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Progress and Trends of Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing: A Bibliometric

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Progress and Trends of Arti cial Intelligence in
Manufacturing: A Bibliometric and Visualization
Analysis
Ali Raza (  a.raza@bolton.ac.uk )
University of Bolton https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8758-9152
Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye
University of Bolton

Systematic Review

Keywords: Arti cial intelligence, Manufacturing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Bibliometric, Visualize,
Content Analysis

Posted Date: October 25th, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3487302/v1

License:   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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 Progress and Trends of Artificial Intelligence in
Manufacturing: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis
Ali Razaᵃ and Dr. Mamadou Ndiayeᵇ
ᵃLecturer, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bolton, BL3 5AB, United Kingdom (E-mail:
A.Raza@bolton.ac.uk)
ᵇSenior Lecturer, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bolton, BL3 5AB, United Kingdom (E-mail:
M.Ndiaye@bolton.ac.uk)

CORRESPONDENCE Ali Raza A.Raza@bolton.ac.uk, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bolton, BL3 5AB,

United Kingdom.

Abstract
Recent trends and advancements in the field of artificial intelligence have initiated their
extensive integration across diverse industrial domains. Despite its nascent stage of
development, several studies reveal that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to play an
important role in the development of modern and innovative manufacturing at a substantial
scale. This study presents a visually enriched bibliometric analysis of the global status and
trends of artificial intelligence in the prominent manufacturing sector using VOS, Python and
R Studio software. Specifically, it undertakes a thorough examination of the existing scholarly
literature on AI in manufacturing sourced from the Scopus database, encompassing the period
from 2013 to 2022. Over the last decade, there has been a substantial rising trend in AI in
manufacturing research. The accumulation of papers in this topic has closely followed a
polynomial growth model and predicted the publications on AI in manufacturing-related topics
to be over 5000 per year. China has emerged as the top contributor to worldwide research
efforts in AI in manufacturing, followed by the USA, India, Germany, and the United
Kingdom. However, the journals “Procedia CIRP”, International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, and IEEE Access from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, and
USA, respectively, have the most publications per year in this field. Western Reserve
University, Clevland, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, followed by
University of Central Florida, Orlando, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, School of Mechanical Engineering are the most
productive institutes in terms of contributions to this topic.

1
Keywords
Artificial intelligence, Manufacturing, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Bibliometric,
Visualize, Content Analysis.

1. INTRODUCTION
The manufacturing industry is considered a vital pillar of a country’s economy,
individual livelihood, and national security. Manufacturing technology's extensive integration
with information and communication technology, intelligent systems, and specialised product
knowledge, in particular, supports a paradigm-shifting revolution in manufacturing paradigms,
techniques, and their associated ecosystems. Intelligent manufacturing is a new manufacturing
paradigm that encompasses the technical mechanisms that enable emerging information and
communication technology, advanced intelligent science and technology, extensive
manufacturing technology (spanning design, production, management, testing, and
integration), system engineering expertise, and relevant product technology to be seamlessly
integrated throughout the entire system and product development lifecycle (Dirican, 2015; Pan,
2016). In recent years, the amassing of massive amounts of data via Internet-of-Things (IoT)
technologies has accelerated the growth of information retrieval and analysis tools, most
notably AI. This increase in data-handling capabilities is poised to transform numerous sectors
of the manufacturing industry, acting as the impetus for the establishment of smart factories in
which every aspect of the manufacturing process is executed intelligently and with full
automation throughout each cycle.

The term "Industrial AI" was used to describe AI that is targeted to specific goals inside
the manufacturing sector. Industrial AI encompasses a wide range of machine learning
techniques, with its core tenets centred on proficient pattern recognition for complex and
nonlinear data, comprehensive analysis of unstructured data, resilience in the face of repetitive
tasks, quick computational capabilities, and a high degree of interpretability. Among the
characteristics of industrial AI, the capacity to recognize extremely nonlinear patterns is
crucial. This is especially important since the relationship between the input and output
parameters is sometimes only partially understandable, especially under simplified settings.
Because of the presence of extremely complicated nonlinear interactions, it may even stay
completely unknown in some cases (Jordan and Mitchell, 2015).

