Machines will think along with us in the future

How artificial intelligence is revolutionising production

Author: Daniel Schauber, trade journalist, Mannheim

The spotlight at this year’s EMO Hannover, held from September 22 to 26, was firmly on artificial intelligence (AI). What once seemed like a distant vision for the factory floor is now reality: AI has taken centre stage in machine tools, transforming production processes, reshaping maintenance strategies, and redefining the roles of human operators.

Manufacturers from across the globe witnessed how AI is no longer just an experimental technology, but a practical control hub for efficient, sustainable, and competitive production. In times of persistent skills shortages and intensifying global competition, it became clear at EMO that AI has evolved into a genuine survival strategy for the manufacturing industry.

Beyond Automation: Machines That Learn and Adapt

Demonstrations at EMO showed that AI in machine tools now extends far beyond automation. Equipped with sensors, data analytics, machine learning, and intelligent assistance systems, machines are learning from experience, making decisions, and continuously optimising processes in real time.

Industry experts, including Prof. Philipp Klimant from the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU), emphasized the broad spectrum of applications—from inline quality control and process monitoring to AI-driven training support and predictive maintenance.

Fraunhofer IWU, led by Martin Dix, Welf-Guntram Drossel, and Steffen Ihlenfeldt, used the exhibition to highlight its work in adapting AI to production environments. Under the umbrella of the WGP (German Academic Association for Production Technology), the ProKI initiative continues to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with practical access to demonstrators and tailored AI solutions, helping them evaluate how AI can improve their individual processes.

The Efficiency Potential on Display

A recurring theme at EMO Hannover was efficiency gains. As Prof. Klimant pointed out during his presentations, the potential varies depending on process stability and optimisation opportunities.

For instance, plastics processing, such as injection moulding, can suffer reject rates of up to 30 percent. Here, AI offers significant leverage to reduce waste. Even in stable processes, AI-driven predictive maintenance was showcased as a powerful tool for extending service life and minimising downtime.

The exhibition also made clear how AI can support workforce development. By embedding tacit knowledge into AI systems, manufacturers can preserve expertise that might otherwise be lost as experienced employees retire, while at the same time training new staff more effectively.

Computing Power as the Backbone

Another focus at the exhibition was the hardware enabling AI applications. Presentations distinguished between the computationally intensive training phase and the lighter, real-time inference phase. While edge devices are often sufficient for day-to-day applications, AI models for image processing and large language models demonstrated at EMO highlighted the need for high-performance graphics cards and specialised AI accelerators to achieve rapid cycle times.

This reinforced the industry’s growing attention to balancing computing requirements with production efficiency.

Datron AG: Adaptive Production in Action

One of the highlights on the exhibition floor came from Datron AG, the milling machine manufacturer from Ober-Ramstadt. The company showcased how its machines, equipped with AI, are evolving into adaptive production cells.

As CTO Jonas Gillmann explained to visitors: “Our machines now draw on learned knowledge, automatically adapting to component requirements and environmental conditions. This reduces setup times, increases process stability, and brings us closer to truly autonomous production.”

Datron also demonstrated its Datron next control software, which guides even inexperienced operators intuitively through the milling process. By automatically recognising workpieces, the system eliminates lengthy programming and setup, making small-batch and customised production not only feasible but efficient.

Shifting Human Roles in AI-Driven Factories

What EMO Hannover also revealed is the changing role of human operators. With AI shouldering programming and monitoring tasks, employees are becoming process designers—responsible for ensuring quality, fine-tuning operations, and collaborating with intelligent systems.

As Gillmann put it: “Less programming, more process responsibility. Human expertise is not being replaced but enhanced by AI-driven assistance. Machines are becoming true partners in the production process.”

Takeaway from EMO Hannover 2025: AI as Imperative

The message that emerged strongly from EMO Hannover 2025 was that AI is no longer optional. From predictive maintenance to adaptive production cells and intuitive operator guidance, AI is now the decisive factor for competitiveness in global manufacturing.

Manufacturers left Hannover with one clear impression: machines are not just following commands anymore—they are thinking along with us.