Courtesy of Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TOKYO: 6503) announced it would launch MELSOFT MaiLab, a data-science tool that uses the company’s Maisart® AI technology. This AI-powered tech will enable non-specialists to skillfully and efficiently analyze and diagnose factory data such as current and pressure values for intuitive, high-level production operations management.
In recent years, manufacturers have been increasing the use of various data from the factory floor to enhance further productivity, stimulating the need for data collection and visualization and advanced analysis and diagnosis.
On the other hand, several factory operations like production management and equipment maintenance still need to be handled by human workers, making tasks such as equipment adjustments and consumables-replacement timing, etc., dependent on the experience of skilled workers.
The lack of such skilled workers, however, is becoming a critical issue for manufacturers when they try to promote advanced data analysis and diagnosis.
Mitsubishi Electric’s MELSOFT MaiLab tool utilizes AI technologies like deep learning and other statistical methods to learn how skilled workers evaluate operations automatically. This tool is easy to handle and doesn’t require special knowledge of factory operations. After the automatic learning process, the analysis and diagnosis results will be fed back from MELSOFT MaiLab for adjusting equipment parameters, which helps manufacturers automatically improve their operations and further increase productivity. The tool’s functionality and AI technologies will undergo updates in response to the growing needs of manufacturers.
The launch of MELSOFT MaiLab is part of Mitsubishi Electric’s ongoing effort to support customers with digital technologies that can help streamline production processes and reduce engineering costs. Through such activities, Mitsubishi Electric aims to transform into a “circular digital-engineering company” focused on solving a wide range of social issues with its customers.
Key Features
1) Automated learning process allows non-specialists to analyze and diagnose production data for improved productivity
- Automated machine learning (AutoML), an AI automated-learning function, realizes data analysis and diagnosis and gives automatic feedback to equipment for improved productivity without requiring users to possess data-analysis expertise.
- The AI generates learning models to help inexperienced workers perform equipment adjustments at similar levels as specialists by monitoring factory data and how skilled workers evaluate operations to adjust the parameters in production equipment.
2) Supports intuitive operation and easy analysis/diagnostics with rich graphic displays
- Various graphs like correlation matrix heat map and scatter plot matrix are available to visualize factory data, supporting the intuitive operation and easy data analysis.
- Results of the AI diagnosis can be shown as bar graphs and pie charts for intuitive understanding. Tablets can be used to check production status remotely.
Licence types and lineup
| Item | Product name | Licence |
| MELSOFT MaiLab – base license (new) | SW1DND-MAILAB-MQ12 | Annual |
| MELSOFT MaiLab – base license (updated) | SW1DNN-MAILABRE-MQ12 | Annual |
| MELSOFT MaiLab – additional user license (new or updated) | SW1DNN-MAILABAN-MQ12 | Annual |
| 1 additional diagnostic license | SW1DND-MAILABPR-M | Perpetual |
| 5 additional diagnostic licenses | SW1DND-MAILABPR-MA5 | Perpetual |
| 10 additional diagnostic licenses | SW1DND-MAILABPR-MA10 | Perpetual |
About Maisart
Maisart encompasses Mitsubishi Electric’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) technology, including its compact AI, automated-design deep-learning algorithm and extra-efficient smart-learning AI. Maisart is an abbreviation for “Mitsubishi Electric’s AI creates the State-of-the-ART in Technology.” Under the corporate axiom “Original AI technology makes everything smart,” the company is leveraging original AI technology and edge computing to make devices smarter and life more secure, intuitive and convenient.
Trademarks and Patents
MELSOFT Mailab and Maisart are registered trademarks of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation in Japan and other countries. MELSOFT Mailab has patents pending.
