optimize power plant operation by linking it with real-time weather data, and conduct operator training with augmented reality-based visualization.

Hexagon also showcased its state-of-the-art modular automated inspection solution, PRESTO, at the exhibition. Presto is a system that combines a multi-joint measuring machine, 3D scanner and laser tracker, and provides a modular design with speed, quality and accuracy, linked to software solutions to effectively respond to the diverse needs of modern manufacturing.

Attendees who participated in the event said, “This event was a valuable opportunity to interact with leaders in the manufacturing industry and share diverse experiences and knowledge,” and “We were able to gain important insights into DX and sustainable management strategies that are essential to strengthen corporate competitiveness.”

“Through this Hexagon DX Executive Forum, we were able to introduce essential strategies for enhancing the competitiveness of manufacturing companies and Hexagon’s digital reality solutions applied to the DX of global manufacturing companies to the leaders who will be responsible for the future of the domestic manufacturing industry,” said St. Brian, CEO of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Korea. “Hexagon will continue to listen to the problems facing manufacturing companies and provide customized solutions to resolve them to support the sustainable development of the domestic manufacturing industry.”