Author: Medina

Automated text placement on 3D models: A bachelor's thesis with a future

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Medina

How an algorithm is expanding Daimler Buses' Digital Warehouse

As part of a joint project between Daimler Buses and SUSI&James, the team tackled an exciting challenge: the automated placement of text on 3D models. Until now, engineers and designers had to manually decide where elements such as a logo, serial number, or licensing information should appear on a component.

This process was time-consuming and subjective. In his bachelor’s thesis, “Generating and Visualizing Suggestions for Text Brandings on 3D Models,” Maximilian Stinner has now developed an algorithmic solution to this problem.

The “Digital Warehouse” is a software solution for Daimler Buses that enables the company to manage its own spare parts and assess their 3D printability. Currently, it is the responsibility of experts to assess the feasibility of printing as well as the placement of markers on the models. The idea behind Stinner’s work: An algorithm is designed to automatically generate suggestions that enable a quick and objective decision.

Stinner’s bachelor’s thesis served as a proof of concept. “The problem had existed for some time, and the thesis provided an opportunity to tackle it in a structured way,” said Dr. Falco Nogatz, his advisor at SUSI&James. Although the solution developed has not yet been put into production, it demonstrates the potential for future implementation.

The prototype developed by Stinner is a browser application that analyzes 3D models, identifies various surfaces, and suggests the optimal placement of text based on specified criteria. Criteria such as visibility, size, and discretion can be defined by the user.

One of the biggest challenges was displaying the 3D models directly in the browser. Since a graphics card could not be used, an efficient solution was needed to render the models clearly. The decision to develop a web-based application was a deliberate one: it was intended to be usable directly without any additional software.

The prototype works well for simple objects such as nuts and bolts. However, the application reaches its limits with more complex and larger files. Nevertheless, the work demonstrates that automated text placement in 3D environments is possible in principle. Even though no comparable product currently exists, the work offers a valuable scientific contribution. It could be of interest not only for 3D printing but also for other applications such as engraving.

The collaboration between Maximilian Stinner and SUSI&James went extremely well. The student, who has since successfully completed his bachelor’s degree and is considering pursuing a master’s degree in media informatics, would like to continue exploring the field of 3D. His work could serve as the foundation for future developments—whether through further student projects or a direct commission from an industry partner.

This innovative approach demonstrates once again how practical research can lead to tangible solutions for industry. An exciting project with great potential for the future!

We would like to thank Maximilian for his contributions and wish him all the best and every success in his future endeavors.

Increasing efficiency and safety in vehicle testing through AI

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Vehicle testing

Thanks to our many years of experience testing components, vehicles, and platforms, we know that as vehicles have become more complex, so too have the demands placed on vehicle testing and test drivers. Test drivers face the challenge of documenting issues in as much detail as possible during test drives, completing the drives in a timely manner, and—of course—arriving safely at their destination.

Our AI-powered co-pilot ensures high-quality, real-time information exchange without any data loss. The driver exchanges relevant information with the AI through natural dialogue: driving maneuvers are guided and documented; during the test drive, anomalies are recorded, details are logged along a fault tree, and the data is documented in real time within the test systems.

Our AI-powered co-pilot significantly improves data quality while reducing the driver’s workload and thereby enhancing safety, all while increasing processing speed and lowering costs.

Relieving employees

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Medical practices

“We receive hundreds of calls a day, and especially during these extraordinary times, the support provided by SUSI is invaluable. She offers us significant added value.” Our digital assistant, SUSI, handles incoming calls at Dr. Eckermann and Bauer’s medical practice. She records the concerns of callers and prepares the information for the staff.

“This AI solution takes some of the load off our staff, and our practice is always available to callers. That gives us a great sense of satisfaction.”

Market monitoring for field failures & recalls

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Warranty Claim Service

In addition to complying with existing product monitoring requirements, an increasing number of companies are recognizing that data from international market monitoring is essential and provides valuable guidance for business decisions. Product strategy, technical development, and sales, in particular, benefit from this. Typically, this information is gathered within companies at irregular intervals by employees “on the side.”

Individual departments collect the information they need independently, using their own systems and focusing on their own priorities. As a result, although this wealth of data is compiled at great expense, it cannot be utilized because the information is either duplicated, missing, or simply not comparable. With its Warranty Claim Service, SUSI&James offers a portal where this data is collected from globally accessible sources and intelligently processed by our AI.

This provides a company’s employees with a comprehensive collection of comparable historical data. Equipped with search and analysis capabilities, our AI significantly reduces the workload for employees while delivering unprecedented data quality, thereby giving our clients a competitive edge.

Common Parts Management

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(Automotive) manufacturer

Internationally established (automotive) manufacturers have numerous production facilities across several continents and in various countries. In many cases, the individual parts are supplied by the same companies to different manufacturing locations installed. In current corporate practice, if a quality defect occurs in identical parts, production at the relevant site is halted and the defect rectification process begins.

At the same time, however, production continues at all other locations supplied by the same vendor, generally without their knowledge the problems that have arisen. In doing so, the manufacturing company runs the risk of installing parts with quality defects, which can lead to costly rework or even product recalls. The AI-based solution from SUSI&James continuously monitors all production processes and analyzes the impact of quality defects in real time.

In this process, the relevant representatives at other potentially affected locations are immediately informed in their respective languages, made aware of potential risks, and provided with recommendations for mitigation measures. This prevents the installation of defective parts, thereby improving quality while reducing costs. Furthermore, cross-site analyses promote transparency and facilitate potential recourse claims.

