Schneider Electric has announced the latest addition to its industrial software portfolio, EcoStruxure™ Augmented Operator Advisor, featuring augmented reality (AR).
The new solution brings together physical, real-life objects with virtual objects to increase operational efficiency, reduce costs and improve proactive maintenance, according to the company.
“EcoStruxure Augmented Operator Advisor combines contextual and local dynamic information for mobile users in the field through an intuitive tablet interface that superimposes real-time data and virtual objects onto cabinets or machines (pictured), giving operators immediate access to relevant machine and process information,” Schneider said.
EcoStruxure is the company’s “open, interoperable, IoT-enabled system architecture and platform”, geared geared towards improving safety, reliability, efficiency, sustainability. It uses advancements in IoT, mobility, sensing, cloud, analytics, and cybersecurity to deliver various forms of innovation. It is used in the mining industry for, among other things, fuel management, truck maintenance, material handling, process automation and control, and environmental management.
Benefits of the new AR software in the field or the plant include:
- Reduced downtime – operators can virtually open electrical cabinet doors to troubleshoot potential issues with machine components, there is no need to shut down operations
- Faster operation and maintenance – operators can quickly find information, with immediate access in the field to real-time data, user manuals, instructions, diagrams and more
- Reduced human error – the software locates the right equipment and guides operators step-by-step through complete maintenance procedures.
Simone Gianotti, EcoStruxure Industry Business Development Manager for Schneider Electric, said: “Engineers who maintain control panels and machines often spend up to half their time searching for technical data in assorted software, databases, activity logs and even old-fashioned filing cabinets.
“With EcoStruxure Augmented Operator Advisor, engineers gain instant access to the information they need, meaning they can speed up operations, improve proactive maintenance and reduce human errors commonly associated with traditional maintenance procedures.”
Schneider says the software allows for fast diagnosis of issues without lockout or electrical qualification and provides opportunity for safe and rapid detection of abnormalities and access to key performance indicators.
The plug-and-play architecture works on tablets (currently iOS®, with Android™ and Windows® versions in progress) and uses a Windows-based PC as the server platform. The server receives the data to share with the tablet from multiple sources, such as PLCs, SQL databases and OPC Unified Architecture servers.
“The software is compatible with servers and components from any vendor to ensure flexible integration into any existing system,” Schneider said.
