How AR Can Help Manufacturers Lower the Cost of Operations

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For manufacturers, costs associated with human involvement in operations such as assembly line waste, equipment maintenance, and training programs for new workers are major expenses. These expenses are an essential part of the manufacturing process, but companies need to reduce expenses to maintain profitability.

Industrial augmented reality (AR) provides a solution to this problem by integrating the physical and digital worlds. By using AR, factory workers can access digital instructions while interacting with physical objects, reducing costs and improving efficiency. Here are three ways manufacturers can use AR to minimize operational costs.

Reduce the cost of training due to high technician turnover

For many manufacturers, it is unfortunate that many experienced workers are nearing retirement age, which means that new hires are necessary to replace the current workforce. This replacement process can be quite expensive due to the costs associated with training new workers. This can include expenses like travel, printed training manuals, and on-site experts, which can add up quickly, especially when training is required on a global scale.

However, by incorporating augmented reality (AR) into the training process, manufacturers can reduce the costs associated with training new workers by even up to 40%. AR technology can be used to educate workers about products and procedures required to maintain them, reducing the need for expensive printed manuals and on-site experts. In addition, AR experiences are more eco-friendly and accessible from anywhere, reducing the need for trainees to travel to a staged manufacturing environment. Although new technicians still require intensive training, businesses that leverage AR can significantly reduce the cost burden during their onboarding period.

Minimize assembly errors, defects, rework, and scrap

As programmers, we understand that product assembly errors are a major source of cost increase through the production of defective products and scrapped materials. Reworking due to these errors results in production schedule delays and adds more expenses without contributing to increased output. Furthermore, it also leads to poor product quality and damages the reputation of the brand.

To address this issue, we are implementing AR-based assembly instructions that enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and productivity of our workers. By using hands-free AR and mixed reality (MR) devices such as the Microsoft HoloLens, our product assemblers can work with confidence, significantly reducing errors and waste. This leads to significant savings and a more profitable operation on a global scale.

Optimize equipment maintenance and repairs

While talking with experts in manufacturing, we understood the significant impact that equipment downtime can have on our profits. We know how crucial it is to maintain equipment performance and minimize prolonged downtime. However, we also recognize that quick fixes are not always feasible, especially when dealing with unfamiliar parts configurations or a shortage of qualified technicians.

Thankfully, with the emergence of augmented reality (AR) technology, we can now speed up equipment maintenance and repairs. By leveraging AR experiences, which provide step-by-step instructions and expert guidance, we can reduce the risk of costly errors and increase equipment uptime. This translates to minimal disruption to our production schedules and lower factory-based costs.

Learn more

Discover how today’s manufacturers are solving their most pressing challenges using AR . To learn more about AR use cases for manufacturing, contact us to showcase our use cases for previous clients.