With the introduction of augmented reality into assembly and inspection processes, cutting-edge industry 4.0 research is uncovering best practices to maximize quality.
In line with Industry 4.0 objectives, many manufacturers strive to streamline their processes to quickly produce consistently superior products. Smart manufacturing relies on the cooperation of humans with leading technologies, and this collaboration flourishes as user experience improves. Augmented Reality (AR) supplements a user interface that represents real-life situations and data with helpful information in the form of visual, audio, or haptic signals.
Real-time information provided through augmented reality technologies can help manufacturers increase quality, efficiency, and safety. AR brings in all the benefits of automated inspection—time savings, accuracy improvement, and nondestructive defect detection—while still including human expertise and judgment at each turn. Step-by-step guidance tailored to each employee and product keeps schedules running on time. Visual, audio, and haptic alerts keep employees aware of their surroundings and prompt alerts to promote safety. Benefits of AR for inspection and quality control are especially pronounced for training new, inexperienced employees, but AR still provides significant utility to experienced employees.