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Project Summary:
This project aims to transfer Virtual Reality (VR) technology from the automotive sector to the food process equipment-manufacturing sector. To adapt VR data translation tools to provide SME manufacturers of food processing equipment with an appropriately priced toolkit that will enable them to create 3D, visual on machine set and change over instructions.

Project Partners:
Antycip Ltd
Arcall Plc
Ginsters
Glenmorangie Plc
Pera Innovation
PPMA
T Giusti Ltd
Tetra Pak Ltd
Wirebelt Ltd

Need:
One of the major problems food processors face is waste created during machine changeover and start up, typically accounting for 8-12% of their total production. Where,
historically, maintenance engineering staff would have been available to do these activities, today’s line operators, who have little or no formal engineering training, typically carry
them out. Whilst paper based operation manuals are available, the technical nature of their content in terms of both description and drawings, make them unsuitable for the non-technical operators. Additionally, owing to the generalised nature (many maintenance manuals service generic classes of machine rather than individual products) of such documentation, procedural errors are all too common.

Solution:
VR is particularly appropriate as it provides the viewer with an immediacy of understanding that cannot be gained through conventional 2D and 3D CAD drawings, which can only be readily interpreted by highly skilled personnel. However, the tools used by the automotive sector to create these VR models from CAD data are expensive and require highly trained and skilled operators, making them inappropriate for use by SME manufacturers of food processing equipment.

The objective of this project is to adapt VR data translation tools to provide SME manufacturers of food processing equipment with an appropriately priced toolkit that will enable them to create 3D, visual on machine set and change over instructions simply and cheaply from 3D CAD data produced by the low end CAD packages they typically use.

Benefits:
The recipient sector will benefit by being able to offer additional product functionality in the form of on machine visual 3D change over, maintenance and set up instructions, which will enable them to differentiate their products from non-UK manufacturers by offering bespoke, operator friendly functionality. This will enable UK machinery manufacturers to demonstrate a better return on investment argument when selling machines to food processors both in the UK & abroad.