Digital Twin

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Our Digital Twin is a digital representation of a company’s manufacturing operations and complex process chains. The manufacturing chain and its individual steps can be modeled intuitively, without any prior knowledge, and in just a few minutes. Properties, dependencies, and input materials are assigned to the respective steps and linked together. Thanks to its cloud-based approach, our Digital Twin serves as an effective collaboration tool for global teams.

In doing so, the digital twin provides both the “big picture” of complex interrelationships and a detailed view of a single cell, thereby creating transparency. The real-time processing of machine and process data, independent of the specific plant enables Simulations, live dashboards, end-to-end manufacturing documentation, and predictive quality alerts. By utilizing modern algorithms and AI models, the system identifies influencing factors and root causes in complex root cause analyses.

The digital twin enables the digital marking of suspect parts during the live production process for quality control purposes and, in the event of a defect, identifies the affected components using historical data.

Supply chain disruption

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(Production) company

Manufacturers continue to provide replacement or additional parts even after a product’s regular production run has ended. The supply of parts is typically ensured by aftermarket suppliers, who produce parts at significantly higher costs than during mass production, with long lead times and in moderate quantities. This results in negative consequences for the company in the after-sales sector.

If a component needs to be remanufactured, the process usually takes several weeks. Customers who are unable to use their products during this time develop a negative perception of the manufacturer. Once the parts are produced, the parts shipped by the spare parts supplier are repackaged—so they can be used individually—and stored.

The resulting additional costs and tied-up capital generate personnel and administrative expenses and reduce the company’s profitability. Our system for managing rapid manufacturing portfolios enables a continuous transition from batch-and-queue to single-piece production.

By continuously aligning requirements, drawing data, and specifications across existing systems, the entire portfolio of manufactured parts is captured, and their production requirements are aligned with current and future rapid manufacturing capabilities.

This is how our AI builds a constantly growing range of options for manufacturing parts using rapid manufacturing processes—at the right time, in the right quantity, and with the required quality—ideally locally, right where they’re needed. In practice, this means that buyers now have the option to order a single component when needed, rather than 5,000. Costs are transparent upfront, and orders are placed with a single click in the system.

There is no need for outer packaging, complex logistics chains, or warehousing. The fulfillment process for customers is reduced to the shortest possible timeframe, and costs are significantly lower than with a “traditional” spare parts supply system.

Digital Warehouse

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3D printing

Manufacturing companies often face the challenge of having to continue supplying spare parts for discontinued models in the after-sales market. After a few years, these parts are often no longer available in stock, and conventional manufacturing methods result in long lead times. Furthermore, conventional manufacturing is usually only practical for large batch sizes, which, on the one hand, contradicts actual demand and, on the other hand, generates significant costs for repackaging and storing the now surplus spare parts.

Shipping replacement parts to repair shops is also usually expensive and time-consuming. As an alternative, companies can commission local 3D printing service providers to manufacture the parts, thereby providing replacement parts cost-effectively, quickly, and right where they’re needed. However, companies often lack the necessary technical expertise in 3D printing (additive manufacturing) itself. Which parts can be printed using additive manufacturing in a way that meets specifications? How should the print be configured to achieve the best possible result? When does 3D printing make economic sense?

To address this, SUSI&James has developed a solution in collaboration with a manufacturing group experienced in 3D printing: The digital assistant SUSI evaluates parts for their technical feasibility and the economic viability of switching to additive manufacturing. The solution also allows users to request additional services, such as part customization, texturing, or the digitization and conversion of technical drawings into 3D models.

As a result, third-party companies can now benefit from our client’s expertise and network of qualified 3D printing service providers and focus on their core after-sales business.

24/7 AI Incident Management

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Industrie & Logistik

Because the value-added processes of modern supply chains are synchronized, disruptions to normal logistics operations result in significant costs, lost time, and consequential expenses—often extending throughout the entire supply chain all the way to product delivery. Since disruptions occur time and again despite a zero-defect approach, it is crucial to identify problems quickly and comprehensively in order to generate a targeted solution in the short term and put it into practice.

This is where our AI really shines. With SUSI, issues can be reported 24/7 through natural conversation. Whether by phone or chat, it identifies the problem, conducts a dynamic troubleshooting dialogue, documents the issue in the customer system, and triggers workflows in real time. As a result, delivery delays are transparently and automatically accounted for, the process for handling shipping damage is automatically initiated, and short shipments are reported and reconciled.

Reporting issues is quick and easy, the data is complete, and—because SUSI is always running—it reliably shortens or completely prevents the duration of harmful special processes.

SmartOffice supports intralogistics

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MFI-Innovationen

Today, smart intralogistics solutions are indispensable in production and warehousing. Goods must be efficiently integrated into supply chains, and shipments must be processed quickly. Our client, MFI Innovations, offers a wide range of individual and comprehensive solutions for these needs and uses our SmartOffice for its customer service hotline.

If an error occurs among MFI’s industrial customers, it can lead to critical intralogistics downtime at any time of day or night. Such outages can become very costly in the absence of support, which is why MFI Innovations offers its customers tailored service packages to ensure they are fully supported even in the event of a crisis.

When affected companies call MFI’s customer service, they will either be connected directly to a technical support specialist or, if one is not currently available, to our SmartOffice. There, they can immediately report the issue and any relevant error codes so that MFI Innovations can initiate its support process as quickly as possible.

As soon as the line is back up, the technical specialist can use the information already gathered to assess the situation, conduct a preliminary analysis, and, ideally, present a solution to the company during the very first callback.