TRANSFORMING MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS WITH AR WEARABLES
Any manufacturing unit aims to streamline operations and increase efficiency and productivity. It’s a challenging aim to achieve because of the complex activities involved in manufacturing operations.
As the growing technology is transforming the world around us, it has the potential to transform manufacturing operations. The processes in manufacturing units are no longer manual nor require tedious physical work. The manufacturing industries and their operations have seen a great transformation since the advent of technology. Still, the most recent ones involving IoT and related devices, such as AR wearables, are revolutionary!
Let’s explore how AR wearables transform manufacturing operations to enhance productivity and precision. But first, let’s start with a short intro to AR wearables for a better understanding.
AR Wearables In Manufacturing Operations
AR wearables stand for Augmented reality-based wearable devices like headsets, glasses or smart watches. Their primary purpose is to overlay digital information over the physical environment, boosting a person’s perception and interactive experience. These wearable devices benefit various industrial sectors, including manufacturing units.
Manufacturing operations involve production processes, inventory management, supply chain coordination, and performance monitoring. AR wearables can influence each part of the manufacturing operations, making work seamless and efficient.
Various AR wearables with diverse features and functionalities are available in the market. You can choose among them according to your requirements and budget. Although the integration of AR wearables in manufacturing operations is a tedious process, once achieved, it streamlines work while enhancing its productivity and precision.
Transforming Benefits of AR Wearables In Manufacturing Operations
Here are some benefits of using AR wearables, which bring marked changes to improve productivity and precision in manufacturing operations.
Increased Access To Information
Increased access to information is one of AR wearables’ most prominent and leading benefits that transform manufacturing operations. This feature transforms the performances and functionalities of many other features and brings many benefits, making AR wearables the best technological invention of current times.
The AR wearable allows real-time data collection and quick access to information. These advanced wearable headsets with sensors, cameras and voice-recording capabilities store information in various forms and present it to workers whenever needed.
Real-time Health Monitoring Of The Machines
Machines and technical equipment are of utmost importance in manufacturing operations. Sudden failure in them leads to loss of time and productivity and increases costs. AR wearables help monitor and maintain the machines used in manufacturing operations, reducing the chances of sudden breakdowns. Real-time monitoring enables continuous maintenance, saving machines from escalating problems and increasing longevity.
If any problem arises, the AR wearables provide quick access to repair and maintenance history, help in error detection, and predict solutions to the technicians. They also speed up the repair process by connecting technicians to technical experts.
Enhanced Safety Awareness
Like machines, the health of human resources- the labourers in manufacturing units are essential. Creating safety awareness is necessary to save them from potential hazards. AR wearables play a crucial role in this regard.
AR glasses allow workers to learn about safety hazards and teach them methods for minimising and eliminating potential threats. They monitor workers’ vital signs, including signs of physical fatigue or stress, to save the workers from exhaustion. AR wearables also keep workers updated about the surrounding hazards, including conditional hazards, to keep them safe from workplace injuries.
Immersive Training Capabilities
Upskilling is an integral part of manufacturing operations that benefits workers and businesses at all levels. AR wearables come to the rescue to provide immersive training for individuals, teams or enterprise levels according to the skill level.
AR wearables simulate a real-like working environment involving all steps of the manufacturing process to provide an interactive training session. Workers get step-by-step instructions, graphical information overlay, and versatility in training applications, which enhances workers’ competencies at work, improving the rate and quality of manufacturing products.
Handsfree Operations
AR wearables bring hands-free operations with their ergonomic designs and advanced features. Wearing the AR glasses, workers can keep their hands free from holding documents and devices. They can access manuals, connect with experts, record data, and many more while continuing their work. Hand-free operations are helpful in manufacturing as they help workers continue their work without distractions.
Early Fault Detection
AR-backed smart glasses improve inspection capabilities, assisting workers in detecting errors and defects, reducing the risk of errors and improving product quality. This also applies to product prototypes during their conceptualisation, designing, and developmental steps so there are no errors, and the product has the highest possible quality.
