Description
Summary AI Developer Needed – Custom Manufacturing Estimating & Production Routing Platform We are seeking an experienced AI developer (or small development team) to build an AI-powered estimating and manufacturing planning system for our machine shop. About Us We are a large custom fabrication and machine shop. We manufacture heavy industrial equipment, repair steel mill machinery, and produce custom one-off machine components. Unlike production shops, approximately 95% of our work is custom engineered or produced from existing flat drawings. Every project is different, making traditional estimating methods slow and highly dependent on experienced personnel. Our goal is to build an AI assistant that learns how we estimate work and eventually becomes an intelligent estimating and production planning tool. Project Objectives The system should be capable of taking engineering drawings and manufacturing documentation and producing an accurate manufacturing estimate, routing, and labor breakdown. The AI should continually improve as it learns from historical jobs. Inputs The system should be able to analyze: PDF drawings DXF files STEP files SolidWorks files (preferred) Bills of Material Material specifications Weld symbols GD&T Surface finish requirements Heat treatment requirements Inspection requirements Quantity Customer specifications The AI Should Estimate Material Material type Material size Material utilization Buy size Estimated weight Scrap factor Obtain live material pricing from suppliers or APIs Recommend purchasing options Manufacturing Operations The AI should recognize required manufacturing operations such as: Saw cutting Waterjet Plasma Laser Flame cutting CNC milling Horizontal boring Vertical turning Engine lathe CNC turning Surface grinding Blanchard grinding Welding Heat treating Assembly Painting Inspection Machine Time Estimation The system should calculate machine hours based on: Machine horsepower Spindle speeds Feed rates Material type Tool selection Material removal rate Tool changes Setup time Fixturing complexity Part complexity Operator intervention We can provide our own speeds and feeds for each machine in our facility.