An innovative augmented reality (AR) worker guidance system from LightGuide Inc. has been donated to KANDU Industries Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides employment opportunities and various programs for people with disabilities.

Founded in 1961, KANDU has grown to become a thriving 501(c)(3) organization based in Milton, WI, where it employs nearly 200 people with disabilities in its pre-vocational work program. KANDU’s nimble and experienced workforce provides fast-turnaround production and assembly services for local and national manufacturers.

Rhino Tool House and manufacturing software company LightGuide Inc. have donated an AR worker guidance system to help KANDU workers perform kitting tasks more efficiently and consistently, reducing training time and eliminating defects.

“Kitting is simply the process of putting kits together to be assembled later by the consumer,” explains Dave Wirth, local business founder, owner and entrepreneur (now retired) who volunteers at KANDU. “When you receive a product to assemble, you want to make sure all the parts are there. The system we’ve donated to KANDU will help make sure the kit is prepared properly and thoroughly. The worker guidance system is a quality assurance tool that also helps productivity and efficiency in the KANDU work cells.”

KANDU provides life-enriching experiences, connections and job opportunities to unlock the full potential of people with disabilities. Photo courtesy Rhino Tool House

Wirth founded the tool distributor The Tool House back in the early 1980s. In 2018, The Tool House joined forces with Rhino Assembly to form Rhino Tool House and become the largest manufacturing improvement company of its type in North America.

“I’ve stayed close to the company, and two of my sons still work there,” Wirth explains. “As I’ve worked with KANDU over the years, I thought the LightGuide worker guidance system integrated by our team from Rhino Tool House could help the team at KANDU be more successful with its manufacturing customers. The LightGuide system is ideal for the kitting projects that companies such as Hormel and Playstar entrust to the client-workers at KANDU.”

“The technology we’ve developed transforms manual processes by projecting digital step-by-step augmented reality work instructions onto the work surface,” explains Chris Bala, senior vice president of sales and product at LightGuide. “No matter who the worker is, or how much experience they have, this system is extraordinarily effective in standardizing and error-proofing the work being done. We are thrilled to donate this unit to KANDU, and we are certain that it will help them be even more successful with their process improvements and product output.”

KANDU performs a variety of services for local and national companies, including high-volume packaging, assembly and disassembly; kitting; labeling; packaging; sorting; and inkjet printing. Photo courtesy Rhino Tool House

“I was overjoyed to hear from Dave,” says Chip Paulsen, president of the commercial side of Rhino Tool House. “Especially with such a great idea to help these hard workers with assembly and kitting tasks that demand accuracy and consistency. We have manufacturers all over the country using the LightGuide system to improve quality. And we think it’s an ideal assembly solution for KANDU.”

Application engineer Kevin Martin from the nearby New Berlin Rhino office customized the LightGuide smartAR Workcell system to the specifications for KANDU’s kitting applications, minimizing guess work. The system features no-code, drag-and-drop programming and seamless connection with various common factory tools.

“This one system will be able to be used for a wide variety of applications,” says Martin, “and we’re here to help prep the system for whatever new tasks come along.”

KANDU provides jobs for more than 200 people with disabilities. Photo courtesy Rhino Tool House

“KANDU is proud of its reputation for delivering high quality, fast turnaround production and assembly services to a customer list that includes major national brands where quality and consistency is critical,” says Kathy Hansen, KANDU’s executive director. “This donation from Rhino Tool House provides us with remarkable technology and an extra quality check to ensure we deliver the high-quality work our customers expect.”

“The company LightGuide is well-named,” Wirth continues. “Their technology literally guides the worker with projected light, and is ideal for assembly, inspection, repair and training tasks.”

Paulsen elaborates: “It’s a very intuitive system that has been preconfigured with everything the KANDU workforce needs to deliver high-quality kits every time. It’s also extremely easy for KANDU to take ownership of the programming, so as their assembly needs change, they can adjust the system quickly to continually produce products with zero-defects.”

“I don’t really understand the technology,” Hansen says, laughing. “But I understand the kindness and generosity of Dave, LightGuide and Rhino Tool House, and I appreciate innovations that help all workers, disabled or otherwise, to perform their jobs better.

“We help our clients to broaden their social, emotional and personal development, and help them gain the sense of independence and self-worth that everyone deserves. This donated technology, along with the kindness and generosity, such as we just experienced, helps us continue our good work for many years to come.”

From left to right, KANDU volunteer Dave Wirth, worker Andrew Updike, Rhino Tool House application engineer Kevin Martin, KANDU executive director Kathy Hansen, and director of operations Jake Reed. Photo courtesy Rhino Tool House