Immersive Engineering Boosts Manufacturing in Digital Age

The transformative impact of immersive engineering on global manufacturing in driving efficiency, reducing costs and improving safety cannot be overstated. 

PTC reported that companies using augmented reality (AR) in manufacturing saw up to a 40% improvement in productivity and a 90% increase in first-time fix rates. 

Meanwhile a PwC report found virtual reality (VR) training can be four times faster than classroom training and that learners are 275% more confident in applying skills learned after training with VR. 

Digital twins have also been found to reduce maintenance costs by up to 30% and increase asset performance by 10%, according to a report by Deloitte. 

These benefits have seen immersive engineering implemented in 51% of the top industrial companies, according to a Capgemini survey, including Siemens, Sony and BAE. 

Siemens Xcelerator portfolio: Leading digital manufacturing

The Siemens Xcelerator portfolio is at the forefront of transforming digital manufacturing, providing a comprehensive suite of tools and services to empower manufacturers and enhance their operations. 

Through its partnership with Detecon, Siemens Xcelerator enables manufacturing companies to leverage real-time decision-making agility, ensuring impeccable quality standards.

Detecon's implementation of smart quality gates, cyber security expertise and predictive maintenance technology ensures zero downtime and seamless operations, making digital manufacturing a reality for their clients.

Similarly, the Digital Process Twin is a ground-breaking tool within the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, particularly beneficial for pharmaceutical manufacturers. This tool optimises products and processes from R&D to manufacturing by providing new insights and better control over production processes.

By creating a virtual plant based on real data and simulation models, the Digital Process Twin offers predictions and control measures, which are fed back to the real plant, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in production.

Evosoft's factory simulation services within the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio also allow manufacturers to validate and optimise their manufacturing processes. By providing fast and individual simulations of plants, machines and processes, manufacturers receive performance forecasts that aid in strategic and operational business decisions.

This capability ensures that processes are optimised and resources are utilised effectively.

This is only a snapshot of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, which is proving to be a powerful enabler of digital transformation in manufacturing, providing tools and solutions that drive efficiency, accuracy and seamless operations across the industry.

What is immersive engineering? 

Immersive engineering leverages advanced technologies such as AR, VR and mixed reality (MR) to create interactive and immersive experiences.

These technologies enable users to visualise, interact with and manipulate digital models and environments in ways that are not possible with traditional two-dimensional screens. In the context of manufacturing, immersive engineering offers transformative benefits that enhance efficiency, accuracy and innovation.

In manufacturing, AR and VR are used to simulate production environments, allowing engineers and designers to prototype and test machinery and processes in a virtual space before physical implementation.

This not only reduces the time and cost associated with physical prototyping but also allows for the identification and correction of potential issues early in the design process. For example, VR can create a virtual assembly line where workers can be trained in a risk-free environment, improving their skills and reducing the likelihood of errors.

A key application of immersive engineering in manufacturing is the use of digital twins. These are virtual replicas of physical assets, systems or processes that are used for simulation and analysis.

They allow manufacturers to monitor real-time performance, predict maintenance needs and optimise operations. By interacting with digital twins through immersive technologies, engineers can gain deeper insights and make more informed decisions.

A growing phenomenon: Sony & BAE- could your business be next?

Siemens and BAE Systems have also embarked on a five-year agreement to develop a strategic blueprint for future engineering and manufacturing capabilities.

This collaboration builds on the deployment of Siemens’ NX software for product engineering and Teamcenter software for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) from the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. The agreement also includes the use of edge computing solutions and technology validation across various technology centres.

Siemens Digital Industries and BAE Systems are committed to working together regionally and internationally in the fields of sustainability, industrial digitalisation and supply chain modernisation. This framework aims to accelerate the commercial application benefits to BAE Systems within technology exploitation and adaptation.

“This agreement builds on a well-established, successful collaboration between BAE Systems and Siemens, companies which share ambitions to promote manufacturing careers and innovation," comments Brian Holliday, Managing Director at Siemens Digital Industries in the UK and Ireland. 

"Technology is transforming manufacturing at an accelerated pace and we are proud to work with BAE Systems at the leading edge of Industry 4.0 in the UK," Brian adds. 

“Collaborations like this help us develop and invest in digital thread enabling technologies in a much more integrated and seamless way," says Iain Minton, Technology Capability Delivery Director at BAE Systems.

"Siemens understand the complexities of our operating environment, so we can very quickly mature an idea to the point where it is put into practice.”

Meanwhile, Sony and Siemens are partnering to introduce a ground-breaking solution that merges the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software with Sony’s new XR head-mounted display (HMD), the SRH-S1.

This innovative display, designed using Siemens' NX software, showcases the synergy between these industry leaders.

The Siemens Xcelerator portfolio integrates the new NX Immersive Designer software, combining the real and digital worlds with precise 3D interaction and seamless collaboration. Siemens' immersive engineering solutions are revolutionising the CAD space, enhancing the design and manufacturing processes.

Sony’s head-mounted display, SRH-S1 provides engineering-specific controls tailored to NX users, offering a more natural and intuitive way to experience the industrial metaverse. This collaboration accelerates everyday transformation in engineering, demonstrating the power of immersive technology.

With these pioneering partnerships, Siemens is setting a new standard in digital manufacturing, demonstrating the profound impact of immersive engineering on the future of industry.

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