Augmented Reality in Manufacturing
Augmented reality enables employees to view manual and automated process data at the same time. This allows workers to quickly spot trends like cycle times and defects in production while also providing a more complete picture of factory functionality.
For example, during equipment maintenance, AR can enable technicians to receive visual overlays detailing the safest procedures for handling machines. This ensures that safety protocols are always front and center.
1. Safety
One of the primary concerns of manufacturers is worker safety. Using AR, factory workers can get information instantly on the equipment and machines they are working with through digital overlays of training materials and simulations. This helps them perform tasks with less hassle and increases productivity and efficiency.
The system can also alert the users of possible hazards, such as highlighting dangerous areas. Additionally, it can warn an employee when a particular task may be unsafe by triggering real-time visual warnings and audio prompts. This enables a safer work environment for the employees and prevents accidents during operations.
Another useful function is the ability to deliver real-time work guidance through headsets that do not obstruct movement or cause eye augmented reality in manufacturing fatigue. This enables workers to view detailed instructions on how to assemble or install machinery without having to walk away from the machine to look for documents or videos. It can even allow them to communicate with an expert remotely. This feature reduces the need for costly manual training and speeds up the time to production.
2. Training
The modern manufacturing industry needs high-tech tools to keep pace with production. Augmented reality is one such solution that offers a variety of training opportunities.
Training employees on new machinery and equipment is much quicker, easier, and safer with AR. Overlaying digital instructions and simulations in trainee’s field of view allows them to learn how to operate new machinery with ease, boost confidence, and proficiency before working with the actual equipment.
AR can also help prevent mistakes by eliminating the need for paper-based manuals or relying on unreliable schematics. By allowing workers to see the information they need on any machine or device, AR eliminates confusion and streamlines maintenance operations.
Streamlining the inspection process makes it more efficient to address potential issues and reduce downtime. Additionally, augmented reality allows your company to take advantage of on-demand workers. Instead of requiring all your staff to work overtime when you receive an unexpected order, you can bring in a team of temporary workers without having to train them up to your standards. This type of flexibility gives your business more agility and helps your team respond to emergencies quickly.
3. Efficiency
Across multiple industries, efficiency concerns are top-of-mind for leading manufacturers. Whether it’s minimizing operational downtime or reducing the time it takes to troubleshoot and solve problems, AR is a valuable tool for addressing efficiency challenges.
With the ability to overlay digital information on physical objects, AR enables users to view additional data and context around real-world items. This helps streamline manual processes by empowering workers with information that reduces errors and rework. In addition, this technology gives employees the ability to monitor equipment and operations from a distance. This allows experts to remotely assist workers with resolving issues, which translates to reduced downtime and increased productivity.
Another way that augmented reality can increase efficiency is by delivering work instructions to employees in real-time. This minimizes the learning curve for new employees and allows experienced ones to complete tasks more quickly and accurately. As a result, it can also lower maintenance costs.
4. Automation
As manufacturing operations continue to grow more complex and sophisticated, issues arise that require expert attention. AR can detect and highlight flaws or potential problems to help reduce downtime and improve machine performance.
Another key concern is the need to ensure quality and compliance. A common use case is highlighting errors during inspections to make them easier for workers to identify and correct.
Rather than forcing employees to work overtime or risk the safety of their coworkers, companies can offer flexible working opportunities with AR. With this technology, a factory can hire additional workers to handle the workload when an urgent order comes in.
One of the most practical uses for augmented reality in manufacturing and warehousing is called “real-time work guidance.” This type of AR projects step-by-step visual instructions to an operator, allowing them to stay focused on their task while also improving productivity and efficiency. The most advanced form of this is called projection-based AR, which combines vision sensors with projectors to display instructions and visuals on any surface. This is the most versatile of all AR types and offers the greatest enterprise value.
5. Collaboration
Augmented reality can quickly and easily connect remote workers to each other and experts in the field for knowledge transfer and real-time resolution of problems. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, this made it possible to provide remote support and training in a matter of seconds.
Providing contextual information to workers when they need it — on the manufacturing floor or in the field — is industrial augmented reality crucial for optimizing operations. AR can reduce the learning curve for new employees, deliver standardized work instructions to operators in real time as they execute a task, and cut search times for relevant content. This helps manufacturers build quality into processes by eliminating the need for manual documentation and reducing human error rates.
For product design, augmented reality can help engineers create prototypes in a more efficient manner than traditional modeling. By displaying features through AR-equipped wearables, designers can see how the finished product will look in a 3D space without having to build or test physical prototypes. In a similar vein, AR can make it easier for factory workers to follow digital work instructions by overlaying them on top of the live view of the equipment or parts being used, with audio cues, pictures, and videos to simplify complex tasks.