An established global supplier of commercial-duty electrified propulsion systems and automatic transmissions is using innovative projected augmented reality work instructions to improve manufacturing performance and quality.
This leading company adopted LightGuide AR software to empower its workforce with standardization and simplification of its complex manual processes. Following the implementation of LightGuide projected AR work instructions on a production line with four workstations and nearly 100 parts bins, this company eliminated process confusion, reducing cycle time dramatically and improving quality by up to 100%.
The Challenge:
High variation and high throughput place enormous pressure on operators to produce perfect quality. At this company, operators were assembling parts for many different industries. Each assembly was complex and unique, but the parts all looked similar. As many as ten variations could be produced on a single line.
This range of options created confusion and led to guesswork from operators—especially new operators—during assemblies and bin picking. The result was exceedingly long cycle times and complex work instruction authoring.
The Solution:
Plant leadership implemented LightGuide’s industrial AR software to simplify manual processes and boost efficiency on one complex line that included four stations and over 100 bins. This line was known for serving a large variety of similar assemblies, each requiring a unique process and part picking sequence.
Upon implementation, this company quickly recalled assembly variations through barcode scans. Intuitive visual light guidance not only directed workers through a pick sequencing process but also guided them with additional graphics on the workstation and the part itself. Rather than having one program for bin picking and another program for the work zone, LightGuide reconfigured its layout to merge the two areas and maintain a continuous flow in the process.
For example, this workstation required operators to move a cart alongside the workbench, adjusting where they needed work instructions multiple times within the cycle. LightGuide’s AR software projected animations to show operators exactly where to place the cart. Then, projected graphics would display where the work was taking place to guide operators through the assembly without error, confusion, or the need to memorize steps.
Additionally, the smart bin-picking sequences guided by projected AR made it simple to identify bins when processes were updated. Whether swapping out parts within bins or the entire bin, process changes were quickly deployed, eliminating guesswork and lengthy down time.
The Results:
After implementing LightGuide’s projected AR work instructions to simplify and streamline complex manual processes, this leading transmission company significantly improved quality, reporting up to 100% improvement.
Additionally, the company saw a significant reduction in build times, as operators with less experience in these manual operations had direct guidance through processes. Before LightGuide, they were unfamiliar with the contents and locations of each bin. Now, the operators have no need to memorize bin sequences for any variations and assemble parts with maximum quality and efficiency.
