Nowadays it is obvious that the aircraft manufacturing industry market is quite delicate as well as competitive, and companies operating in this sector are always looking for different ways to improve productivity and optimise the work process.
Initially, the construction of aircraft involves very complex processes that require a specialised workforce and a lot of correctness during work performance. One of the many challenges to be considered in this sector is the human error that can cause losses of millions of dollars. In addition, the work of aircraft manufacturers does not end once an aircraft is produced. Maintenance of these manufactured aircraft is another complicated process that has its challenges and must be constantly followed for various malfunction problems that may be encountered. To successfully overcome the many difficulties and challenges that this industry has to face day by day, aircraft manufacturers must adopt the latest technologies in the market and at the same time meet the requirements to ensure a competitive position.
Augmented Reality is the kind of technology that is providing solutions for many different companies. Many businesses have adopted this technology effectively in processes such as planning and production of their aircraft, thus proving that they can secure a role in the global market. Augmented Reality is an innovative technology that provides the overlays of digital content and information onto the physical world. Moreover, the usage of Augmented Reality Glasses can be considered as “the feature” that makes it possible to improve performance and minimise losses during various operational processes.
As we mentioned above, Augmented Reality is experiencing countless benefits for many businesses operating in different fields, and in this article, we will take a general look at some of the applications in the aircraft manufacturing industry.
As we all know, aviation maintenance workers need to be fast and accurate enough in the performance of their tasks. Many of the risks that threaten this industry comes from the errors of these employees and in addition to financial damage in many cases have caused tragic accidents and loss of life. Augmented Reality technology plays a key role in providing real-time information and improves collaboration between the workforce by making them more engaged in their tasks. So, remote collaboration enabled by this technology makes it possible for the workforce to achieve profitable results in efficient ways and to overcome many unexpected challenges.
Augmented Reality now enables the support of on-site technicians through detailed information and guidance from highly specialised experts. This makes it possible for even hidden risks to be dictated by experts through the “see-what-I-see” principle made possible by live video streaming and providing the full view of the technician’s environment. Moreover, technicians are more flexible in performing tasks due to the use of smart glasses that create the ability to perform various processes hands-free without distractions. All this helps to reduce errors due to procedure violations, misinterpretation of data and information, or insufficient training.
In addition to improving distance collaboration, this technology also finds application in training inexperienced technicians and enabling an employee on-boarding process as effectively as possible. Already Augmented Reality has proven to increase the efficiency and safety of training in this industry while reducing the very high costs for training that the workforce must pursue. Trainees are able to be adopted in a more engaging and interactive environment by using Augmented Reality.
Usually, in the malfunction occurrence of any of the aircraft, companies may lose significant amounts of money. As mentioned before Augmented Reality solution for real-time collaboration between technicians and experts eliminates any possible delays. Exchanging images and documents in real-time speeds up the repair process and all this translates into a greater Return on Investment.
What has summarised above in this article are just some of the cases of Augmented Reality applications in the aircraft manufacturing industry that start with the production process, maintenance, and repair. All this is done by enhanced communication and collaboration through the features that this technology offers in integration with smart glasses. The future looks even more promising, predicting new usage cases of this technology but also wider adoption by many companies that have already begun to explore the offered opportunities.
