The TGFS Technologie Gründerfonds Sachsen is investing in MiViA GmbH as part of pre-seed financing. The AI start-up is a spin-off from the Institute for Metal Forming at the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and offers innovative and automated evaluation of microscope images via the web-based platform mivia.ai. MiViA supports and relieves metallographers in the quality control of workpieces incoming and outgoing. Effort, complaints, rejects and production downtimes can be minimized and an overall uniform understanding of quality can be established.
Accelerated routine processes
At the interface between materials and AI expertise, the founding team has developed mivia.ai, a product that accelerates and standardizes 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. This is intended to identify potential defects at an early stage. Traditionally, microstructural analysis is 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,” emphasizes Dr.-Ing. Grzegorz Korpała, CTO of MiViA. “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.”
Scope of analysis
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,” explains Jessica Schneider, CSO. “We are constantly working on additional functionalities, such as twin detection or edge decarburization determination, in order to be able to offer the industry a holistic analysis infrastructure,” explains Miriam Corcoran, CEO of MiViA. “We are in close contact with the various companies, for example through trade fairs.”
Global and international competition
The steel industry is internationally positioned and 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,” summarizes Sören Schuster, Managing Director of the TGFS. “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.”
