South Korean company Hanil Cement has begun deploying industrial drones equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) at its Danyang plant to improve worker safety and enhance operational efficiency.
According to the company, 10 employees have already obtained piloting qualifications to operate the drones. Following a trial period, the drones will be fully integrated into production processes starting in April.
The newly introduced drones are equipped with AI software that recognizes spaces and converts them into 3D maps. Based on this capability, they can fly safely without collisions even in narrow indoor environments and can accurately measure the amount of inventory stored in warehouses.
The key advantage of the technology is the increased level of security. It is also used for pipeline inspection at height, including corrosion and wear assessment.
The use of drones also leads to cost and time savings. The company has reduced the need to outsource inventory measurements to external specialists and eliminated the need to install temporary platforms or scaffolding for equipment inspections.
Additional improvements have been observed in production management. Inventory measurements, which were previously conducted on a quarterly basis, are now carried out monthly. Greater accuracy in measurements and the ability to monitor hard-to-reach areas enable more effective planning and management of production processes.
