Smart Manufacturing Assistant: Leveraging Multimodal Large Language Models and Multi-Agent Systems for 3D Printing

Despite decades of progress in automation and digitalisation, smart manufacturing continues to rely heavily on human expertise for process planning, anomaly interpretation, and operational decision-making. Existing digital twins (DTs) remain largely descriptive — capable of monitoring and simulating processes, yet unable to reason about them or generate adaptive decisions autonomously.

This talk presents the development of an intelligent Smart Manufacturing Assistant that harnesses the complementary strengths of Multimodal Large Language Models (MLLMs) and multi-agent systems to address the complex demands of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing (3DP). By integrating natural language, images, CAD models, and sensor data within a collaborative, task-oriented agent architecture, the proposed AI platform delivers domain-specific insights, real-time decision support, and automated workflows. The MLLM serves as the central reasoning engine, while specialised agents handle process monitoring, fault detection, solution planning, and optimisation execution across manufacturing operations.

A key outcome of this work is the development of an MLLM-powered chatbot with an intuitive user interface, enabling context-aware, real-time industrial question-and-answering. This interface allows users to interact naturally with the system and dynamically orchestrate agents across a range of manufacturing tasks — bridging the gap between advanced AI capabilities and practical shop-floor deployment.

Dr Jerry Fuh is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and the Founding Director and Advisor of the NUS Centre for Additive Manufacturing (AM.NUS). A Fellow of both SME and ASME, he is also a licensed Professional Engineer in California, USA. Since 1995, Dr Fuh has dedicated his research to additive manufacturing (AM/3D printing), playing a pivotal role in establishing NUS's AM/3DP research programme and AM.NUS. His work has centred on industry applications, and he has built advanced manufacturing laboratories supported by major R&D grants from Singapore's national agencies, developed in close collaboration with industry partners.

In 2005, Dr Fuh was honoured with the IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Award from the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), in recognition of his outstanding contributions to engineering in Singapore. He has authored over 450 technical papers and 6 monographs, and holds 30 intellectual properties and patents spanning advanced manufacturing, materials, and design. He has also supervised more than 85 research students, including over 60 PhD graduates. In addition, he serves on the editorial boards of more than 12 peer-reviewed journals as Editor, Associate Editor, or Editorial Board Member, covering areas related to design, manufacturing, and AM/3DP.