The industrial sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological advancements that enhance efficiency, safety, and productivity. Among these innovations, augmented reality (AR) has emerged as a game-changer, enabling real-time, on-site guidance, data visualisation, and workflow optimisation.
ViewAR, a pioneer in Industrial AR technology, has relaunched ServiceAR, its all-in-one AR platform designed specifically for industrial applications. This relaunch reinforces ViewAR’s commitment to enhancing connected worker efficiency by providing an advanced and scalable solution for modern manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance operations.
With industries increasingly adopting smart factory solutions, the integration of AR within industrial workflows has never been more critical. ServiceAR acts as a bridge between traditional manufacturing processes and cutting-edge digital transformation, ensuring that companies can leverage the latest technologies without disrupting their existing workflows. The rising demand for intelligent automation, remote collaboration, and digital twin technology has positioned AR at the forefront of industrial innovation.
The need for AR in Industry
Industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and maintenance require precise coordination, real-time data access, and process optimisation to remain competitive. Traditional methods, which rely on manual documentation, training, and troubleshooting, often lead to inefficiencies and increased operational costs.
BONNER’s support in the introduction of AR has transformed industrial workflows, providing immediate access to contextual information, remote support, and guided procedures that significantly reduce errors and downtime.
Businesses that embrace AR are already seeing significant reductions in machine downtime, improvements in training efficiency, and increased compliance with safety protocols.
What Makes ServiceAR Unique?
ServiceAR distinguishes itself from other AR solutions through its comprehensive, user-friendly approach. Unlike platforms that focus primarily on remote assistance or immersive training, ServiceAR provides on-site, real-time AR guidance that enables workers to perform complex tasks efficiently.
Key Features of ServiceAR:
- Live readings from factory equipment such as temperatures, production flow rates, motor speeds or even line OEE (Overall equipment effectiveness)
- Real-Time AR Guidance: Overlays instructions, technical data, and navigation directly onto workers’ mobile or tablet screens.
- Indoor Navigation & Spatial Computing: Supports seamless movement within complex industrial environments, ensuring accuracy in locating assets and workstations.
- Optimised Workflow Integration: Reduces task completion times by up to 76%, streamlining maintenance, assembly, and inspection procedures.
- Incident Tagging & Reporting: Enables faster issue identification and resolution, cutting troubleshooting time by 32%.
- Training & Onboarding Enhancement: Lowers training time by 65%, helping new employees become proficient more quickly.
- Seamless IoT Data Integration: Syncs with real-time machine data, providing instant diagnostics and proactive maintenance alerts.
By focusing on the on-the-ground needs of industrial workers, ServiceAR ensures that critical information is accessible at the point of need, reducing disruptions and enhancing productivity.
How ServiceAR is Improving Industrial Efficiency
- Enhancing Worker Productivity and Safety
One of the major challenges industries face is ensuring worker efficiency without compromising safety. ServiceAR provides real-time step-by-step AR overlays that guide employees through processes such as equipment maintenance, assembly, and troubleshooting. By reducing reliance on printed manuals or external assistance, companies can significantly cut downtime and human error rates.
For example, in an industrial facility dealing with complex machinery, workers using ServiceAR can scan a QR code on a machine to instantly access operational data, repair instructions, and troubleshooting steps. This eliminates the need to search through documentation or wait for expert assistance, ensuring faster issue resolution and minimised disruptions.
- Bridging Knowledge Gaps in the Workforce
With an aging workforce and a shortage of skilled labour, industries are struggling to retain expertise and transfer knowledge to new employees. ServiceAR’s AR-enabled interactive training modules ensure that complex tasks are learned faster, reducing training time and minimising costly mistakes. By providing on-demand guidance, companies can make industrial operations more resilient to workforce fluctuations.
For example, a new technician in an automotive assembly plant can use ServiceAR to follow AR-guided steps for assembling a component, rather than relying on shadowing an experienced worker. This method not only accelerates the training process but also reduces the risk of errors during production.
- Improving Collaboration Across Teams
Industrial work often involves teams spread across multiple locations, making seamless communication crucial. ServiceAR enables real-time data sharing, remote monitoring, and workflow coordination, ensuring that all workers, regardless of location, have access to the latest procedural updates. This results in fewer bottlenecks and greater alignment across departments.
For instance, a technician in one location can tag an issue using AR-based incident reporting, which is instantly available to colleagues in different locations. This feature enhances decision-making, reduces downtime, and ensures smoother interdepartmental communication.
- Seamless Integration with Enterprise Systems
One of the biggest challenges in adopting new technologies is ensuring compatibility with existing systems. ServiceAR features API connectivity and supports deep link integration, allowing businesses to seamlessly connect AR functionalities with SCADA, ERP, and IoT data platforms. This real-time synchronisation ensures that workers are always operating with the most current data available.
Additionally, ServiceAR integrates with predictive maintenance systems, allowing businesses to anticipate failures before they occur. By leveraging IoT sensor data and AR overlays, workers can identify potential wear-and-tear issues, preventing costly breakdowns and improving overall operational efficiency.
Industry Leaders Using ServiceAR
Global leaders such as ABB, AstraZeneca, and Lenzing have already embraced ViewAR’s ServiceAR to improve their industrial workflows.
These companies have reported:
- Significant reductions in machine downtime due to faster troubleshooting and issue resolution.
- Enhanced efficiency in training and onboarding, allowing new employees to become proficient in record time.
- Greater compliance with safety and operational protocols, ensuring smooth and error-free processes.
- Optimised maintenance scheduling, reducing unexpected breakdowns and improving equipment longevity.
The Future of ServiceAR in Industry
As industries continue their digital transformation journey, ServiceAR is well-positioned to drive further innovation. The global AR market is expected to reach $340 billion by 2028, highlighting the growing demand for solutions that integrate AR with industrial operations.
ViewAR’s commitment to ongoing development and scalability ensures that ServiceAR remains adaptable to new AR hardware and emerging industrial needs. Future updates will include enhanced AI-driven analytics, deeper IoT connectivity, and machine learning-powered process automation, further cementing ServiceAR as a leader in industrial AR solutions.
Conclusion
The relaunch of ServiceAR marks a significant milestone in industrial AR innovation, offering companies a powerful, scalable, and easy-to-integrate solution for optimising their operations. With its advanced real-time guidance, seamless integration capabilities, and proven efficiency gains, ServiceAR is set to redefine how industrial workers perform their daily tasks.
For businesses looking to reduce downtime, improve safety, and enhance workforce efficiency, speak to BONNER about adopting ServiceAR as a strategic investment in the future of industrial automation. As AR technology continues to evolve, ServiceAR ensures that industries remain at the forefront of digital transformation, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow.
Read more about our partnership with ViewAR here.