An established conference focused on bringing university and industry research to manufacturing professionals is the latest to include artificial intelligence (AI) as a key component.
The University of Tennessee recently hosted hundreds of manufacturing professionals at the annual Manufacturing and Reliability Conference (MARCON 2025) in Knoxville. From keynote speeches and panels to exposition vendors, AI was the most commonly used new catchphrase.
MARCON dedicated one of its key panels to experts discussing practical uses for AI in plant operations. Industry leader Paul Casto of GE Digital said we are already “using AI to make better decisions based on data.” Then he and other panelists agreed it’s critical to have a process in place in order to act on early alert via AI about problems with equipment. They also emphasized that security protocols are essential.
Director Vasileios Maroulas PhD, of the AI Tennessee Initiative at the University of Tennessee, announced during his keynote address that he’s putting out a new Request for Proposals for AI research connecting UT and the business world. AI TechX intends to build a team of academics and industry leaders to show how artificial intelligence can support innovation and jobs in Tennessee. Maroulas is telling audiences in simplest terms, “AI transforms every single industry … at various levels,” so this is an important time for more research.
At the Knoxville Convention Center’s vast expo area filled with MARCON vendors, nearly every booth included a built-in conversation about AI’s role in competitive technologies related to preventive maintenance. Business-to-business offerings included everything from consulting to software to sensors for keeping plants running smoothly.
“It makes sound visible,” described Daus Studenberg, national products manager, about the Ludeca Crysound tool that uses ultrasound and infrared imaging to detect air and gas leaks at plants as well as electrical arcing.
Cory Burns of RDI Technologies explained that his camera and software combination called Iris M can detect tiny imperfections in plant machinery long before it becomes a problem. “We use all these reliability tools to get to the solution. Ours can get there in three seconds.”
Studenberg, Burns and their other competitors using vibration detection to spot equipment issues all say that AI has a part in how the software tools work within their respective systems for detecting problems and communicating through data for R & M professionals.
Loctite Adhesives & Reliability Specialist Kimberly Smith pointed out how AI adoption relates to a lack of enough people to fill skilled jobs. “The workforce issues have accelerated the adoption of AI-enabled or smart devices in manufacturing plants.”
Anne Brock is marketing coordinator for Solar Alliance, which provides professional Commercial Solar services to businesses, utilities and nonprofits. She can be reached at email or 865-221-8349.
