The British Institute of Non-Destructive Testing (BINDT) Burns Supper Seminar, held in January, provided a timely forum for industry discussion on professional development, competence assurance, and the evolving demands placed on technical training systems. 

Bennie Caldwell is the director of quality at Bullen Ultrasonics. He oversees the full spectrum of quality operations, including quality engineering, CMM programing, calibration, and final inspection. He also recently wrote an article for Quality.

The idea of the ‘dark factory’ has gained new attention as advances in robotics and AI accelerate. Stories range from fully automated automotive plants that operate around the clock and lights-out facilities in China, to experiments with humanoid robots on production lines, often framed as early signs of factories that no longer require people on the shop floor.

The application of AI in quality receives mixed responses: to some, it solves many problems; to others, it feels like Pandora’s box.