The AI start-up MiViA GmbH, a spin-off from the Institute for Metal Forming at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg, offers an innovative and automated evaluation of microscope images via the web-based platform mivia.ai. As part of pre-seed financing, the TGFS Technologie Gründerfonds Sachsen invests in the start-up. MiViA supports and relieves metallographers in the quality control of workpieces incoming and outgoing. In this way, effort, complaints, scrap and production downtime can be minimized and an overall uniform understanding of quality can be established.
Standardized routine processes
According to their own information, the founding team has developed mivia.ai, a product at the interface between materials and AI expertise, with which they accelerate and standardize the routine process of microstructure analysis. mivia.ai is already being used by well-known players in the steel industry. The TGFS funds are used to further build the company and develop additional functionalities.
Microstructure analysis is one of the most important test methods in quality control and is also used in research and development. It is used to detect surface defects and in particular to assess the mechanical properties of workpieces. In this way, potential defects should be identified at an early stage. Microstructural analysis is traditionally a complex routine process that is carried out by specially trained metallographers or external service providers.
“With mivia.ai we can significantly relieve metallographers of monotonous, repetitive work. Within seconds, metal processing companies receive access to a professional microstructure analysis - and can integrate the result into their digital infrastructure and process structure in the spirit of Industry 4.0 Connected Industry. It is particularly attractive for internationally positioned corporations to have a uniform approach across all plants,” explains Dr.-Ing. Grzegorz Korpała, CTO of MiViA.
MiViA's microstructure analysis currently includes structure segmentation, crack detection, retained austenite and grain size determination.
“With this offer we are already reaching companies from steel processing and material development as well as laboratory service providers and specialist institutes at universities,” says Jessica Schneider, CSO.
“We are constantly working on additional functionalities, such as twin detection or determining edge decarburization, in order to be able to offer the industry a holistic analysis infrastructure. “We are in close contact with the various companies, for example through trade fairs,” says Miriam Corcoran, CEO of MiViA.
Global and international operations
Internationally, the steel industry is largely independent of regional and industry-specific economic fluctuations. However, global competition puts high cost pressure on the individual players in the value chain. At the same time, quality requirements from end users have recently increased.
“In this environment, the use of automatic microstructure analysis using artificial intelligence has enormous potential to save time and costs and also obtain more precise results. With more than 10 years of experience in microstructure analysis, the metal and automotive industry as well as consulting, the MiViA founding team combines impressive technical and operational expertise to realize this potential. We are very much looking forward to working together and developing the company together,” says Sören Schuster, Managing Director of TGFS.
