Augmented reality modernises technical support in manufacturing – connecting users across digital and physical worlds
Now more than ever, manufacturers are looking for the most cost-effective and time-efficient way to get the technical support they need to deal with downtime and repairs. Every minute that slips by with a machine unable to operate negatively impacts their bottom line.
In many situations, technical support via a phone call with a knowledgeable advisor provides the answers required to fix a problem. However, at other times, the issue might be more complex or unfamiliar and there can be a variety of obstacles to getting a machine up and running. The skills gap is widening, making it difficult to have a trained person on hand.
Furthermore, if the problem cannot be rectified by calling technical support and it requires an onsite visit, time is lost while the technical expert travels to site. If the problem is in a remote location, travel time could amount to a day or more and lost production time grows. A delay that manufacturers simply cannot afford.
AR reduces downtime
Rockwell Automation recently entered into a strategic partnership with PTC to help customers around the world transform their physical operations with digital technology. FactoryTalk® InnovationSuite powered by PTC, improves connectivity to operational technology (OT) devices on the plant floor, natively supporting the rapid, scalable and secure connection of most industrial equipment.
Combined with data from information technology (IT) applications and systems, decision makers can now gain a complete digital representation of their industrial equipment, lines and facilities from anywhere in the enterprise. Utilizing advanced innovations in machine learning, IIoT and augmented reality (AR), this comprehensive suite conceptualizes and connects data to make it accessible and insightful for operations personnel.
AR technology can help solve complex plant-floor problems and improve workforce productivity and efficiency. Using an augmented reality application with live video feed, an experienced technician can view equipment in real time and provide specific, detailed directions for repairing the hardware. 3D spatial notations can even be made on the screen, so you know exactly which component of the machine needs attention.
Identifying new ways to help customers troubleshoot and perform self-service is a key focus to improve productivity. Vuforia Chalk, part of FactoryTalk® InnovationSuite, is a collaborative remote assistance tool that uses AR to help employees who need to share real-time instructions and guidance without being physically on-site to increase workforce effectiveness and efficiency.
Vuforia tools allow you to quickly create and deliver AR content and deploy it to the cloud or on premises. Vuforia experiences can be accessed from smartphones, tablets and wearable devices via a single universal viewer application.
Virtual support
Rockwell Automation has introduced the Live View Support™ tool, which leverages PTC augmented reality technology to help customers solve complex plant floor problems in real time.
With the Live View Support tool, a Rockwell Automation support person can actually draw on the screen and mark an area to be addressed. So, you know exactly which cable or piece of hardware needs attention. The notations and lines stay in place on the screen view of the machine so there is less room for error. Live View Support also addresses background noise. Having specially designed noise-cancelling headphones allows the person receiving information to hear the directions clearly. This allows troubleshooting to be done directly on the manufacturing floor.
Another advantage of using the Live View Support tool is that it helps protect your company’s proprietary information. Confidential data about a machine or application clearly has great value. To help protect sensitive communication, we guard both the audio and visual communication between the technician and on-site worker. During a Live View session, the participants’ video and audio “packets” are transmitted directly to each other – with no intermediary.
Combining AR and TechConnect℠
Now, not only can you use Vuforia Chalk within your team, but you can also leverage it with the Rockwell Automation technical support team. To best support our customers, we are adding Live View Support to our TechConnect℠ remote support offering for all TechConnect customers.
Live View Support, powered by FactoryTalk InnovationSuite Vuforia Chalk, enables our remote support engineers to more effectively troubleshoot and resolve issues. Learn more about Live View Support™ and the rest of our Remote Support offerings.