With AI integration, smart glasses can also ring alarms to alert the operators as they make mistakes during manufacturing operations, increasing precision manifolds.
Optimised Quality Control And Quality Assurance
The role of AR wearables in optimising quality control and quality assurance in every aspect of life, including manufacturing operations, is increasing drastically. The real-time data visualisation, improved training and guidance, continuous monitoring and instant feedback capabilities, and early detection and defect prevention strategies make manufacturing operations error-free and efficient. The highly efficient optimisations enhance the manufactured products’ quality control and assurance.
Improved Workflow Procedures With Digital AR Work Instructions
Maintaining the quality and integrity of workflow procedures is crucial. Digital AR work instructions improve workflow procedures in manufacturing operations. They provide standardised process guides and many other facilities to workers. The means for strengthening workflow procedures with AR wearables are as follows:
- AR glasses facilitate the workflow process by enabling information sharing and connecting with experts in real-time. It allows workers to make decisions and enables them to complete work efficiently.
- The AR wearables improve the worker’s access to manuals and guides. It demonstrates the work process visually, in the form of a short video or step-by-step process directly on the work surface to maintain focus on one step at a time. It also reduces cognitive stress from workers.
- A safer working environment reduces risks of errors and accidents, allowing workers to continue work without delays improving time and efficiency.
Support New Product Development And Designing
Product design and development requires huge capital, professional expertise, and time. It is stressful as the new products must fulfil technological trends, customer demands, and environmental expectations. The AR wearables speed up the process of product conceptualisation, development and meeting the safety standards. It also reduces product prototyping costs and time and improves its functionality.
Diverse Product Variations
Product variations are customer’s demands. AR wearables support product design and assist with bringing variations to them. Product designers use AR wearables to overlay virtual mock-ups in physical work environments to visualise variations within an existing product.
Once approved and product manufacturing instructions are written, they are available in the AR program. Workers can access the instructions using their AR wearable device to adapt to product variation conveniently and quickly.
Remote Management Opportunities
The AR wearables, connected sensors and IoT allow the managers to monitor the manufacturing process remotely. The connected system allows easy administration and control of facilities, enabling them to oversee manufacturing operations while performing other responsibilities. It also allows them to manage multiple manufacturing units at different locations effectively.
Reduced Downtime And Costs
AR wearables have advanced technology that increases operational efficiency by decreasing the downtime and cost of production. Real-time information enables proactive maintenance and repairs, which bring a productivity boost to the manufacturing unit. These features also save money from expensive repairs. The streamlined manufacturing process also helps increase production and reduce prices. You can read more about the role of AR technology in reducing downtime and costs here.
Smarter Decision Making
The technologically innovative features of wearable AR technology support smart decision-making. All-time data collection, instant data availability, continuous monitoring, enhanced interactive capabilities and expert availability at times of need play a crucial role and allow instant decision-making. AR wearables are also able to simulate the complete manufacturing process or a part of it during the training process so workers can develop skills to make appropriate decisions. The feature has a positive impact on enhancing the productivity and precision of manufacturing operations.
Operational Optimisation
Using AR wearables can ensure that manufacturing processes work as efficiently as possible. The managers organise work by designing step-by-step guides and uploading them to the AR system so workers can access and follow them. Following commands brings standardisation and uniformity to the working process, increasing efficiency and precision. Operational optimisations of the complex manufacturing processes save from errors and improve safety and security measures for the workers.
Choose Your AR Wearables From Realtime AR!
You are at the right place if you’re looking for AR wearables for your manufacturing unit. Realtime AR is an advanced technological company providing AR-based solutions for businesses in Australia. Our highly advanced technical devices with voice-command facilities, built-in cameras, and sensors work efficiently to deliver the solutions you require to enhance productivity and precision in your manufacturing facilities.
Conclusively, AR wearables have many benefits that can transform manufacturing operations. They influence all manufacturing process steps from monitoring to streamlining the work process, assisting in product development and worker training, managing the health of machinery and staff, work optimisations and decision-making. These benefits transform the manufacturing operations and impact the outcomes by enhancing productivity and precision.
