Batch plant
Zippe expands portfolio of remote services German batch and cullet plant specialist Zippe has increased its remote support and use of Augmented Reality for customers during the pandemic.
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or 100 years the core business of Zippe Industrieanlagen has been the design and construction of high performance batch and cullet plants. As one of the few full-range suppliers in this industrial sector, the spectrum covers all services of plant construction: engineering, planning, construction, production, process control, installation, site management for all trades as well as commissioning and training of customer personnel and services for the running operation. The current situation regarding Covid-19 with the resulting travel restrictions requires a rethinking concerning installation, commissioning, and service of the different machine and plant parts. Here Zippe sets on remote support for customers with the help of augmented-reality (AR), remote services, and teleservices. In times when unrestricted traveling is not possible, Zippe is in a position to support its customers from a distance. In this case it is often challenging that the customer sided technician as well as the Zippe service specialist ‘speak the same language’. In the past, numerous e-mails were necessary in which the situation on site was described also with photo documentation. With the help of modern technology it is now possible to support customers in a more efficient and rapid way. This is where Augmented Reality (AR) steps in. To benefit from AR support, the customer installs a mobile app on Android or IOS on site and the working environment is transmitted to the service technician in real time via video streaming with the smartphone or tablet camera. The Zippe remote expert uses a specifically equipped service computer in his office and has the latest documentation of the customer plant
Fig 2
� � Figs 1 and 2. A rapid and more efficient maintenance and repair of plants means shorter downtime and higher plant availability.
at hand. The technician communicates with the customer via various optical tools such as arrow markers and free hand drawings, language, and text input. By means of this virtual ‘step-by-step navigation’, it is possible to analyse and solve a problem respectively to execute maintenance works more quickly. This technology enables the user to perform installations and repair works under instruction personally on site (fig 1 and 2). As Zippe supplies plants worldwide in different time zones, our support is always connected with a timed coordination of the service technicians. For production reasons, only a limited time frame is available in many cases. Through the remote support with Augmented Reality an improvement is recognisable. With the help of digital assistance
systems, shortages on skilled workers can be reduced or compensated to a certain degree. They can support new or less trained customer personnel who are not yet very familiar with the machines and plants. In addition to the visual support and support by phone, Zippe also offers a Remote Service in order to analyse automation systems and control stations via remote maintenance. Upon customer request the Zippe remote service enables us to access to the glass plant directly from our Wertheim headquarters. Here problems can be analysed, corresponding adjustments realised, and necessary measures induced. Zippe’s teleservice and remote maintenance concept leads the way Continued>>
34 0 Glass International June 2020
Batch plant Zippe.indd 1
17/06/2020 15:32:41