In a post on the company’s site, global auto parts manufacturer Magna revealed how their engineers in Graz, Austria are using virtual reality (VR) to collaborate on the design of new cars.
“We’re bringing new technology to real product development,” said Severin Stadler, head of R&D virtual development methods and digital factory for Magna Steyr. “Magna is open to this in order to become more flexible, efficient and innovative.”
With their VR developments, Magna is aiming to allow multiple people to view the same virtual environments simultaneously. Magna specifically notes an example where an engineer in China could see an engineer in Austria make notes in VR in real time. The company writes in the post that their solution allows their teams to “collaborate, share, and experience ideas together, while gaining freedom and efficiency in how vehicles are developed.”
Magna also claims that their use of VR and emerging tech expands beyond just automobile design. In addition to the Magna plant in Graz, Magna’s Mechatronics division in Canada is using wearable technology to test the company’s future in smart factories. Additionally, the company claims that VR headsets are helping the team at Magna’s Dortec Industries boost efficiency and productivity, and the workers at that facility are using tablets and smart watches as part of a partnership with Samsung.
“An operator can train using a VR headset to get the hand motions down, and we can do virtual benchmarking by walking a plant in a virtual space by using a headset,” said Darren Charbonneau, director of operations for Magna Mechatronics Americas. “People are liking the new technology and seeing the benefits.”
Smart factories, VR, and other emerging tech have a huge part to play as Industry 4.0 rolls out in the coming years. Auto designers at Ford are already using VR to collaborate on the automobiles of the future, digital twins are reshaping how training happens in manufacturing settings, and Nissan and HaptX are bringing realistic touch to design reviews for cars.
