In the past few years, manufacturers have been facing unexpected challenges. These challenges often happen at the wrong moment of the production process and have a huge bad impact. These days many businesses have successfully embraced new technologies such as Augmented Reality. This came as a need to change the way of operations. Also, to build a bridge of collaboration between experts and field workers. Augmented Reality in the automotive industry aims to produce efficient operations by cutting down production downtime. Additionally to quickly identify the problems, and keep all the services and processes going.
Let’s have a more detailed evaluation of how Augmented Reality nowadays is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry.
1.WORK FASTER AND HANDS-FREE
Manufacturing processes such as working on a production line, fixing equipment, or inspecting product, requires a hands-free performance. Through AR-based remote support integrated with smart glasses, experts are able to make live annotations that overlay into the real world. In this way, field workers can work hands-free without distractions while receiving instructions on how to assemble a specific machine. With this AR-based remote collaboration, the accuracy of field workers can go up to 96%. Moreover, they are able to work 30% faster.
2.REDUCE MAINTENANCE TIME
In the manufacturing industry, there are many machines that are exposed to dust and extreme temperatures. In case of a breakdown of these machines, the whole manufacturing process is interrupted. It’s difficult for field workers to stay organized and calm in the midst of chaos. To find the fastest and most effective solutions, field workers can use real-time collaboration through AR-based remote support. So, they can get the right knowledge from a contact center expert. This remote collaboration can support more efficient solutions and more efficient operations and increase work levels.
3.REDUCE PRODUCTION DOWNTIME
In manufacturing businesses, production downtime due to machine breakdowns is a serious threat. This could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Machinery malfunctions need prevention to minimize manufacturing downtime. But with the help of AR remote support, the field workers from received instructions on their smart devices can quickly visually identify the problem. Additionally, they can resolve it or even prevent downtime from ever occurring. Businesses through implementing AR remote support monitor, inspect, update, and repair their machinery. By this, they are able to create the right atmosphere for meeting goals to help eliminate downtime.
4.ACCES BOUNDLESS DATA EASILY
During the remote collaboration, experts might need to enrich instructions with files such as PDF documents, images, and 3d models. Remote support through its tools enables field workers to receive instructions enhanced with these files. By this, field workers have access to different big-size data. In addition, AR-remote support provides the archives of all remote sessions that happened before. Field workers are able to reach all these archived sessions if in the future the same problem might occur.
5.TRAIN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY LINE EMPLOYEES WITH AUGMENTED REALITY
Human error is one of the top causes of downtime in a manufacturing production process. 70% of downtime attributes to field workers’ errors. One of the biggest challenges faced by the manufacturing industry today is the lack of skilled workers. The absence of knowledge that the field workers have can cause machine breakdowns, so in this case, proper education is much more needed for field workers to perform their work in the most efficient way. AR remote support has demonstrated great potential for fieldworkers’ training. Connected in real-time with an experienced expert, field workers from different locations all around the world, are trained for manufacturing assembly tasks before they start performing their work. Training field workers about operating machines correctly have productive results in fewer operator errors that eventually cause slowdowns and downtime.
6.IMPROVE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY EMPLOYEES COMMUNICATION WITH AUGMENTED REALITY
Communication between experts and field workers through AR real-time collaboration is essential in improving efficiency in business operations. For a field worker to face unusual and unexpected situations during work, the expert’s help is always needed. Providing field workers with faster guidance is key to increasing productivity. Improved collaboration and communication between experts and field workers increase contribution to the ultimate goal to reduce downtime in manufacturing processes.
Given all the many benefits that remote support offers, the manufacturing industry needs to utilize Augmented Reality technology in order to stay relevant, innovative, and competitive. AR-remote support is one of the main tools that help operating businesses in the manufacturing industry to achieve functional goals such as reducing costs, improving efficiency, increasing safety, and expanding production capacity.
