FEATURE – Virtual Reality in Manufacturing
Beyond Reality: :
How Australia's Manufacturing Industry is Embracing VR
Augmented reality and virtual reality are among the emerging digital tools turning manufacturing on its head.
into various manufacturing sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and efficiency.
Virtual reality (VR) puts real people into virtual spaces, while augmented reality (AR) puts digital objects in real spaces.
For instance, virtual prototyping allows manufacturers to create and iterate designs without the material and time costs associated with physical prototypes. Collaboration in VR offers stakeholders across different locations a shared space for co-working, ensuring alignment and speeding up the design process.
Recent research by PwC revealed that the use of VR and AR in product and service development could add $1.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030, and deliver a $360 billion GDP boost to Australia by 2030. Not surprisingly then, Meta reports it has more than 10,000 people working in the space, while Apple has more than 2,000. Virtual reality (VR) has surged as a transformative force in manufacturing, reshaping how industries conceptualise, train, and execute production processes. In Australia, VR has been integrated
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Spatial visualisation through VR aids in acclimating new employees to complex industrial settings, minimising risks and enhancing operational understanding. Real-world applications have demonstrated VR’s utility, such as using VR models of oil rigs for safety training, employing digital twins for optimising machinery like turbines, and training aircraft technicians with 3D models to
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understand complex engines. Several companies are using virtual reality to ensure particular components are assembled properly. For example, Lockheed Martin, the defence and aerospace company, has an entire virtual reality lab dedicated to product design and manufacturing. After using VR to build the F-35, Lockheed Martin found that engineers could not only work faster, but with an accuracy of approximately 96%. The lab, which is one of the largest of its kind, allows engineers to evaluate the efficacy, cost and risk of designs and models in a lowstakes environment. Similarly, Boeing technicians use VR smart glasses that provide the necessary instructions for each wiring repair, reducing the necessary work time by 25%.
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