To solve these challenges, deep learning, a subset of machine learning, is progressively

supplanting traditional data analysis approaches. Deep learning has received much attention

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recently for its abilities. It not only excels at collecting detailed patterns within training data
but also has exceptional skill in recognising various types of unstructured data. This explains
its enormous success in applications such as object identification, natural language processing,
speech recognition, and the generation of lifelike pictures. Despite the constraints connected
with interpretability and extrapolation, its potential is almost limitless and depends on the
quantity and quality of data as well as the complexities of its architectural design. As a result,
deep learning is the focus of intensive study and large investment on a worldwide scale from
both governments and commercial organizations (Lecun, Bengio and Hinton, 2015; Bengio,
Lecun and Hinton, 2021).

AI-driven systems are becoming increasingly important in today's society as an ever-

increasing stream of information is processed. In the world of mass manufacturing,
inconsistencies and flaws are almost unavoidable. Companies that do not use AI frequently
spend a significant amount of time looking through hundreds of product photos to detect flaws.
AI software, on the other hand, may find flaws quickly by analysing several product photos in
a relatively short period of time. Companies collect massive amounts of unstructured data from
a variety of sources, including sensors embedded in machinery, production lines, factory
execution systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and external systems (such as
consumer feedback and supply chain data), and use it for a variety of reasons. The study of
these data not only provide a competitive advantage but also inspires the creation of new goods
and services. As a result, the problem is in efficiently analysing and organising this treasure of
data, a task critical not only to the sector but also to the global economy as a whole.

The goal of this study is to identify current research trends in the field of AI applied to
manufacturing. This study aims to provide a thorough review of the historical, present, and
predicted trends in AI-related research in the manufacturing industry. To do so, we
meticulously examined scholarly publications from time period: a selection of 14815 articles
spanning 9 years (from 2013 to 2022) retrieved from the Scopus database. Our extensive
bibliometric and content studies revealed a notable increase in research effort in the field of AI
in manufacturing throughout the time period under consideration.

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2. MATERIAL & METHODOLOGY
This study aims to quantify the published scientific contributions, identify the key area
of interest, and analyse the extent of research collaboration in this particular domain by
conducting bibliometric and visualized analyses on AI in manufacturing.

2.1 Data Source and Search Strategy

The Scopus database was utilized to retrieve, analyse, and visualize data and provide
vital information about the trends, citations and collaborations related to AI in manufacturing.
The data for the bibliometric and visualized analysis were extracted by using the Population,
Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Setting (PICOS) model, as shown in Figure 1, and
14815 scientific published documents were retrieved.

Figure 1 Flowchart for search and inclusion and exclusion of publications.

4
2.2 Validation and Quality Assurance of the Search Strategy
To maximize and ensure the inclusivity of published research work in the domain of
interest, the synonyms of the key search terms were researched and added. To confirm the
validity of the search strategy, the keywords were modified in several iterations, which helped
to remove false-positive and false-negative results.

2.3 Data Analysis and Visualization

The retrieved data from the Scopus database were analysed and visualized by
performing citation analysis, co-word analysis, and co-author analysis. Citation analysis of a
selected research field examines the most cited authors, journals, or published studies in the
form of a top N-list. Citation analysis only provides information about the relative influence of
publications, but it is not able to provide information about the network of connections among
scholars. Therefore, coauthor analysis was utilized to provide information about the
collaboration and social structure of the selected field. Similarly, co-word analysis was used to
find the networks and connections among the main concepts and ideas that co-occur in
document titles, keywords, or abstracts (Scherer, Siddiq and Tondeur, 2019).

With the ever-growing and fast advent of quantitative research on published documents,
research scholars have explored numerous methods and processes to evaluate research trends,
visualize the knowledge graph of available literature and develop and transform theories. The
most commonly used software and programming languages are CiteSpace, VOS viewer,
HistCite, R studio and Python because they are vastly used as data mining, visualization, and
content analysis tools (Chen, 2004; Garfield, 2009; van Eck and Waltman, 2009). However,
for this particular study, Python, R Studio and VOS Viewer were utilized to create the powerful
visualizations and quantitative analysis of available literature. These software programs also
helped highlight historical developments, hot spots, and frontiers in the selected field of
interest.

