Virtualware, SMARTPM bring VR for advanced manufacturing to MetalMadrid
R2M Project, to be presented at benchmark event on industrial transformation, allows users to experience virtual commissioning
Intelligent automation specialist SMARTPM and Virtualware, Europe’s leading industrial virtual reality (VR) provider, will bring the latest developments in the R2M Project for advanced manufacturing to MetalMadrid 2022, a benchmark event on industrial transformation, at Ifema, Madrid, on October 19-20.
The tools to facilitate and speed up digital transformation in factories are increasingly more accessible. Production assets are evolving towards greater connectivity and automation thanks to technologies such as VR, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and digital twins.
This makes it possible for the interaction between the physical and virtual worlds to enable more sustainable, flexible, and zero-defect production processes.
The mix between the physical and virtual world is enabling more sustainable, flexible, and zero-defect production processes.
MetalMadrid attendees will have the opportunity to experience virtual commissioning first-hand at SMARTPM (booth 4B06). Through PICO3 VR glasses, visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a virtual environment, known as a digital twin, and interact with devices from the physical world. They will be able to test in a virtual environment the real manufacturing cell components that SMARTPM has installed in its Factory Lab, more than 300 km away.
“Our simulator is able to accurately represent physical assets and real processes virtually and remotely, identifying pre-manufacturing errors”
Sergio Barrera, CTO de Virtualware
In this way, SMARTPM will offer a real demonstration of its MIC automation platform for the machining industry to Madrid. The MIC system connects assets, designs, executes, and controls workflows, improving the productivity of machining industries thanks to predictive analysis, machine learning, and autonomous cell management.
This platform is in turn connected to the project developed by Virtualware, a simulator that virtually represents the processes that the automated physical cell is executing in real, such as milling, pre-setting and inspection of parts, robotic feeding, or polishing.
“The project allows the virtual commissioning of a machine for testing at an early stage of design and development, reducing errors, development times and start-up periods of projects in the factory”
José Castellanos, Managing Director of SMARTPM
MetalMadrid is the ideal location for SMARTPM and Virtualware to show how intelligent automation is modernizing industrial processes, solving real manufacturing problems, and improving productivity. In addition, the two companies will offer solutions that simplify the adoption of these technologies, whose implementation is no longer exclusive to large manufacturers.
R2M
The R2M Project is committed to research manufacturing systems based on robot-machine collaboration. It’s objective is to seek the best integration of both automation and intelligent robotics technologies and advanced manufacturing technologies. The project is led by SMARTPM with support from AFM Cluster as part of a consortium in which leading companies in the machine tool sector such as SORALUCE, JUARISTI, Fagor Arrasate, Fagor Automation, Aldakin Group, and Virtualware also participate.
It has been financed by the Basque Government through the R&D&I support program Hazitek Estratégico, to improve the competitiveness of companies.
ABOUT VIRTUALWARE
Virtualware is the leading European provider of virtual reality (VR) solutions for industrial sectors. It was recently acknowledged as the world’s Innovative VR Company during the latest edition of the VR Awards.
Virtualware, which was founded nearly 18 years ago, offers cutting-edge solutions to various industrial Fortune 500 companies, including GE Hitachi, Bayer, and Merck.
Founded by CEO Unai Extremo and CTO Sergio Barrera in 2004, Virtualware is a European leader in applying immersive technologies, including virtual, mixed, and augmented reality. The company aims to create real-world solutions and has led the creation of several breakthrough applications, including one that allows workers as specialized as nuclear plants operators to train safely.
Headquartered in Bilbao, Spain, and with a North American office in Toronto, Canada, and partner companies around the world, the firm will finish 2021 with over €5m in billings. Its team of 45 people includes technologists and engineers who have launched more than 500 projects in over 27 countries.
ABOUT SMART PM
SMART PM is an engineering company focused on intelligent automation and optimization of industrial processes. From a deep knowledge of industrial and metrological processes, SMARTPM has developed MIC, a new automation software platform.
MIC (Manufacturing Intelligence Core) makes it possible to connect assets and people, control workflows, manage production autonomously, integrate “in the loop” inspections, and apply analytics and machine learning to the entire process to optimize productivity and quality. It has been awarded an Innovation 2022 Award at BIEMH.