"Capturing Defects by Sound Saves Hundreds of Billions" SKT Builds AI-Based Smart Factory

SK Planet Signs Business Agreement with Hwashin
AE Solution Introduced to Hwashin Production Line

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] SK Telecom is introducing an AE (Acoustic Emission) solution that analyzes defects by sound to all production lines of Hwashin, a first-tier vendor of Hyundai Motor Company. This is expected to result in annual production cost savings worth hundreds of billions of Korean won. The companies also plan to jointly promote the commercialization of the solution in the future.

On the 28th, SK Telecom announced that it signed a business agreement on 'AI-based Smart Factory Business Cooperation' with SK Planet and Hwashin regarding this matter.

The three companies plan to introduce the AE solution, which analyzes acoustic data to detect defective products, at Hwashin's Unha and Bongdong factories starting in the second half of this year, and expand it to all Hwashin production lines within the next five years. Previously, defect inspections were conducted by workers visually checking all finished products, making it difficult to maintain uniform quality and identify causes.

However, with the AE solution, thorough inspections of all finished products produced worldwide can be conducted in a shorter time compared to before, which is expected to improve production efficiency. It will also significantly reduce the time required to identify the causes of defects and modify the production process. SK Telecom expects Hwashin's production costs to be reduced by hundreds of billions of Korean won annually through the application of this smart factory solution.

The three companies will also collaborate on the commercialization of the AE solution. After advancing the solution at Hwashin's production sites, the largest automotive chassis manufacturer in Korea, they plan to develop it into a service applicable to manufacturers and target domestic and international markets. SK Telecom will oversee the AI-based smart factory business using the AE solution, SK Planet will handle technology development, and Hwashin will be responsible for marketing to expand the service.

Choi Nak-hoon, head of SK Telecom’s Industrial/Data Business Unit, said, “Through this cooperation, we expect that our ICT capabilities such as 5G and AI will lead to strengthening the competitiveness of the domestic manufacturing industry,” adding, “SK Telecom will continue to do its best for mutual growth and cooperation with the domestic manufacturing sector.”

Lee Hansang, CEO of SK Planet, said, “We will do our best to ensure that the deep learning technology capabilities we have accumulated in the IoT sensor field lead to improved productivity in manufacturing sites,” and added, “We hope that this solution developed through the joint efforts of the three companies will become the industry standard.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.