5
3. Results And Data Analysis
3.1 General Description of Retrieved Studies
The search query returned 14815 documents. The generic information about the
retrieved documents, including timespan, number of documents, number of sources, annual
growth rate on AI in manufacturing, number of authors contribution, average citations per
documents between 2013 and 2022, etc., are presented in figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 General description of the retrieved studies from the Scopus database

Figure 3 Type of retrieved documents from the Scopus database.

Variation in the quantity of scholarly publications on a certain research topic is a vital

indicator of development in a specific direction. Statistical analysis and visualization of the
quantity of scholarly studies over time assist in understanding the research level and future
perspectives and directions. A total of 14815 publications from 2013 to 2022 were retrieved
from the Scopus database, and the majority of research has been published in the last 5 years,
as shown in Figure 4. Moreover, Figure 4 depicts the polynomial regression model fitting curve
and the prediction for expected publications on AI in manufacturing in the future based on
historical data trends.

6
 The top 5 nations are listed in Figure 5(a) according to their output of articles on AI in
manufacturing. With 3241 publications, China held the top spot with the most publications. The
United States came in second place with 2837 articles, closely followed by India (with 1327
publications), Germany (with 1218 publications), and the United Kingdom (854 publications).
All of these countries made significant contributions to the area. Figure 5(b) shows the funding
sponsor for the number of publications on AI in manufacturing between 2013 and 2022, in
which the “National Natural Science Foundation of China”, “National Science Foundation”,
“Horizon 2020 Framework Programme”, “National Key Research and Development Program
of China” and “National Research Foundation of Korea” were the top 5 contributors, with 1325,
502, 330, 312, and 243 publications, respectively.

Figure 4 Curve fitting, prediction and details of annual studies published between 2013 and 2022 on AI in manufacturing.

Figure 5 Sum of publications on AI in manufacturing from the top 5 countries and details of top funding sponsors in this
field

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3.2 Bibliography Coupling Analysis
The visualization paradigm in Figures 6, 7, and 8 uses nodes to symbolize distinct
entities, and each node represents the journals, institutions, and countries. The size and
magnitude of these nodes represent the cumulative power or influence of total link strength
(TLS). The link or interconnecting lines between nodes represent the intricate association, and
the thickness of these links is proportional to the strength of correlation. This quantifiable
measure is also used in co-author, co-citation, and co-occurrence analysis.

Based on published scholarly papers with a minimum number of documents in a journal

greater than 30, 59 distinct journals are shown in Figure 6. The arrangement of these journals
within the visualization reflects the total link strength (TLS) and the size of the sphere
representing the prominence of the journal within the domain of research focused on artificial
intelligence (AI) in manufacturing. The line between two nodes in the figure represents that
two journals had established a similarity relationship, and the thickness of the line represents
the closeness of the link among journals.

The top five journals with the highest total link strength in the field of AI in
manufacturing were as follows: IEEE Access (Impact Factor (IF) = 3.9; 2022; TLS = 8946
times), Applied Sciences (IF = 2.7; 2022; TLS = 7343 times), Journal of Manufacturing System
(IF = 12.1; 2022; TLS = 5810 times), Procedia Cirp (IF = 2.1; 2022; TLS = 5729 times), and
Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing (IF = 8.3; 2022; TLS = 5617 times). The details of the top
10 journals based on their TLS are presented in Table 1. Additionally, Figure 8 presents the
analysis of bibliographic source clusters. Cluster 1 (red) is industrial manufacturing and
encompasses 28 journals with a total of 2845 publications. Among them, Procedia Cirp
(Netherlands; 349 documents), Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing (Netherlands; 162
documents), International Journal of Production Research (United Kingdom; 93 documents),
Expert Systems with Applications (United Kingdom; 79 documents), and Computers and
Industrial Engineering (United Kingdom, 139 documents) are the five most prominent and
discussed journals. These include studies on AI in manufacturing, control systems, AI
applications and industrial manufacturing.

Cluster 2 (green) is instrumentation, electronics, and additive manufacturing and has

17 journals with 1138 publications. Among them, IEEE Access (USA; 236 documents), IEEE
Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing (USA; 82 documents), Additive Manufacturing
(Netherlands; 74 documents), Computers in Industry (Netherlands; 52 documents), and IEEE

8
Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement (USA, 48 documents) are the five most
discussed journals in the domain of AI in manufacturing. These include studies on AI in
manufacturing, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, computer integrated
manufacturing, informatics, biomedical, and industrial manufacturing.

