1AMPLEXOR - EMBRACE THE FUTURE
AR EXPLAINED
Simply put, AR is technology that super-imposes
computer-generated images and information onto
a user’s view of the world. In July 2016, the world
was introduced to AR on a global scale through
the highly popular mobile game Pokémon GO.
Millions of people became instantly enthralled by
this geolocation-based AR game, which was created
for IOS and Android devices by a software company
called Niantic. Still available today, Pokémon Go
enables a gamer to use his or her mobile device’s
GLOBAL CONTENT & LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS
AUGMENTED REALITY –
IMPROVING OPERATIONS FOR
MANUFACTURING COMPANIES
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The use of augmented reality (AR) technology in the manufacturing industry
is steadily increasing as companies learn how AR can increase efficiency, lower
production costs, improve employee safety and training, enhance cross-company
collaboration and improve diagnostics and reporting.
Innovators in the industry offer full development of AR solutions from concept
development to delivery, helping to connect employees with technical experts off-
site for real-time support during training, assessment, maintenance and repair of
machinery on the factory floor. With the right partner – and the right technology
– companies can improve the efficiency of their operations by reducing the down-
time of machinery and logistics costs required to bring additional maintenance
personnel on-site.
Piqued your interest? Discover how to assess if AR is right for your business and
how it can improve business operations.
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GPS and interface to locate, capture, battle and
train characters that virtually “appear” on-screen.1
AR technology overlays computer-generated
enhancements on existing realities to make a user’s
view of the world more meaningful and engaging.2
AR is commonly used during sports games as
holograms or motion activated commands that
overlay scores or track movements, such as tracing
the path of a golf ball during a tee-off shot.
In the manufacturing industry, AR technology
overlays virtual information or images onto
employees’ view of real objects. For example,
AR could be used to provide real-time, in-view
instructions or data to technicians performing tasks
on the factory floor. The application of AR has the
greatest potential when applied to the business
areas of operations, maintenance, training and error
prevention. The technology is primarily deployed
via mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, laptops,
tablets, etc.) but is also being deployed via wearable
technology, such as Microsoft’s HoloLense. The
HoloLense can even enable a user to see, hear and
interact with holograms of people superimposed
on the factory floor. This enables collaboration
and teamwork among employees to facilitate
maintenance and repairs without all parties being
physically on-site.3
HOW DOES AR
DIFFER FROM VIRTUAL
REALITY (VR)?
AR is closely related to, and in some cases used
in conjunction with, VR and the two are often
confused. Unlike AR, VR is an artificial/computer-
generated simulation or recreation of real-life
environments or situations. It stimulates a person’s
vision and hearing to completely immerse him or
her in an artificial environment. VR is often used in
gaming and simulation training through headsets,
glasses and hand-held controllers that allow users
to control and navigate the reality in which they are
immersed. A common implementation of VR is
airlines’ use of flight simulators to train pilots.4
AR and VR are inverse reflections of one another,
but they both exist to serve users and enhance
experiences. Often, they are combined for a more
immersive experience or to add a dimension of
interaction between digital devices and the real-
world. While both technologies are actively used
in the entertainment industry, manufacturing
companies are beginning to use them to improve
processes in many business areas.
EXHIBIT A: REALITY TO VIRTUALITY CONTINUUM
Reality Augmented Reality
World Unmodelled World Completely ModelledWorld Partially Modelled
Augmented Virtuality Virtual Reality
Source: Milgram5
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HOW CAN AR IMPROVE
OPERATIONS FOR
MANUFACTURERS?
The term “augmented reality” was coined by leading
manufacturing company, Boeing, over a quarter
of a century ago. Although the term has been
around since the 1990s, the technology remains
relatively scattered in its use because it remains
largely in R&D.6 However, the use of AR technology
is expected to increase within the manufacturing,
aerospace and medical science sectors with the
explosion of mobile device-based communication
and wireless data storage. For manufacturing
companies, mobile use enables instant access to
product documentation, real-time video and audio
support from off-site technical experts and the
ability to equip employees with AR technology in
their hands or on their person.
Manufacturing companies who implement AR
technology can expect:
Increased efficiency – Through wearable technology
and mobile devices, employees can see renderings
of machines and parts in front of their eyes on
tablets and smart phones rather than taking time
to search through reference guides and instruction
manuals. Additionally, when Internet of Things (IoT)
technology and AR are combined, employees can
scan any item on the factory floor and have instant
access to all product information including object
specifications, location and inventory from the
company’s back-end or resource planning system.
Not only can this information be accessed instantly,
but in the language of choice. Companies with
global production sites can implement a multilingual
component into the AR technology.
Better safety – Wearable technology allows for a
hands-free environment from instruction manuals to
better perform maintenance and repair tasks.
