Using Augmented Reality as a tool for troubleshooting separator alarms

Abstract: Some say that the fourth industrial revolution is here now that machines can communicate with each other. This combination of Internet of Things (IoT) with industrial machines has been labeled Industry 4.0. Alfa Laval, manufacturer of liquid separators, together with B&R, an industrial automation company, want to explore the possibilities with Industry 4.0 and especially how Augmented Reality (AR) can be used as a tool when troubleshooting separator alarms. This master thesis encompasses the development and evaluation of an AR application for troubleshooting separator alarms. The final AR application shows instructions to the user and highlights the corresponding components as 3D models in AR. User tests showed that the application can be useful for people without experience of troubleshooting separator alarms. Additionally, the tool can indirectly reduce the workload for expert service technicians since they don’t have to show up and troubleshoot the simpler alarms. In the future, a tool similar to this can be used during the training process of prospective service technicians.