SynergyAI Begins Collaborative Pilot of 'MekkiAgent' AI Quotation Support for Plating Industry with Towa Riken
SynergyAI, a developer of industry-specialized AI services, has launched a pilot program and collaborative development of 'MekkiAgent', a cloud-based AI quotation support service, in partnership with plating company Towa Riken.
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- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 03:46
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SynergyAI, Inc., a developer of industry-specific AI services, announced that it has begun a pilot program and collaborative development of 'MekkiAgent', a cloud-based AI quotation support service, in cooperation with Towa Riken, a company operating in the plating industry.
Towa Riken is utilizing MekkiAgent in their actual plating operations, providing feedback from a frontline perspective. SynergyAI will incorporate these insights to improve the service and refine the AI to better align with real-world industry practices.
## Background: Challenges Facing the Plating Industry
While the plating industry is a cornerstone supporting Japan's automotive, electronic component, and precision machinery sectors, it faces several structural challenges:
- Over-reliance on individual expertise (siloed knowledge): Creating quotations requires skilled expertise for tasks such as reading blueprints, determining processes, and calculating material costs and man-hours, often taking tens of minutes to hours per quotation.
- Aging workforce and labor shortages: A shrinking pool of skilled workers and a lack of successors make it difficult to secure personnel with frontline expertise.
- Rise of high-mix, low-volume production: As unit prices per order decrease and the number of quotations increases, quotation tasks often become a bottleneck in operations.
## Overview of MekkiAgent
MekkiAgent is a cloud service where AI assists with plating quotations simply by uploading drawing data.
- Quotation support via drawing upload: By uploading CAD data or blueprint PDFs, the AI analyzes processing conditions to assist in generating quotations.
- Digitization of expert know-how: The service aims to learn and reproduce the decision-making logic previously held only by experienced staff.
- Easy cloud-based deployment: Requires no dedicated hardware or large-scale system modifications and can be used via a standard Web browser.
## Collaboration with Towa Riken
As an early-stage partner, Towa Riken is testing MekkiAgent in actual business operations and providing feedback based on real-world requirements. Since plating involves a complex coexistence of artisan craftsmanship and precise process management, many site-specific judgments cannot be captured through theoretical development alone. SynergyAI is using Towa Riken's insights to evolve MekkiAgent into a truly practical AI service.
## Comments from SynergyAI Leadership
Hussam Wafa, Representative Director of SynergyAI, stated, "We are expanding our 'Industry-Specialized AI' theme into the manufacturing sector, which is a domain where AI can provide high value due to the intersection of craftsmanship and precise process management. We are committed to refining this service together with a partner like Towa Riken, who possesses deep frontline knowledge."
## Future Outlook
Based on insights from this pilot, SynergyAI intends to improve MekkiAgent and expand its adoption within the plating industry. Furthermore, the company aims to broaden its impact on manufacturing by exploring additional features like composition optimization and quality control as part of the 'MekkiAgent' series.
Towa Riken is utilizing MekkiAgent in their actual plating operations, providing feedback from a frontline perspective. SynergyAI will incorporate these insights to improve the service and refine the AI to better align with real-world industry practices.
## Background: Challenges Facing the Plating Industry
While the plating industry is a cornerstone supporting Japan's automotive, electronic component, and precision machinery sectors, it faces several structural challenges:
- Over-reliance on individual expertise (siloed knowledge): Creating quotations requires skilled expertise for tasks such as reading blueprints, determining processes, and calculating material costs and man-hours, often taking tens of minutes to hours per quotation.
- Aging workforce and labor shortages: A shrinking pool of skilled workers and a lack of successors make it difficult to secure personnel with frontline expertise.
- Rise of high-mix, low-volume production: As unit prices per order decrease and the number of quotations increases, quotation tasks often become a bottleneck in operations.
## Overview of MekkiAgent
MekkiAgent is a cloud service where AI assists with plating quotations simply by uploading drawing data.
- Quotation support via drawing upload: By uploading CAD data or blueprint PDFs, the AI analyzes processing conditions to assist in generating quotations.
- Digitization of expert know-how: The service aims to learn and reproduce the decision-making logic previously held only by experienced staff.
- Easy cloud-based deployment: Requires no dedicated hardware or large-scale system modifications and can be used via a standard Web browser.
## Collaboration with Towa Riken
As an early-stage partner, Towa Riken is testing MekkiAgent in actual business operations and providing feedback based on real-world requirements. Since plating involves a complex coexistence of artisan craftsmanship and precise process management, many site-specific judgments cannot be captured through theoretical development alone. SynergyAI is using Towa Riken's insights to evolve MekkiAgent into a truly practical AI service.
## Comments from SynergyAI Leadership
Hussam Wafa, Representative Director of SynergyAI, stated, "We are expanding our 'Industry-Specialized AI' theme into the manufacturing sector, which is a domain where AI can provide high value due to the intersection of craftsmanship and precise process management. We are committed to refining this service together with a partner like Towa Riken, who possesses deep frontline knowledge."
## Future Outlook
Based on insights from this pilot, SynergyAI intends to improve MekkiAgent and expand its adoption within the plating industry. Furthermore, the company aims to broaden its impact on manufacturing by exploring additional features like composition optimization and quality control as part of the 'MekkiAgent' series.
FAQ
Which company developed MekkiAgent?
It was developed by SynergyAI, Inc.
Who are they collaborating with for the pilot?
They are collaborating with Towa Riken, a company specializing in plating.
What challenges does this AI service address?
It addresses challenges in the plating industry such as the over-reliance on individual expertise for quotations, the shortage of skilled workers, and increased operational burdens.