Improved training – AR technology speeds
up training time by 30 percent and allows for
collaboration with off-site employees to provide a
“hands-on” training experience.7 It also makes up
for the increasing lack of tenured workers who would
pass on their valuable knowledge as AR provides
instant, practical access to information to make
on-the-job training and execution of tasks more
efficient and precise. Employees are often trained
through a combination of AR and VR to immerse
them in situations to practice assembly tasks before
they begin work on the shop floor.
Enhanced collaboration – AR technology enables
collaboration with other employees through mobile
video so two or more people can work together to
resolve a problem without travelling to the site. This
immediate collaboration also eliminates the need to
create “patches” or “quick fixes” until a technician is
available on-site.
Improved diagnostics – AR technology provides
users with visual cues to indicate where problems
exist or where defects could occur. This reduces
diagnostic time, which ultimately diminishes down-
time and helps prevents errors. This advanced
warning system also allows maintenance and
engineering teams to plan and schedule repairs or
upgrades when it is least likely to interfere with the
production process.
Better reporting and enhanced KPIs – AR
technology allows employees to include videos
and photos as superimposed images or side-by-
side comparisons to technical documentation on
maintenance reports thus eliminating the need to
manually write out detailed descriptions or include
additional stand-alone JPEG and GIF files.
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IS AR RIGHT FOR
YOUR BUSINESS?
AR could benefit your company if it has an
operating model that requires many tech savvy
workers to complete a multitude of complex tasks.
When assessing if AR is right for your business:
 Identify the employees and tasks that would be
impacted or supported
 Define the specific benefits AR would provide
for those employees or tasks (efficiency, safety,
training, collaboration, diagnostics, etc.)
 Balance worker needs with AR capabilities - the
technology will likely supplement workers, not
replace them
 Test a range of potential solutions to
understand which product best meets your
organization’s needs
 Consider the scope of AR content your solution
may require; Should that content be translated
and localized for employees or stakeholders
located at facilities in different countries?
When evaluating AR technology providers, ensure
your solution can provide:
 Visual representation of instructions and
product data
 Visual representation of machine and device
performance for real-time user feedback
 Interaction with one or more individuals for
collaboration or remote-support purposes
 Content authored and formatted for AR in
multiple languages
Any company using AR should aim to complement
employee skills with the new technology, thus
making every action as effective and efficient as
possible to meet the business’s objectives.
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HOW AMPLEXOR
CAN HELP
AMPLEXOR knows delivering customized,
multilingual, digital content via AR formats and
devices is becoming increasingly important as AR
continues to shape the workplace of the future for
maintenance, operations and training. Our scalable
solutions enable manufacturers to successfully
integrate AR into their enterprise content strategy
and existing business processes.
We have helped a number of our large
manufacturing customers implement AR solutions
that help them
 Maintain complex products, machines
and facilities
 Troubleshoot complex machinery
 Solve unplanned downtime
 Affordably train hard-to-find, qualified
engineers at any global facility
 Facilitate efficient, multilingual remote-support
and collaboration
AMPLEXOR’s innovative, one-of-a-kind offering
combines cutting-edge content and language
solutions with the latest AR technology. That means
we can author, manage and deliver AR content in
over 500 language combinations. This ensures
employees and stakeholders at all global facilities
are supported by and trained with the latest
technology, thus making them more efficient and
prepared than ever before.
We can guide you through the full implementation
of AR in your company – from conceptualization,
to developing and testing prototypes to business
model analysis to transferring knowledge for
autonomous in-house development of AR
applications.
ABOUT AMPLEXOR
AMPLEXOR is a leading digital solution provider offering
global compliance, digital experience and content solutions.
Established in 22 countries with more than 1,850 employees
across three continents we deliver innovative solutions to
tackle content-based challenges in the fields of aerospace and
defense, automotive and manufacturing, consumer products,
retail and distribution, energy and environment, finance, life
sciences and the public sector.
Find a contact near you
[email protected]
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© Copyright 2018 AMPLEXOR
Want to learn more about implementing
AR solutions? Contact us now.
[email protected]
SOURCES
1 – Wikipedia - Pokémon Go
2 – Better Operations: “Augmented Reality: Ready for manufacturing industries?” – Torborn Netland
3 – IndustryWeek: “How Augmented Reality Can Revolutionize Manufacturing” – K.R. Sanjiv
4 – Cerais: “7 Ways Augmented Reality in Manufacturing Will Revolutionize The Industry” – Adam Robinson
5 – Better Operations: “Augmented Reality: Ready for manufacturing industries?” – Torborn Netland
6 – Better Operations: “Augmented Reality: Ready for manufacturing industries?” – Torborn Netland
7 – Cerais: “7 Ways Augmented Reality in Manufacturing Will Revolutionize The Industry” – Adam Robinson
