AI in Advanced Manufacturing: Revolutionizing Thermal Spray Coating and Beyond

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing several aspects of advanced manufacturing, bringing unparalleled opportunities for efficiency improvement, quality control, and innovation. This review article presents a balanced overview of the emerging role of AI in the advanced manufacturing context, with a particular emphasis on its revolutionary influence on thermal spray coating technologies. We discuss the integration of AI techniques, such as machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, in the thermal spray process chain, from process optimization and material selection to defect inspection and predictive maintenance. We also delve into more general applications of AI across advanced manufacturing areas, such as additive manufacturing, robotics, and supply chain management, with special emphasis on the synergistic opportunities and future trends of AI-aided industrial progress. This review will enable researchers, industry stakeholders, and policy makers to appreciate the latest state-of-the-art and the potential of AI in revolutionizing the future of manufacturing, with thermal spray coating being a good case study for its far-reaching influence.