Figure 6 Mapping of identified journals on AI in manufacturing.

Cluster 3 (blue) is about clean manufacturing, energy, and sensors and contains 9
journals with 738 publications, of which Applied Sciences (Switzerland; 210 documents),
Sensors (United Kingdom; 122 documents), Sensors (Switzerland) (Switzerland; 81
documents), Computers in Industry (Netherlands; 52 documents), and Sustainability
(Switzerland, 105 documents) are the five most discussed journals in the domain of AI in
manufacturing. These include studies on AI in the manufacturing of sensors, materials,
machines, energies, and sustainable processes. Cluster 4 (yellow) is about neural computing
processes, control systems and industrial manufacturing and has only 5 journals with 605
publications, of which the Journal of Manufacturing Systems (Netherlands; 155 documents) is
the most discussed journal in the domain of AI in manufacturing.

9
 Table 1 Top 10 most discussed journals on AI in manufacturing between 2013 and 2022

Journals Documents TLS Country Citations

IEEE Access 236 8946 USA 6506

Applied Sciences 210 7343 Switzerland 2409

Journal of Manufacturing System 155 5810 Netherlands 7415

Procedia Cirp 349 5729 Netherlands 4411

Journal of Intelligent 162 5617 Netherlands 5884

Manufacturing
International Journal of Advance 293 5083 United Kingdom 6359
Manufacturing Technology
Sensors 122 4727 United Kingdom 1049

IEEE Transactions on 82 4098 USA 2428

Semiconductor Manufacturing
International Journal of Production 93 3284 United Kingdom 3708
Research
Additive Manufacturing 74 3169 Netherlands 3411

Figure 7 Mapping of 31 institutions on AI in manufacturing research.

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 Based on published studies with a minimum number of documents over 10, 31
institutions are shown in Figure 7. Case Western Reserve University, Clevland, Department of
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (TLS = 453 times) ranked first, followed by University
of Central Florida, Orlando, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (TLS =
397 times), Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, School of Mechanical Engineering (TLS
= 286 times), Donghua University, Shanghai, College of Mechanical Engineering (TLS = 284
times), and University of Michigan, Department of Mechanical Engineering (TLS = 263 times).
Similarly, the top five countries based on published papers with a minimum number of
documents of more than 15, 72 countries are depicted in Figure 12, including the USA (TLS =
214781 times), China (TLS = 192523 times), the United Kingdom (TLS = 106484 times),
Germany (TLS = 96936 times), and India (TLS = 66852). Moreover, in Figures 7 and 8, the
arrangement of these institutions or countries within the visualization reflects the total link
strength (TLS) and the size of the sphere representing the prominence of the institution or
country within the domain of research focus. The line between two nodes in the figure
represents that two institutions had established a similarity relationship, and the thickness of
the line represents the closeness of the link among institutions or countries.

Figure 8 Mapping of countries on AI in manufacturing research.

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3.3 Co-citation Analysis
A co-citation analysis approach was employed to gauge the extent of interrelation among
items based on the frequency of their concurrent citations. Through the quick examination of
the corpus of referenced material, this approach expeditiously identifies the knowledge
foundations relevant to the subject of study. Moreover, the relevance and significance of
publications can also be analysed by using co-citation analysis. Table 2 presents the top 10 most
cited publications between 2013 and 2022.

Due to the high frequency of citations, papers with a minimum number of citations of
an author greater than 350 were identified and analysed utilizing VOS viewer, and 275 authors
are shown in Figure 9. The top five authors with the highest total link strength (TLS) were as
follows: Zang, Yuyan (TLS = 192891 times), Wang, Jinjiang (TLS = 188732), Liu, Ye (TLS =
184617), Wang, Yudan (TLS = 174750), and Li, Xinyu (TLS = 165219). Cluster 1 (red) studies
mainly the role of deep learning, genetic algorithms, digital twins, multimodal optimization, and
convolutional neural networks for various manufacturing processes (i.e., classifications, object
detection, crack detection, human-robot interaction, process optimization, etc.). Three main
representative authors are Zang, Yuyan (Citations = 3086), Lui, Ye (Citations = 3303), and
Wang, Yudan (Citations = 3542).

