Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Ko Holding in Turkey, has deployed a hybrid-quantum application developed with D-Wave Quantum Inc., enhancing production sequencing for its Ford Transit vehicles.
This application, utilizing D-Wave’s annealing quantum computing technology, reduces scheduling time from 30 minutes to under five minutes per run of 1,000 vehicles and offers flexibility in adapting to demand changes. Ford Otosan aims to increase production throughput and mitigate supply delays by optimizing longer schedules, with plans to expand this solution across additional manufacturing processes.
Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Ko Holding in Turkey, faces significant challenges in producing over 1,500 variants of the Ford Transit line. This high variability complicates production sequencing, as manufacturing identical models consecutively is more efficient than switching between custom specifications.
Ford Otosan collaborated with D-Wave Systems to develop a hybrid-quantum application using annealing quantum computing technology to address these challenges. This innovative solution streamlines production scheduling by reducing the time required for each run from 30 minutes to less than five minutes.
The system’s ability to handle complex constraints and adapt to dynamic changes in demand or supply has significantly improved operational flexibility. By optimizing workload distribution across manufacturing facilities, Ford Otosan has achieved greater stability in operations, minimizing unplanned downtime and enhancing overall efficiency. This advancement demonstrates the practical application of quantum computing in automotive manufacturing, addressing optimization problems that are challenging for classical systems.
Looking ahead, Ford Otosan plans to expand the use of this quantum application beyond body shops to include paint shops, assembly lines, and buffer zones. This broader integration aims to optimize production processes further, improve competitiveness, and maintain a stable workflow across all manufacturing stages.
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