“AI catalyzes operational efficiency and enhances customer service”
Holcim, a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, has announced its plans to significantly expand the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing across more than 100 plants worldwide over the next four years[1][2]. This strategic move aims to improve efficiency, reinforce capacity for customers, and revolutionize the industry.
The company has already deployed AI at 45 plants to predict and prevent failures before they occur. By deepening and broadening this application, Holcim aims to boost operational resilience, avoid production loss, and increase efficiency. As part of this initiative, Holcim will further roll out a state-of-the-art predictive maintenance solution from leading AI platform software provider C3 AI, while also piloting generative AI to enhance its capabilities.
Miljan Gutovic, CEO of Holcim, expressed his enthusiasm for the transformative potential of AI, stating, “AI is a transformative technology that will revolutionize our industry. Already widely embedded across Holcim, AI catalyzes operational efficiency and enhances customer service. We will ultimately scale up our use of AI to hundreds of sites worldwide.”
Holcim’s maintenance teams will be equipped with best-in-class predictive technology for real-time asset management and optimization. The company’s AI initiatives in manufacturing span several other areas, including product quality, process optimization, autonomous vehicles, and computer vision.
This AI deployment is part of Holcim’s Plants of Tomorrow program, which aims to modernize a global network of over 140 integrated plants and grinding stations across more than 40 countries. By leveraging digital and AI solutions, Holcim is creating connected, smart, and energy-efficient sites that complement its decarbonization efforts. The initiative also includes the use of unmanned drones for enhanced inspection and safety practices, as well as smart control systems for efficient energy consumption.
Sources:
[1] https://www.holcim.com/media/media-releases/artificial-intelligence-reinforce-manufacturing
[2] https://www.holcim.com/sites/holcim/files/docs/20240627_press-holcim_to_deploy_ai_to_reinforce_manufacturing_en.pdf