| |August 20219Predictive MaintenanceDowntime due to breakdown of critical parts is costly to manufacturers in terms of loss of productivity as well as the maintenance cost. Hence, it is critically important for manufactures to ensure that all equipment is functional at their optimal performance level. Traditionally, reactive or preventive maintenance was used by manufacturers to maintain their production machinery. In reactive maintenance, the parts are either replaced or fixed after they breakdown. Whereas in preventive maintenance, the parts are either changed or maintained before they fail.Industry 4.0 and the development in Internet of Things (IoT) introduced the concept of predictive maintenance. Predictive maintenance allows manufacturers to monitor their equipment regularly and foresee the failure before they occur. This can help to plan maintenance more efficiently and reduce downtime due to failure of parts.AR/VR in ManufacturingAugmented Reality (AR) is the technology that enhances your experience of real word products with computer generated perceptual information. Virtual Reality (VR) is the technology where your perception of real word product is completely based on virtual information. AR/VR technology is popular in gaming and infotainment and it's gradually getting popular in various other industries as well.In manufacturing industry, this technology can be used in various ways. VR can be used to demonstrate how the actual product will look like without creating a physical prototype. AR can be used to substitute the instruction manuals with digital instructions, which are overlaid on the operators filed of view, reducing the mental efforts and time to read and to memorise them.AR/VR technology can also be used in remote maintenance, where the technical team sitting in a remote location can assist operators. This can help reduce the down time and increase productivity. VR can also be used to train operators to handle machinery and conduct processes in virtual environment. With each new development in mechanical engineering, there is the ongoing demand from operators for technically fully matured machines that are not only easy to service, but also available on a daily basis with a long lifespan and a high level of energy efficiency. In order to meet these multiple demands, manufacturers need to embrace simulation in industrial equipment manufacturing.
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