AAT Composites Ltd. (Somerset West, South Africa), manufacturer of high-performance composite parts for the commercial aviation industry, has announced the selection of Plataine’s (Waltham, Mass., U.S.) IIoT-based solutions for manufacturing optimization, as part of the company’s digital manufacturing strategy, and to automate and upgrade its production facilities capabilities.

Plataine was selected due to its proficiency in the latest Industrial IoT and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, as well as its track record of successful deployments within the aerospace and composites sector. Plataine’s solution was chosen by AAT to automate and improve process control, to optimize material yield, and to advance its cutting and kitting methods and efficiencies, avoiding quality rejects affecting time to market, scrap and rework. The solution will allow for significant efficiency and quality improvements at AAT, the company says.

The digital transformation with Plataine involves digitization of the production facility with factory floor sensors collecting real-time data, as well as the use of AI-based Digital Assistants, which analyze factory floor data and offer predictive alerts, actionable insights and optimized real-time recommendations to factory floor staff.

Plataine’s solution is said to enable real-time visibility and tracking of all material and factory assets, including time-sensitive raw materials, tools, kits and machines, through the entire manufacturing process. Paperless production ensures part traceability of the digital thread from raw material to end-product and reduces risk of human error, freeing up manpower time for other tasks. Plataine’s technology is also agile to respond in real-time to sudden changes in design and production scheduling.

“We’ve selected Plataine following a thorough analysis of the market and various alternatives to address the operational challenges driven by our current and expected growth,” says Malte Scherner, executive manager for engineering and tooling at AAT. “We are looking forward to collaborating with the Plataine team on this exciting project.”

“The dynamics of the aerospace industry require the highest levels of production efficiencies, flexibility and quality to stay ahead of the pack. Plataine’s manufacturing optimization software solution will significantly improve AAT’s operations, resulting in reduced waste, better quality control and higher manufacturing efficiency,” adds Avner Ben-Bassat, president and CEO of Plataine.