Interactive technology is fast becoming commonplace in many modern factories and commercial production environments as manufacturers around the world adopt Industry 4.0 applications.
Industry 4.0 – the fourth industrial revolution – is rapidly changing how manufacturing and engineering companies operate. While smart production techniques are nothing new, helping producers streamline and innovate, some of the latest and emerging technologies take things to a whole new level. They enable operators to transform their processes and operations fundamentally, achieve a higher level of quality and efficiency, and enhance productivity, safety and sustainability.
And a new wave of immersive technologies – such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) – are allowing product designers, systems engineers and manufacturers to see the world in different ways, revolutionising how people work and learn.
While early VR and AR applications were crude, basic and a bit flawed, the technology has come a long way. Digital content is now more realistic. Commercial-grade equipment is now cheaper to purchase. The hardware and software needed to create immersive virtual worlds are now within reach of even the smallest operators.
It means that businesses of all sizes can use VR and AR to save time and money, streamline their processes and improve efficiency, production speed and product quality. Here are five ways that AR and VR technology can enhance industrial processes.
What are AR and VR?
Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies enable us to experience the world around us in different ways. They’ve been widely used in computing, gaming, media and entertainment for several years and are growing in prominence in many industrial settings.
Augmented reality uses technology to enhance an environment by overlaying – or augmenting – digital content on physical things. This content responds, in real-time, to changes in the user’s behaviour or surroundings. If you’ve ever played mobile games like Pokémon Go or Ingress Prime, or used apps like Google Lens, which pins virtual signs and information to a live view on your phone, you’ve experienced AR.
On the other hand, virtual reality recreates the physical world in a simulated digital environment. VR offers a more immersive experience than AR. It places the user inside the virtual environment, where they can explore it, in real-time, in 360 degrees. It enables product designers to create accurate virtual 3D prototypes, test them and iron out any potential issues before committing to production.
Architects can render virtual representations of buildings and give people a 360° tour from the comfort of their living room. Systems engineers can digitally recreate entire production processes to see how they run, address potential bottlenecks and keep things running smoothly. And on-site, engineers can use virtual representations of physical machines for maintenance purposes, isolate problems and work out how to repair and replace components.
The possibilities are endless, and with the technology evolving all the time, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what VR can do in an industrial setting.
Five ways AR and VR are transforming industry
The vast potential that AR and VR offer means that manufacturing and industrial processes are becoming increasingly immersive. Businesses benefit from increased agility, flexibility and responsiveness, which helps to sharpen their competitive edge and become more profitable. Some of the other benefits of incorporating AR and VR into industrial processes include:
Product design
VR technology facilitates rapid prototyping, which helps businesses save time and money on their R&D activities. Its widespread adoption across the automotive sector has allowed car manufacturers to design and test new models and components more thoroughly and bring them to market quicker.
This innovative approach to product design and development has been replicated across many industries and niches. Testing physical products in a virtual environment also enables digital prototypes to fail without incurring any cost, so potential problems can be all but eliminated before physical prototypes are made.
Training
Employee health, safety and wellbeing are of critical concern to all manufacturing employers, and training lies at the heart of keeping staff safe.
AR and VR are fundamental tools when it comes to training and upskilling staff. These immersive technologies enable employees to be trained safely, effectively, and at pace. They can be placed in virtual environments that simulate physical settings and undertake practical, hands-on, realistic training experiences risk-free.
VR also enables staff to be trained together, even if they are based at different locations. AR technology, meanwhile, is a fantastic way of bringing paper-based documentation and manuals to life. When viewed on devices like tablets and smartphones, images can be overlaid with digital content to create a more interactive learning experience.
Maintenance
AR and VR can help manufacturers move from reactive to predictive maintenance, thanks to the enormous amount of real-time data that automated processes produce, coupled with interactive technology. Systems engineers can use AR to project information directly onto the shop floor and use it to assess when components will start to wear and fail and where adjustments may be required to ensure optimal efficiency.
They can also use VR to simulate physical processes in a digital environment to identify and diagnose faults and develop solutions without having to touch a single piece of machinery. It means maintenance can be scheduled, helping to eliminate costly downtime and extend the service life of production equipment.
Quality assurance
While VR and AR are essential for helping technicians maintain production lines, they can also provide them with the information needed to ensure more consistent product quality across each production run. Feedback from automated systems can be enhanced with AR or VR content to provide engineers with visual cues to help them assess and resolve any production problems.
It can help them understand where any adjustments need to be made to enhance end-product quality without having to stop the machine for repair or diagnosis. Most of these changes can be fed back into the control system by computer, to keep production running at optimum speed and quality. AR content can also be shared with the OEM via the cloud to identify any potential problems beyond the skills or knowledge of the on-site engineers.
Skills
Closely linked to training, AR and VR technology are helping to address the skills gap in the manufacturing industries. As we said at the start of the article, Industry 4.0 applications are becoming more commonplace across the board, with operators becoming increasingly reliant on new advanced technologies.
To ensure they maximise their return on investment, there’s a higher demand for skilled workers to operate these new technologies and equipment. AR and VR play a crucial role in equipping engineers with the skills and knowledge they need to adapt to new ways of working using Industry 4.0 technologies.
Let Banelec help you make the most of AR and VR technology
AR and VR can help elevate your production processes to a new level and play an essential role in adapting to ever-evolving market expectations and customer demands. However, that can happen only when Industry 4.0 becomes an integral part of your business strategy.
It’s all about creating a vision for how you will leverage new AR and VR technologies and techniques to transform your business model. Getting ahead of the game is essential, as these technologies become more commonplace in even the smallest factories and production facilities. So, if you’re ready to make your manufacturing processes smarter, safer and more sustainable, Banelec can help. Get in touch today to find out how.