While Virtual Reality (VR) has been introduced and used in the gaming industry for the past decade, the manufacturing industry has only recently begun looking into the possibilities of using VR in improving their products and processes.
Currently, most products are designed via a 2D computer screen. VR has the potential to allow engineers and designers to interact in an immersive, 1:1 scale environment with digital product prototypes, enabling them to put prototypes to the test and troubleshoot all before manufacturing begins.
We can take The Ford Motor Company as an example of an industry leader that has begun using VR to optimize a vehicle’s design before a physical prototype is built. The Ford Immersive Vehicle Environment system creates virtual street environments in which automobile prototypes can be evaluated on aesthetics, ergonomics and safety.
VR environments also allow teams from different offices or even countries to meet in the same room to evaluate prototypes or designs together without having to travel. This is a game changer when it comes to team collaborations.
With VR advancements improving and markets growing at a rapid pace, integrating this into manufacturing processes could mean simplifying operations, improving safety, increasing quality, and reducing costs. It's only a matter of time before more industries see the competitive advantages VR has to offer when leveraged strategically with operations, including filtration manufacturers.
VR can also benefit the filtration industry by allowing engineers to plan and test multiple filtration system layouts that can optimize floor space and staff mobility which would otherwise be too costly and time consuming to test in reality. Unfortunately, VR requires you to don a bulky headset on in order to join an immersive virtual environment. This means that while it's suitable for workers in offices and meeting rooms, it's not the safest option to be used on factory grounds, which is where Augmented Reality (AR) comes in.
Click here to read more about the potential of AR in the future of filtration manufacturing!