How a Leading Automotive Cut Repairs by 58%, Downtime by 41%, and Safety Incidents by 36% – Saving $2.47M Annually

At one of its U.S. plants, a global automotive manufacturer partnered with Invisible AI to address growing operational challenges on two production lines. By deploying AI-powered 3D vision and motion analytics, the manufacturer reduced safety incidents, downtime, and repair rates — while uncovering new opportunities for labor optimization and upstream quality improvements.

CHALLENGE

The manufacturer’s leadership needed real-time, unbiased data to:

• Reduce high offline repair rates and quality escapes
• Improve safety performance and cut injury-related costs
• Minimize unplanned downtime that disrupted production flow
• Monitor standard work adherence without manual, biased audits
• Close supervision gaps and balance workloads amid labor constraints

Traditional plant data — from PLCs, audits, and quality checks — couldn’t explain why repairs and downtime were occurring, which stations were creating hidden bottlenecks, or how operators were actually performing against standard work.

SOLUTION

Invisible AI’s edge-based 3D vision platform was deployed across trim lines, collecting and analyzing motion, cycle time, and ergonomics for every cycle, in real time. Without adding sensors or disrupting operations, the manufacturer gained a continuous, unbiased system of record for how work was being performed.

Deployed Capabilities:

• Microstop and downtime analysis
• Ergonomics risk detection and motion heatmaps
• Standard work and step adherence tracking
• Remote, bias-free audits
• Root cause analysis via searchable, timestamped video
• Standard Work Similarity Scoring to flag operator deviations

Supervisors and engineers could now investigate issues in minutes, validate fixes with data, and proactively rebalance workstations.

IMPACT

Safety

• 36% reduction in safety incidents
• $1.65M annual savings

Quality & Repairs

• 58% fewer repairs 
• Offline repair rate dropped from 4.5% to 0.9%
• $137K+ annual savings

Downtime

• 41% reduction in downtime per shift 
• $684K+ annual value

Labor Optimization

• Streamlined processes with accelerated Invisible AI-powered line balancing, reducing workload by 33%
• Created opportunities to redeploy operators while capturing $1.18M/year in savings potential

Total Cost Avoidance: $2.47M/year
ROI Achieved: <6 months

WHY IT MATTERS

Invisible AI transformed the manufacturer’s ability to:

• Prevent safety incidents with real-time ergonomic risk monitoring
• Reduce rework and defects before pre-delivery
• Eliminate downtime through microstop visibility
• Empower supervisors with digital supervision tools
• Offset labor shortages by enabling more efficient line balancing

By making human motion observable and measurable, the manufacturer gained a scalable system to continuously improve safety, quality, and productivity.

CUSTOMER VOICES

“The new Invisible AI camera system has been a gamechanger… we finally have a way to determine true root cause on a defect.” – Production Supervisor

“The AI system has revolutionized shop floor management, providing a comprehensive bird’s-eye view. It’s user-friendly and has streamlined productivity across all Trim zones.” – Production Supervisor‍

“Invisible AI is excellent in identifying safety concerns and quality defects in real time.” – Special Projects

Want to cut downtime, reduce rework, and improve safety like this automaker? Contact Invisible AI to schedule a discovery engagement.