Almost like being there on the spot: AR Support now also available via smartphone

Autumn 2018 – BrauBeviale in Nuremberg – That was the first time we presented our very latest digital expansion in our LCS Support portfolio to our customers: Argos Augmented Reality Support. We joined forces with our clients to take the first steps in the field of Augmented Reality together and to fill the buzzword of Digitalisation 4.0 with life, using specific technologies, in order to create some hands-on benefits for our customers. And quite a lot has happened since then because, you see, our attitude at Krones is never to be satisfied with the status quo but true to our motto – We do more – to continually strive to upgrade our service capabilities.

And now, quite a few experiences and actual support jobs later, I can therefore present our latest developments in the field of Argos – Augmented Reality Support. One of the innovations is simplified access because AR Support has progressively been becoming the normal state of affairs for us. While it used to be available only as part of a support agreement, it is as of now possible for each of our clients to utilise it via the Krones service line. All a customer has to do is sign a data privacy agreement.

And use itself has also become more flexible – that is the second major change: While a client previously needed smart glasses for getting support via AR, it is now possible to use standard smartphones or tablets as well. All a customer has to do in this case is start the download using the device’s corresponding App Store and then install the software fast and easily, without any additional cost, on his own smart terminals. Thanks to these innovations, we can now match our services even better to any client’s individual situation and integrate our support flexibly in the infrastructure available at the customer’s premises.

The support job itself will then proceed in line with the meanwhile tried-and-tested principle: When a malfunction occurs in the client’s line, the machine operator will be assisted in real time by a Krones specialist. So Argos Augmented Reality Support is used for purposeful trouble-shooting, thus killing several birds with one stone: Thanks to prompt assistance, any problem can be solved fast and easily, and both line availability and performance levels are increased, quite aside from the special advantage offered by such an audio-visual link in times of travel and contact restrictions: It is almost as if the Krones support specialist were directly on the spot in the client’s production hall. In this way, clients are given the support they need, without anyone having to actually go there.

But some essential details have also been changed here since we have, of course, further fine-tuned our capabilities for a significant improvement, based on the experience gained with our AR support. For example, it is now possible to set 3D markings, and even easier for Krones support staff to share instructions with the client’s employees.

So much for theory. Now you can take a first look at how AR Support actually works – Just watch this video:

 

Have we kindled your interest? If you want to find out more about how to use our AR Support, simply get in touch with your contact person at Krones, or phone our service line under +49 9401 708090. In the Krones.shop you can also request a support agreement without obligation or view information on your current agreement. You will also find some more impressions in the picture gallery: