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How Blocks Transforms Advanced Manufacturing: AI-Powered Production for the UK's Industrial Future

Chris Barry, Founder & CEO 10 February 2025 8 min read

What is Blocks?

Blocks is Make More Digital's platform for building intelligent business applications. It's modular, composable technology that lets organisations configure powerful workflows, AI agents, and data pipelines—without the traditional development overhead.

Instead of months of custom development, Blocks lets you assemble pre-built components tailored to your industry. Think of it as enterprise software that adapts to how you work, not the other way around.

Explore Blocks for Advanced Manufacturing

The UK's Advanced Manufacturing Opportunity

Advanced manufacturing is at the heart of the UK Government's 2025 Modern Industrial Strategy. As one of the eight priority sectors (IS-8), it represents a critical opportunity for economic growth, innovation, and global competitiveness.

But here's the challenge: most manufacturers are still running on legacy systems that can't keep pace with modern demands. They need real-time quality control, predictive maintenance, and intelligent production scheduling—but building these capabilities from scratch takes years and millions in investment.

Enter Blocks: Manufacturing Intelligence, Configured Not Coded

Blocks is our platform for building intelligent business applications without the traditional development overhead. For advanced manufacturers, this means:

1. Production Pipeline as Configuration

Instead of custom-coding every workflow, manufacturers can visually configure how products flow through their facilities. From raw materials to finished goods, every step is tracked, optimised, and documented.

  • Visual production line builder - Design workflows without writing code
  • Automated quality checkpoints - AI-powered defect detection at every stage
  • Real-time inventory tracking - Know exactly what's where, always
  • Complete traceability - Meet compliance requirements automatically

2. AI-Powered Quality Control

Our AI agents can analyse production data in real-time, identifying defects before they become costly problems. Describe what you want to monitor, and Blocks builds the dashboards and alerts automatically.

3. Predictive Maintenance

Equipment failures are expensive. Blocks integrates with IoT sensors and SCADA systems to predict maintenance needs before breakdowns occur, reducing downtime and extending equipment life.

Real Results for UK Manufacturers

One aerospace manufacturer using Blocks saw:

  • 35% improvement in production efficiency
  • 60% reduction in quality escapes
  • 40% decrease in unplanned downtime

Why This Matters for the IS-8 Strategy

The UK Government's focus on advanced manufacturing isn't just about preserving existing jobs—it's about creating new, high-value opportunities. Blocks helps manufacturers:

  • Compete globally with intelligent, efficient operations
  • Attract investment by demonstrating modern capabilities
  • Develop skills as teams work with AI-powered tools
  • Scale sustainably without proportional increases in complexity

Getting Started

If you're in advanced manufacturing and want to explore how Blocks can transform your operations, we'd love to talk. Our team has deep experience in industrial applications and can show you exactly how the platform would work for your specific needs.

Schedule a Demo to see Blocks in action for manufacturing.

Explore Blocks for Advanced Manufacturing

Build intelligent manufacturing systems with AI-powered automation. Optimise production, ensure quality, drive industrial competitiveness.

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