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DEDICATED TO EXCELLENCE: SERVICE • QUALITY • INNOVATION
ESTABLISHED 1953
By Lance Thrailkill, All Metals CEO
Where is artificial intelligence headed? If you’re asking whether AI can achieve superhuman intelligence, that’s not exactly my area of expertise. But if you’re asking about AI in manufacturing, I have a lot to say.
At All Metals Fabricating, we’ve always believed in the potential for technology to improve customer outcomes. That’s why we invest in digital tools across quoting, machining, and fabrication.
Today, AI is the most discussed technology out there, and we’re already putting it to work as we prepare for the bigger changes to come. Ultimately, I think it will transform our industry, and shops that don’t keep up with AI may get left behind.
The technology behind large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT hasn’t reshaped machining just yet, but they have already improved our customer experience. Our new AI-powered chat tool, “ShopTalk,” is available 24/7 to give instant answers about our capabilities, tolerances, materials, equipment, and more. Its fast responses have dramatically simplified communication for our customers.
We’ve also used AI through our quoting platform, Paperless Parts, for many years. Its built-in intelligence flags design for manufacturing (DFM) issues early on in both metal fabrication and precision machining, saving customers time and money while enabling fast quotes. A few minor design adjustments based on these warnings can often lead to significant cost savings, and AI plays a critical part.
Beyond quoting and customer communication, we also take advantage of AI in day-to-day tasks. From recording meetings to drafting emails and scheduling, small efficiencies add up to big gains. They allow our team to stay focused on our most important work: moving your parts through our shop.
We’re already working to build out more advanced uses of AI, especially in data analysis and workflow automation. We are currently building out an LLM that extracts information from our ERP system and applies its insights automatically. By analyzing our data, for instance, AI could help us predict bottlenecks, optimize schedules, and deliver projects to our customers more efficiently. From there, we will look to develop agentic AI features that could automate processes that are currently done manually.
Our ultimate goal is to develop software that could automate entire stages of manufacturing administration, beginning with order entry. We envision a system that instantly generates emails, purchase orders, and due dates for every downstream vendor once we officially accept a new project, even for long-term contract manufacturing. These automated workflows could significantly speed up the account manager’s role in planning and releasing work to production.
Any innovation we embrace will be for one reason: customer value. When we save time while eliminating errors, our customers benefit from more reliable delivery and cost-effective manufacturing.
AI could also be a path toward greater transparency in manufacturing. In everyday life, people are used to tracking Amazon packages (or even pizzas!) with a link and a click. But in manufacturing, it’s still difficult to provide real-time visibility into job status. We believe AI will help solve that challenge, making it easier for customers to see exactly where their parts are in production.
When will changes like this arrive? I’m not yet certain. AI technology is evolving quickly, and I expect even bigger breakthroughs in the near future. For now, I’m monitoring every new release, waiting patiently for the game changers that could transform our shop.
That’s an easy question to answer: No.
Every generation has worried about technology replacing workers, from the Industrial Revolution all the way through the invention of CNC machines and the growth of automated manufacturing. Yet people remain at the heart of our shop and every successful shop. Technology can only work in tandem with human creativity.
I think AI will be the same way. It won’t replace quality team members, it will just amplify their capabilities. Great manufacturing will always require human expertise and care.
Manufacturing isn’t always the most dynamically evolving industry, but we’ve always seen new technology as an opportunity. That’s why we invest in the latest equipment and software for our team, and that’s why we’re paying such close attention to AI in manufacturing.
Do you need custom metal fabrication, CNC machining, or other capabilities for your project? Request a quote today to see how we combine expert human skill with cutting-edge technology for efficient manufacturing!