Figure 9 Mapping of the 275 authors’ coauthorship analysis on AI in manufacturing.

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 Table 2 Top 10 most cited published documents on AI in manufacturing between 2013 and 2022.

Titile Year Citation Journal Authors

Machine learning trends, 2015 3862 Science, USA (Jordan and Mitchell,
perspectives, and 2015)
prospects
Design, fabrication, and 2015 3457 Nature, UK (Rus and Tolley,
control of soft robots 2015)
Deep learning and its 2019 1548 Mechanical Systems (Zhao et al., 2019)
application to machine and Signal Processing,
health monitoring USA
A New Convolutional 2018 1284 IEEE Transactions on (Wen et al., 2018)
Neural Network Data- Industrial Element,
Driven fault diagnosis USA
method
A comprehensive survey 2018 1126 IEEE Transactions on (Cai, Zheng and
of Graph Embedding: Knowledge and Data Chang, 2018)
Problems, techniques, and Engineering, USA
application
Deep learning for smart 2018 980 Journal of (Wang et al., 2018)
manufacturing: Methods Manufacturing
and application Systems, Netherlands
Data-driven smart 2018 907 Journal of (Tao et al., 2018)
manufacturing Manufacturing
Systems, Netherlands
Literature review of 2020 900 Journal of intelligent (Oztemel and Gursev,
industry 4.0 and related Manufacturing, 2020)
technologies Netherlands
Brave new world: service 2018 797 Journal of Service (Wirtz et al., 2018)w
robots in the frontline Management, UK
Machine learning in 2016 759 Production and (Wuest et al., 2016)
manufacturing: Manufacturing
Advantages, challenges, Research, UK
and applications

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3.4 Co-occurrence Analysis
Due to the high occurrence of keywords between the chosen period (2013-2022) of this
study, out of 49020 keywords, 233 were selected to analyse and present based on the minimum
occurrences of a keyword over 100. As presented in Figure 10, 233 identified keywords were
classified into 4 main clusters. Cluster 1 (red) represents the focus of research on cyber-physical
systems, the Internet of Things, cloud computing, Industry 4.0, and smart industrial
manufacturing. Cluster 2 (green) represents the utilization of AI, specifically machine learning
and fuzzy interfaces, for the optimization of 3D printing, additive and process manufacturing.
Cluster 3 (blue) is based on advanced deep learning neural networks and learning system
utilization, especially in hardware and semiconductor manufacturing. Cluster 4 (yellow)
represents the AI-human interaction and sustainable implementation of AI in society. Table 3
presents the 10 main keywords with the highest occurrence in “AI in Manufacturing” studies
between 2013 and 2022.

Figure 10 Mapping of keywords in research on AI in manufacturing .

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 Figure 11 Mapping of recent research keywords on AI in manufacturing.

Table 3 Top 10 most commonly used keywords on AI in manufacturing between 2013 and 2022

Keywords No. of results

Machine Learning 3359

Manufacture 3226

Artificial Intelligence 3027

Learning Systems 2402

Deep Learning 2302

Neural Networks 1998

Learning Algorithms 1320

Forecasting 1272

Manufacturing Process 1180

3D Printers 1078

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 Figure 12 Density visualization map showing the most relevant keywords on Ai in manufacturing.

The topic dendrogram represents the chronological order and relationship among the
keywords generated based on hierarchical clustering. The content of the retrieved documents
was grouped into a number of clusters based on keywords using the dendrogram grouping
technique. Figure 13 shows a network of themes and their relationship representing the
conceptual space of the role of AI in manufacturing. Clusters represent the hierarchical
relevance of most common keywords in the domain of AI in manufacturing, such as machine
learning, deep learning, CNN, neural networks and learning systems, and additive
manufacturing.

Figure 13 Topic dendrogram presenting the relationship among keywords.

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4. Discussion and Content Analysis
The objective of this work is to evaluate research on artificial intelligence in
manufacturing using visualised and bibliometric analysis. This approach can be utilised to
ascertain the current state of the art and generate projections for future developments. This study
analysed the significant advancements made in the field of AI in manufacturing research,
particularly during the past decade. This growth can be linked to the evident influence of
technical progress and the rise of novel innovative technologies, techniques, and algorithms in
this domain.

