Immersive Technologies in Manufacturing

Although the entire industry continues to strive to promote the development and adoption of fully automated “lights-out” manufacturing systems, a significant portion of manufacturing activities still requires human skill and dexterity. The use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in manufacturing can help humans perform these tasks with precision and accuracy.

Immersive technologies have evolved beyond their origins, moving from works of fiction to mainstream applications in the real world. The emergence and widespread adoption of smartphones have accelerated the spread of these technologies among the general public. While capturing the attention of people worldwide, they have also piqued the interest of businesses, which have capitalized on the public’s fascination with immersive technologies. This has led companies to develop immersive technologies for customer-centric applications; for example, the use of immersive technologies—specifically virtual reality and augmented reality—in digital marketing is increasingly being adopted by companies of all sizes. Now, however, as the novelty begins to wear off among consumers, businesses are turning their attention inward and designing applications of these technologies to improve their core business operations. The application of technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality in the manufacturing sector is an example of the shift in immersive technologies from consumer-centric applications to employee- and process-centric ones. Immersive technologies have proven to be a natural fit for manufacturing processes because they enhance users’ visibility into processes and provide them with the right information at the right time, as demonstrated by their implementation at major manufacturers.

The Demand for Immersive Technologies in Manufacturing

According to Yiwu Manufacturing, since the introduction of automation and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), manufacturing processes have become less reliant on manual labor. An increasing number of manufacturing plants are embracing what is known in industry terminology as “lights-out” manufacturing, which is particularly well-suited for sectors requiring extremely high precision and minimal need for customization, variation, or inspection. Industries where lights-out manufacturing makes sense include materials and chemical processing plants, oil refineries, food processing and packaging, and mass-production facilities for simple products.

However, most products manufactured today are subject to constant change as customer demands evolve. Consequently, the manufacturing sector must be highly flexible, yet equally intolerant of defects. Although these processes will eventually be automated using general-purpose robots, for the time being, they will require the dexterity of human hands and the decision-making capabilities of the human mind. Unlike general-purpose robots with superhuman information-processing capabilities, humans cannot quickly process large amounts of information and are therefore unable to make decisions based on all available data. They cannot perceive or recognize hidden patterns the way AI-based systems do; consequently, human workers are needed to assist with the various tasks involved in the manufacturing process—from initial design to final inspection.

The Application of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in Manufacturing

Although the adoption of virtual and augmented reality technologies in manufacturing is still in its infancy, it has proven to be a major game-changer for industry participants. By enhancing worker productivity and factory utilization—and even facilitating design improvements—it helps make manufacturing processes more efficient.

Interactive Design

Extensive planning and design work typically precedes the production of a product. Functional product design is fundamental to product quality and a key driver of product value; manufacturers place great emphasis on design accuracy. Traditionally, designers have relied on two-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) models to test and iterate on products that are inherently three-dimensional. For products that cannot be tested in real time, designers typically use physical prototypes to evaluate the design. These prototypes are difficult to produce and even harder to redesign for experimentation and retesting. In addition to being costly, this process delays time-to-market (TTM) because physical prototypes require multiple reworks, and each iteration takes time to physically recreate the prototype.

Through virtual reality, designers can conceptualize products in three-dimensional space and test them in simulated environments until the design is finalized. In addition to minimizing time-to-market, virtual reality provides the ability to test products under anticipated conditions and identify design flaws that cannot be highlighted using traditional testing methods. This ensures that the manufactured products are design-correct and minimizes the likelihood of product recalls and other adverse consequences of product failures.