Normalized claim
Time: 75%
Cuts programming time by up to 75%.
Hexagon streamlines machine tool programming with AI automation
Use case typeCode assistantUpdated Jun 13, 2026
Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has developed ProPlanAI, an AI-powered automation tool that dramatically reduces the time and expertise required to program machine tools. ProPlanAI uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Azure Cosmos DB, and Azure Databricks within Hexagon's Nexus cloud platform. This solution 'learns' from a company's historical programming data, enabling automated process planning and real-time suggestions directly within CAM software. The system supports manufacturers through co-pilot chat assistance that helps train new staff, provides real-time guidance, and preserves institutional knowledge, thus reducing risk from staff turnover. The platform is due for global public launch in Q1 2025 and supports scalable productivity in manufacturing environments.
- Organization
- Hexagon
- Industry
- Manufacturing
- Location
- United States
- Published
- November 2024
Reported outcomes
75%
timeTime & speed
Strategic outcomes
New product / capabilityLaunched AI-powered machine tool programming automationCustomer experience & trustProvided real-time guidance and chat supportRisk & compliancePreserved institutional knowledgeScale & capacitySupported scalable manufacturing productivity
Why do we believe this?Outcome claims, sources, and evidence checks
Why do we believe this deployment?Customer identity, provider attribution, maturity, and source checks
- Customer
- Hexagon
- Provider
- Microsoft
- Maturity
- Production
- Linked source
- hexagon.com
Productivity bottlenecks due to manual programming impact operational efficiency
Customer identity supportedSource describes one deploymentMaturity supported
Primary read
Use case focus
Showing 3 of 3
- 1Automated Machine Tool Programming
- 2CAM Productivity Enhancement with AI Copilot
- 3Real-time Operator Support and Guidance
- Programming machine tools is highly complex, labor-intensive, and time-consuming, often relying on experienced staff who are in short supply.
- Knowledge is lost when skilled staff leave or retire, and upskilling new staff is slow.
- Productivity bottlenecks due to manual programming impact operational efficiency.
- Developed ProPlanAI AI-powered automation tool embedded in CAM software leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, Cosmos DB, and Databricks.
- Allows manufacturers to automate and optimize machine tool programming and provides real-time guidance and chat support via a co-pilot feature.
- Continuously learns from company data to improve efficiency and maintain standards across teams.
Technologies
- Cuts programming time by up to 75%.
- Preserves institutional knowledge and mitigates risk from staff turnover.
- Up-skills new users rapidly through integrated chat guidance.
- Enables expert staff to focus on advanced and value-added tasks.
Architecture
ProPlanAI is embedded into Hexagon's CAM software through the Nexus platform and uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for intelligent process planning. It utilizes Azure Cosmos DB for scalable data management and Azure Databricks for advanced analytics and continuous model improvement. The co-pilot guides users via integrated chat and surfaces context-aware programming suggestions.
Sources & evidence1
Evidence: Medium50/100Evidence strength
- Customer explicitly identified
- Deployment status explicitly supported
- Quantified outcome available
- Technical implementation details available
Type: Press ReleasePublished: Nov 18, 2024Publisher: hexagon.comEvidence: VendorConfidence: Medium
AI-generated summary. Verify important details with the linked sources before relying on this case.
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