Manufacturing units may severely hit the bottom line if unexpected equipment failure causes production delays and downtime. Unfortunately, many modern maintenance departments “fight fires” rather than taking a methodical approach to fix the issues they face.
Instead of fixing issues as they happen, it’s best to focus on preventing them altogether. However, this technique’s costs are lower than those of ignoring potential issues. Maintenance problem-solving focuses on four key areas: upkeep of essential systems, speedy repairs (even faster than before), root cause analysis, and tracking down the intermittent malfunctions that are wasting your time and money.
Equipment must be regularly maintained using remote support software to avoid a catastrophic breakdown. Ultimately, it may lead to greater operational efficiency and lower costs, which is a welcome payoff. But, do you know why any company must perform regular maintenance? This blog post will explain how augmented reality tools can solve your Frontline MRO Problems.
Solution To Your Different Frontline MRO Problems
Here are six challenges why organizations should leverage AR to solve different frontline MRO problems:
1)Â Â Â Â Large-scale Manufacturing Units are Installed in Remote and Inaccessible areas
Usually, heavy machinery in industrial plants, large-scale manufacturing, and power plants are placed in remote and difficult-to-access locations because it is challenging to install in urban areas.
In such cases, it is extremely challenging or practically impossible to allow skilled experts to reach on-site during machine breakdown. It is also difficult to compile and keep all of the manuals that include detailed maintenance instructions in such inaccessible areas.
Solution: With the help of AR, field technicians can connect with the operator in real-time and provide necessary support and guidance. With Augmented Reality remote assistance, experts are just a call away; they can assist frontline workers from anywhere at any time. Experts can visually see everything in real time as if they are actually present on-site. This reduces geographical barriers and resolves issues in less time.
2)Â Â Â Â Calling Experts On-site is Usually More Expensive
Many times, tiny bearings or washers might be the cause of a heavy machine’s failure or inability to function. Hence, without the necessary knowledge, troubleshooting and identifying the problem’s cause and fixing it can be quite difficult.
Solutions: In this situation, AR can be a helping hand for the industry as it allows workers to contact experts in real time. Experts will virtually access the machine without traveling to the site and guide them in resolving issues. Moreover, this saves costs, and organizations can connect multiple experts at the same time and solve issues quickly.
- Knowledge Transfer Gaps
One of the challenges for MRO is knowledge gaps between field workers and technicians. As knowledge is wealth, and the experience that skilled technicians share is priceless. Training a new worker without expert guidance is quite challenging for the firm. Also, technicians might not be well-versed in innovative situations that don’t happen regularly.
Solution: Training with AR is an immersive experience that helps in retaining workers. AR can be saved as a knowledge repository and helpful in training new workers. Moreover, workers get hands-on experience with the machine. With AR you can record your calls and can use these recordings when you face a similar issue in the near or distant future.
4)Â Â Â Â Machine Downtime
Unscheduled repairs come as a complete surprise; hence, no preparations have been made for them. An unexpected failure of industrial machinery that needs repair constitutes an example of unscheduled maintenance known as an emergency breakdown. Given its importance and dependence, the machine in question must be restored to complete the working order as quickly as possible. Hence, machine downtime is one of the biggest threats to the industry.
Solution: AR remote visual assistance allows workers to receive real-time guidance via smart devices like tablets, laptops, or smart glasses. This helps to resolve issues quickly and prevents machine downtime. In addition, augmented reality simplifies the maintenance and repair of machines.
5) Limited Number of Experts
In certain companies, few experts are available, and it’s best to retain them during emergencies. They often need to visit on-site for repair & maintenance. Also, there most of the time is wasted on traveling.
Solution: With Augmented Reality, experts are just a call away; they can assist field workers from anywhere at any time. Experts can visually see everything in real-time as if they are actually present on-site. This saves a lot of time and costs for the industry.
6) Lack of Collaboration
To resolve any issue, it is necessary that workers have proper communication and real-time collaboration. If the problem continues for a long period, it results in prolonged downtime and reduces productivity. And sometimes, it becomes very frustrating for workers to fix the issues as they can’t do it without an expert’s support. A lack of collaboration can sometimes make things even worse.
Solution: In this situation, AR remote assistance can be a helping hand for industrial workers as it facilitates two-way communication between field workers and remote experts. Effective collaboration is possible with augmented reality remote assistance and gives assistance on chat, video call, or audio call. All this helps in reducing carbon footprints. Moreover, features like 3D annotations can make collaboration more effective and interactive.
Nullify Your MRO Challenges With AR
The increasing complexity of today’s machinery makes it harder than ever to maintain it working at peak efficiency in every sector. Avoiding unscheduled downtime and optimizing performance and availability all depend on regular, thorough maintenance. With the adoption of AR remote assistance organizations will get immense benefits from getting the right expertise, timely solutions to the best services.
