Benefits of using Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality in the engine and turbine industry

The cost of personnel training for companies to familiarize all their employees with this type of machinery and the complex internal mechanisms and processes that enable its operation is usually quite high. However, this expense would be greatly reduced if the most appropriate technologies were used to carry out such training, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality.

Like so many others, engines and turbines are machines that, since their invention, have been of great help in the daily tasks of companies in many industries. In this context, engines are frequently used in the manufacture of heavy and industrial vehicles. They are used to drive ships, locomotives, cargo vehicles etc. Turbines, on the other hand, are devices that harness the energy of certain elements such as water, air, steam, or combustion gases to generate a rotary motion that is vital for generating e.g. wind or water power or for the operation of engines such as heat engines. Both types of machines are indispensable in the daily tasks of many companies that need to have qualified operators capable of understanding the operation of each of them.

Maintenance of motors and turbines

Both engines and turbines are made up of a large number of elements such as valves, pistons, connecting rods, rotors, electrical systems, etc. whose operation can sometimes be complex. To understand it, it is necessary to refer to extensive manuals that are sometimes difficult for operators to assimilate. However, this whole system is changing. More and more manufacturing companies are looking to XR technologies as a solution to this problem, which is costly for companies, both financially and in terms of time. For example, understanding a failure in the shaft of a hydroelectric turbine is much faster and easier to do in a Virtual Reality simulator, where we have all the facilities to show the elements and operations we want, than to carry it out in a real way. Using only Virtual Reality glasses, a turbine can be easily disassembled and each of its parts can be studied. This avoids having to use a real turbine to understand its operation and the tasks required for proper assembly, disassembly or maintenance. All this represents a significant saving for the company.

Use of XR technologies

Many important studies have been carried out on the impact of XR technologies on society. They show that these types of technologies, although they still have a long way to go, are here to stay. And proof of this is the great bet that many companies are making on Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality technologies, such as those in the manufacturing and maintenance of engines and turbines. But what are the benefits of these technologies in the engine and turbine industry

Training

- Increased employee participation in training: XR technologies have made learning easier and more entertaining thanks to the fully immersive environment of a Virtual Reality simulator.

- Improved retention of acquired knowledge: as they are immersive technologies, employees who are trained with them are able to pay more attention to the content they are seeing and, therefore, remember it better. Memory retention levels are typically 70% higher with the use of XR technologies.

- Unlimited training: XR technologies give workers the opportunity to "train" a process or task as many times as they need until they feel ready.

- Training in a safe environment: by training in a digital environment, workers can make mistakes without risk or injury to workers. Maintenance Technical publications of operational and maintenance processes that are digitized with XR technologies, taking advantage of existing 3D designs of turbines and engines, become an operator support tool that reduces operating time and human error, while increasing process safety and efficiency.

Desing

XR technologies are very useful during the design stages. Design review meetings can be created in which engineers can review the design in a virtual and fully immersive space while talking to peers, customers, integrators and suppliers anywhere in the world as if they were in the same room.

Conclusions

XR technologies (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality) provide great advantages in the training processes of workers in the engine and turbine manufacturing sector, in the implementation of maintenance and in the design and revision phases. The turbine and engine industry is a demanding sector with high quality and safety standards where XR technologies bring great advantages. Today, the hardware, software and resources available to companies, such as 3D models, make it the perfect time to invest in XR technologies in a controlled, sustainable and targeted manner. For this, it is essential to choose experienced partners, able to offer all the necessary services, and the right tool, tested, validated and used by similar companies.