China has significantly contributed to the field of research under consideration,

representing more than 22.3% of the overall contributions in terms of the quantity of articles
published between 2013 and 2022, followed by the USA, India, Germany, and the United
Kingdom. The significant increase in the quantity of research outputs generated by Chinese
academics can be attributed to various sources, with the strategic approach implemented by the
Chinese government being particularly noteworthy. The collective endeavours to establish a
prominent standing within the business, exert control in the field of artificial intelligence
research, and enhance military capacities have played a crucial role. The significant financial
allocations made by the Chinese government and funding sponsors institutions towards AI
research serve as a clear demonstration of their unwavering dedication to this goal.

The analysis conducted indicates that a comprehensive total of over 100 nations and
regions have actively participated in the production of scholarly articles and reviews pertaining
to this particular subject matter. Given the available information, it is possible to make an
estimation on the trajectory of forthcoming publications. The findings of our study also shed
light on potential areas of interest and popularity within this field, warranting further exploration
through high-quality research endeavours. Moreover, it is expected that there would be a growth
in the scope and extent of research dedicated to deep learning, neural networks, soft robotics,
and manufacturing processes, accompanied by a commensurate surge in the publication of
articles on this subject in the forthcoming years.

However, in regard to impactful research work publishing journals, the Netherlands

journals were at the top because 4 out of 10 top journals with more citations and influences are
from the Netherlands, followed by United Kingdom and the USA. Between 2013 and 2022,
notable journals that have demonstrated high productivity in terms of citations include the
Journal of Manufacturing Systems located in the Netherlands, IEEE Access based in the United
States, the International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology situated in the United

17
Kingdom, and the Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, which is also affiliated with the
Netherlands. This noteworthy accomplishment can plausibly be ascribed to multiple variables,
with one prominent element being the inclination of researchers towards open-access
publication. Open access journals provide a broader avenue for accessing scientific information,
hence facilitating the transmission and progress of global knowledge. Moreover, open-access
journals have gained significant recognition in specific disciplines, frequently attaining high
rankings in terms of impact factors. This further emphasises their significance and the increasing
inclination towards the open dissemination of research, aiming to benefit the global scientific
community as a whole.

It is noteworthy that all the highly cited research articles on AI in manufacturing indexed
in the Scopus database were published between 2013 and 2022. The publications largely focus
on a number of basic themes. The design and control of soft robots are receiving significant
attention due to the growing interest in this topic and its wide-ranging applications in various
sectors. Moreover, a substantial proportion of these relevant scholarly articles focus on the
application of traditional neural networks for the purpose of defect detection, which is a crucial
aspect in guaranteeing the quality and dependability of manufacturing processes. Machine
learning and deep learning methodologies, namely, in the domain of machine health monitoring
and smart manufacturing, are notably highlighted in these extensively referenced publications.
Moreover, a considerable amount of scholarly literature has been dedicated to investigating the
concept of data-driven manufacturing and the various benefits and obstacles that arise from the
incorporation of robots into assembly lines. Taken together, these topics highlight the current
emphasis on the progression of manufacturing and robotics by means of state-of-the-art
technology and processes.

Topic modelling analysis has uncovered numerous developing themes and issues that
are currently at the forefront of study in the field of AI in manufacturing. Notably, these span
the fields of deep learning, machine learning, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), learning
algorithms, automation, industrial processes, machine health monitoring, and the exploitation
of fuzzy interfaces and neural networks. These areas of concentration collectively represent the
cutting-edge research directions and crucial fields of interest within the broader landscape of
artificial intelligence applied to the industrial sector.

In the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in the industrial sector, Western
Reserve University, located in Cleveland, has emerged as one of the most prolific schools.
Notably, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Western Reserve

18
University has demonstrated a particular emphasis on advancements in this subject. The
University of Central Florida, located in Orlando, has made significant contributions,
particularly through its Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Furthermore,
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, located in Shanghai, has demonstrated a strong commitment to
conducting extensive research in the field of mechanical engineering, particularly within its
School of Mechanical Engineering. These establishments have significantly contributed to the
progress of the discipline and have had a profound impact on the development of the
conversation surrounding the implementation of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing
sector.

