AI Propelling Aircraft Production?
In aerospace, the transformation of aircraft production is an intricate dance between human ingenuity and cutting-edge technology. Established on 23 December 1940, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manufacturers in the world. Himagiri Gedela, head of projects at HAL, during the ongoing Cypher 2023 event, which is the largest AI conference in India, delves into how integrating the power of simulation into HAL’s strategic capacity planning, the PSU has unlocked a realm of possibilities that can revolutionise the way it approaches production capacity. “Over the past two decades, I have served in various roles within Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). My journey has taken me from planning and process management to overseeing production projects and optimising assembly lines,” Gedala said. HAL’s contribution to India’s aerospace and defence capabilities has been nothing short of remarkable. From manufacturing iconic aircraft to the current production of the indigenous Tejas series, we’ve come a long way, he said. Managing supply chain through simulation Gedala emphasises HAL’s unwavering commitment to exploring diverse avenues, such as AI, to harness technology’s potential in enhancing the PSU’s productivity. HAL has bases in Bangalore, Nasik, Lucknow, Kanpur and Korwa. But given their divisions are scattered across the country, supply chain bottlenecks have been an issue for his team. “In Nasik, we build the Russian origin aircraft, whereas, in Bangalore, we build the western origin and the indigenous flights. These are the two locations where we build the aircraft, whereas the other locations are supplier units,” Gedala continued, “Now, the challenge with HAL is to manage the supply chain.” While earlier HAL developed all the components that go into an aircraft, now, HAL has started developing an ecosystem with vendors who supply some of these components to HAL. But these only further diversifies the supply chain, adding to the constraint. To solve the problem, HAL has developed a simulated model that offers a unique perspective by accounting for production variability and supply chain uncertainties. By accurately pinpointing bottlenecks and inefficiencies, Gedala says that HAL has been able to make strategic decisions. For instance, increasing the number of production lines or reducing variability in both production and supply chains can lead to significant improvements, he mentioned. “These simulations enable us to make informed investment decisions and identify the most cost-effective path to expanding our production capabilities.” However, the next step for HAL is to make the model learn on its own and this is where the PSU is turning its attention to AI.
HAL has developed a simulated model which offers a unique perspective by accounting for production variability and supply chain uncertainties.
HAL has developed a simulated model which offers a unique perspective by accounting for production variability and supply chain uncertainties.
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I have a keen interest in creative writing and artificial intelligence. As a journalist, I deep dive into the world of technology and analyse how it’s restructuring business models and reshaping society.