Inspection processes at many industrial work sites are paper-based and conducted with manual work. Consequently, this leads to inaccurate inspection results. Worse, it limits traceability for future improvements.

The inspection process itself, which often relies on one maintenance expert, is not transferable to other employees. In the end, this can make the whole process slow, inaccurate and often unsafe.

Every machine at an industrial work site or factory floor has its own maintenance checklist. For this reason, each checklist contains many different components along with different maintenance schedules.

The more complex the maintenance schedule, the more room for human error. Moreover, mistakes may be made during the inspection itself. Dates may be missing. Documentation may be inaccurate or illegible. One mistake on the checklist can lead to further errors.

Augmented Reality can digitize the inspection process and eliminate paperwork. It can allow maintenance experts to work faster, with less errors. And, the results are traceable.

Similarly, AR maintenance technology can reduce the administrative burden of maintenance scheduling. It can optimize the use of maintenance resources, while ensuring significantly improved uptime and overall equipment effectiveness. In the same way, the augmented reality checklist can save training time.

Overall, the AR Checklist is a powerful value-added business solution and an excellent way to help capitalize on industry potential.

Among our practical, enterprise-focused use cases of Edge Realities is the checklist solution. A specific case for use is the Lafarge industrial company. They were interested in exploring how to improve on the efficiency and accuracy of inspections of conveyors at a quarry.

Conveyors are prolific at the site and play a role in every stage of the quarrying cycle. They are essential in feeding process operations and transport to storage. Consequently, the company wanted faster, easier and more precise maintenance solutions.

What the company needed is a solution to help their operators precisely and efficiently carry out critical inspections of conveyors, repairs, degradation, faults, and other situations.

Lafarge wanted to determine to what extent AR technology and the Edge Realities system can streamline maintenance services, improve accuracy and help ensure regulatory compliance.

To support workers at Lafarge Poland who perform preventative maintenance, we successfully tested the use of our Edge Realities Checklist module with smart glasses. Our solution with AR was deployed at an expansive quarry to inspect conveyors and other heavy equipment.

The augmented reality checklist helped Lafarge maintenance personnel perform inspection work with precision.  Importantly, over a large distance, hands-free, and in extreme outdoor work conditions. Above all, in hot temperatures, dry and dusty conditions, harsh and cold temperatures, rain, snow, day or night.

The main benefit garnered by the company from our solution was to effectively streamline workflow and enhance efficiency. Also, our solution allowed their maintenance operators to complete an inspection card digitally.

The prominent feature of Edge Realities is it’s easy to map and add overlays to complicated, large-scale environments. In collaboration with smart glasses, the system makes it possible for operators to fill in a virtual checklist. As a result, this reduces errors, increases efficiency, and the valuable digital data can be accessed hands-free. No pencil and paper needed.

In fact, operators inspecting large numbers of conveyors at a massive worksite can easily submit their reports in real-time. All with just a simple tap on the touchpad of the AR eyewear.

The general values of Edge Realities and the Checklist module are that preventative maintenance inspections are made substantially easier and more accurate. Our AR Checklist solution allowed Lafarge to move from paperwork to digital, and data was easily collected for the traceability of maintenance work.

Not only did Edge Realities benefit Lafarge and their need to conform to regulatory standards and requirements. Our solution also allowed for workers with less training and experience to perform more precisely, effectively and safely.

The Edge Realities checklist solution can be deployed across many industries. In fact, it can be a game-changing technology for any company. The AR-based Checklist module can unlock the potential of working environments, and our system can help any business drive towards automation and garner increased efficiency over resources.

Edge Realities can also benefit maintenance workers with AR Remote Support. This augmented reality feature can allow the ability to have two-way video or audio communication, get AR overlays of diagnostic information in AR eyewear, and connect in real-time with experts in remote sites. For more information about connected mobility and our Remote Support solution, please see our AR Remote Support Case Study.