The utilisation of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing sector poses distinct

problems, principally arising from the requirement to accurately describe complex and nonlinear
phenomena in a space with numerous dimensions. However, the considerable amount of current
scholarly research investigating artificial intelligence (AI) in many industries indicates that even
if AI is still in its early phases, it has significant potential as a powerful tool for modelling,
analysis, and automation. The aforementioned potential exhibits the ability to significantly alter
industrial industry in the near future. In addition to its application in manufacturing, artificial
intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its importance in several domains, such as medical image
analysis, bioinformatics, drug development, recommendation systems, financial fraud detection,
visual art processing, and military applications. The versatility and adaptability of this
technology are readily apparent as it expands its impact across several sectors, representing a
significant milestone in the field of technological progress.

Furthermore, to overcome certain intrinsic constraints that have hindered the extensive
use of artificial intelligence (AI) in various industries, such as challenges related to
interpretability and performance deterioration in the presence of insufficient data, several
subfields of deep learning have garnered significant attention. The fields that are encompassed
include physics-informed deep learning, explainable artificial intelligence (AI), domain
adaptability, active learning, multitask learning, and graph neural networks. The engagement in
these specific sub-disciplines reflects a collaborative endeavour aimed at overcoming the
obstacles that have impeded the wider implementation of artificial intelligence in industrial
settings.

Moreover, it is imperative to acknowledge the auspicious amalgamation of artificial

intelligence (AI) with several domains of engineering. The potential of this interdisciplinary
synergy should not be underestimated since it has considerable significance. In conclusion, it is

19
our sincere aspiration that the precision engineering and manufacturing community can adeptly
utilize developing AI technologies and efficiently utilise them for manufacturing endeavours
that are forward-thinking in nature. The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) holds the
potential to bring about significant and profound changes, and its careful use can result in
progress that is advantageous for the industry in its entirety.

5. Conclusion
The present study has provided a thorough examination of the worldwide panorama and
developing patterns in the field of artificial intelligence in manufacturing research. Significantly,
China plays a crucial role, taking the lead with the greatest number of contributions in this
particular subject. However, it is evident that research output from China encompasses a diverse
range of quantities, calibres, and academic effects. The aforementioned diversity highlights the
dynamic character of China's engagement in the field of AI in manufacturing research,
illustrating the nation's multifaceted contributions and research pursuits in this area. Meanwhile,
research on AI in manufacturing in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the USA holds
significant academic influence in terms of both quantity and quality.

The domains encompassing deep learning, machine learning, convolutional neural

networks (CNNs), learning algorithms, automation, industrial processes, machine health
monitoring, additive manufacturing, and the investigation of fuzzy interfaces and neural
networks collectively represent the forefront of scholarly inquiry and significant areas of focus
within the wider context of employing artificial intelligence in the industrial domain. The
aforementioned specialised areas not only demonstrate the latest advancements in ongoing
research but also emphasise their significant contributions in improving and transforming the
field of industrial applications of artificial intelligence.

Several prominent academic journals have demonstrated significant productivity in

terms of citations. These include the Journal of Manufacturing Systems, which is based in the
Netherlands; IEEE Access, which is rooted in the United States; the International Journal of
Advanced Manufacturing Technology, based in the United Kingdom; and the Journal of
Intelligent Manufacturing, which also has affiliations with the Netherlands. These scholarly
publications have solidified their reputation as influential venues for the dissemination of
research in the domain of manufacturing and its associated subjects. They have garnered
substantial attention and recognition for their valuable contributions to the academic
community. Western Reserve University in Cleveland is known for its industrial AI research.
Western Reserve University's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department has made

20
significant contributions to this field. The University of Central Florida in Orlando has also
made progress, with its Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering driving
innovation. The School of Mechanical Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University has also
shown a notable commitment to mechanical engineering research. Such esteemed institutions
have contributed significantly to this field. Individual research has shaped industrial AI
discourse. This has made them significant contributors to this transformative domain.

6. Data Availability and Competing Interest Statement

The authors confirm that the essential data supporting the findings of this study are
available within the article. However, raw data and calculations of the presented results will be
made available upon request from the corresponding author. Moreover, the authors declare no
competing interests.

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