Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has introduced ProPlanAI, an AI-driven automated CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) programming tool designed to boost productivity by reducing machine tool programming time by 75%. Powered by Microsoft Azure services and integrated into Hexagon’s Nexus cloud platform, ProPlanAI automates and optimizes process planning by efficiently applying institutional knowledge.
Using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Databricks, ProPlanAI learns from a company’s CAM data to generate tailored programming suggestions based on preferences, capabilities, and standards. This AI-powered automation streamlines tasks, freeing skilled staff for complex work.
A built-in Hexagon Copilot offers real-time guidance, best-practice advice, and suggested pathways within CAM software. Users can interact via a chat interface for tips, commands, and problem-solving without leaving their software.
ProPlanAI ensures consistency and knowledge retention by capturing company-specific data. This accelerates new employee onboarding and mitigates knowledge loss when experts retire or leave, addressing manufacturing’s skills shortage.
Beta-tested by RODIN Machining, which aims for autonomous production, ProPlanAI helped achieve higher machine utilization and faster programming while maintaining quality.
Launching in Q1 2025, ProPlanAI will be available as an add-on for Hexagon’s ESPRIT EDGE CAM software. It boosts productivity, identifies standard practices, detects protocol deviations, and uses Product Manufacturing Information (PMI) for greater automation.
Hexagon’s partnership with Microsoft, announced in April 2024, supports this innovation, combining cloud technology and AI to redefine manufacturing productivity.
