Interacting with the machine and addressing efficiency drop: a real use case from the packaging sector

During the Machine Builder X event on February 29th, we showcased in a live demonstration how to resolve an efficiency challenge on an automated machine utilizing the Industrial IoT, GenAI, and VR technologies provided by 40Factory | Industrial Digitalization

This article recounts the firsthand experience shared by our live audience. The main characters were:

• A bottle cappling machine from our customer AROL S.p.A.
• MAT (Machine Analytics Tool), 40Factory's Industrial IoT solution for machine monitoring and analysis, which integrates Wilson.ai, the AI-based virtual assistant, and Linkersys, the visual documentation and Virtual Reality platform from our partner Desys srl .

3, 2, 1... action! ??

As the operator of a bottling line, you're keen on assessing the status of machine K0030. Your AROL cappling machine comes with MAT, an IIoT application for data monitoring and analysis, and Wilson.ai, an AI-based virtual assistant that integrates real-time machine data with technical documentation.

You initiate Wilson.ai and request a summary of the current status of machine K0030:

The machine is in production, but Wilson.ai notifies you of an anomaly in the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) trend. You click on the provided link and open the "Lean Analytics" module of MAT: indeed, you notice a drastic drop in quality.

And what's next? How do you grasp the nature of the issue? Let's move forward with the inquiry and ask about potential causes.

It appears that the problem occurred after a recent format change. Wilson.ai suggests performing a check by scanning the RFID tags (a process that utilizes RFID labels to verify the presence and correctness of the equipment installed on the AROL machine).

Since you're a bit forgetful, or perhaps just a bit lazy, you don't remember exactly how to perform this check. So, once again, you ask for help.

You perform the check, and the system notifies you of an error in the feeding screw of the machine. What are the next steps?

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You carry out all the checks suggested by Wilson.ai and notice that indeed there has been damage, so the feeding screw needs to be replaced. Now, you just need to ask how to carry out the replacement of the part.

Excellent, Wilson.ai offers access to all the written steps. However, who has the time or inclination to read through them all? Let's request access to the 3D visual documentation instead.

?Here comes Linkersys into play, Desys srl ' platform for creating and sharing visual and interactive product documentation (also with VR/AR), integrated directly into MAT!

Let's open the link provided by Wilson.ai and access Linkersys:

By clicking on "play", you can view the 3D video describing the procedure; additionally, you can scroll through the web page and read the related steps with representative images of the actions to be taken: https://youtu.be/h9iQGU6Ba-c

But it doesn't end there: Wilson.ai mentioned the possibility of conducting a training in virtual reality for this specific procedure! By wearing the provided headset, you can enter a virtual factory and interact with the AROL cappling machine in a perfectly simulated and safe environment. As you follow the on-screen instructions, you execute the feeding screw replacement, training your muscle memory. This ensures you're fully prepared to carry out the task flawlessly on the real cappling machine without skipping a beat.

Mission complete!

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