Tech firm secures funding for AI manufacturing ‘test centre’

Tech firm Bloc Digital has secured funding to carry out a feasibility study focused on establishing an AI manufacturing ‘test centre’ at the University of Derby.

The firm has secured Innovate UK funding to lead AI-STREAMS, which will evaluate AI solutions in a manufacturing environment.

The project will explore how AI can help manufacturing SMEs unlock greater value from the growing volumes of data generated across their operations.

Working alongside project partners, the university and AluCast, Bloc will investigate how connecting fragmented data sources can provide deeper insights into manufacturing processes and support more informed operational decision-making.

In a statement, Bloc said: “Manufacturers today have access to more information than ever before.

“Machine monitoring systems, production schedules, energy networks, sensors and operational technologies continuously generate data designed to improve visibility and control.

“Yet despite significant investment in data collection, many organisations still struggle to translate that information into meaningful business improvements.

“The challenge we’re looking to address isn’t the volume of data available. It’s the ability to connect information from multiple sources to understand how operational events influence one another.”

As part of AI-STREAMS, Bloc intends to enhance blocHub, its business data and knowledge platform, to bring together enterprise systems, production technologies and operational data within a single secure environment.

Bloc added: “Drawing on our expertise in digital transformation and data visualisation, we’ll explore how production schedules, machine data, operational information and energy consumption can be analysed together to reveal patterns that would otherwise remain hidden.

“Through controlled machining trials and industrial testing, we aim to understand how changes in tooling, machine condition, materials, and production activity appear within connected datasets.

“This will help us explore how manufacturers can recognise early indicators of process drift before they contribute to downtime, waste or reduced productivity.”

Dr Hong Qing Yu, associate professor in data science at the University of Derby, said: “Through AI-STREAMS, we’re bringing together our expertise in data integration, visualisation and digital transformation to explore how AI, supported by connected and contextualised data, can help manufacturers identify issues sooner, reduce the likelihood of unplanned downtime and unlock greater value from the information they already possess.

“The University of Derby’s contribution to AI-STREAMS comprises two closely connected components.

“On the AI side, we will apply our expertise in artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital twins to connect and contextualise manufacturing data, identify process changes, explain their causes and support earlier operational decisions.

“On the manufacturing side, a university engineering team led by Professor Paul Wood will work with AluCast to establish a testbed based on real industrial scenarios.

“The resulting sensor architecture, datasets, simulation methods and AI models will contribute directly to the further development of blocHub, strengthening its ability to integrate, contextualise and analyse industrial data and transform it into early warnings and actionable insights for optimising manufacture operational process.”