Augmented Reality (AR) can revolutionize manufacturing. It can empower your workers to perform better and avoid safety and compliance risks by providing easy access to the information they need. This is particularly relevant, given the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns and social distancing requirements have made it difficult for workplaces to maintain face-to-face operations but in spite of this, production must continue.
Thankfully AR can make this possible. These tools help plant workers adapt to new norms and specialists respond in real-time. FactoryTalk InnovationSuite makes work instructions handsfree and delivered in real time where assembly or field service takes place. Knowledge of experienced workers is easily captured and shared with new workers and service technicians. Remote expertise can be delivered regardless of location and training manuals become a thing of the past as AR training has been proven to more effective and efficient.
Keeping essential industries working
During the pandemic, many manufacturers have been classified as essential businesses. For industries such as pharmaceutical or medical equipment manufacturing, balancing meeting skyrocketing demand whilst staying compliant with social distancing measures and limits to maximum group capacity remains a challenge.
To help, Rockwell Automation is providing complimentary access to its AR program; an advanced simulation tool that can capture manual activities in real-time and enable rapid knowledge transfer to bridge expertise gaps.
AR allows remote experts to help onsite personnel perform the critical tasks and maintenance, such as those required to recover from unplanned downtime or outages. For example, equipment-manufacturer intelligence can be streamed directly to an engineer’s device, even as maintenance staff at other plants help with the diagnosis.
Mixed reality devices also help frontline employees to safely assemble complex products, by equipping them with real-time production data and instructions as required while performing the task. Simulation tools enable engineers with tasks such as mapping equipment layouts and studying the impact layout changes have on productivity and throughput equipment from anywhere in the world.
Customer servicing and learning and development does not need to take a backseat during the lockdowns. Employees are equipped with technology to help them remotely service customers, troubleshoot implementation issues, and continue monitoring ongoing projects through their laptops and even mobile phones, reducing their need to return to our offices.
Augmented reality makes human labor 30-50% more efficient.
Future-proof your operations today
As new strains of COVID-19 continue to challenge our pandemic responses, it is likely that travel restrictions and lockdowns will be part of our new normal for the foreseeable future. As such, leading companies are embracing new IIoT technologies to future-proof their productivity and profitability.
AR is one of the tools you need in your arsenal. Your workers will be more productive and generate higher-quality products more safely. You will be able to train workers faster and more effectively so they can make proactive decisions and perform better. With trained and productive workers, you will benefit from lower costs and improved time to market.
