Teesside Research Centre Harnesses AR To Protect Future of Steel Skills

o optimise processes in the steel and metals industry, Teesside’s Materials Processing Institute is implementing augmented reality technology. 

The research and innovation centre serving global steel and materials organisations, The Materials Processing Institute, is collaborating with the global Internet of Things business PTC to explore and discover the potential of augmented reality technology within its Normanton plant in Middlesbrough.

Initially, the project will utilise the firm’s Vuforia Studio technology to overlay live data to aid operators on the move to make informed decisions on changes to casting and melting lines or troubleshoot issues before they occur.

It is predicted that augmented reality technology will make it more efficient for staff to have the correct data at exactly the right time. Wearing HoloLens and RealWear AR glasses also means users have both hands free to complete tasks.

The project aims to contribute towards a net zero steel works by 2050 and is part of the £22m PRISM steel and metals sector research and innovation programme, being delivered by the institute with funding provided through Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.

Group manager of digital technologies at the Materials Processing Institute, Chris Oswin stated:

“The successful implementation of digital technologies has the potential to save tens of millions every year.

“We are taking responsibility for exploring IoT platforms and AR and working out how we can get the most out of them in a live steel plant, learning from testing and trials to identify best use cases.

“This means we absorb a lot of the time and remove the initial expenditure that could act as a barrier to entry for companies in our industry, hopefully encouraging digital adoption as we will have proved it works and how it can be applied to businesses."

Augmented reality will also be used to capture some of the traditional skills in the sector that could be lost if the knowledge of older workers is not retained before they retire.

PTC’s Vuforia software films operators and technicians while they carry out their tasks in step-by-step instructions, and then uploads to the cloud. The films can then be accessed by new starters or workers switching roles using HoloLens or RealWear to get a real hands-on experience, or through mobiles, tablets or desktop computers.

Mr Oswin continued: 

“If we don’t act soon, we stand to lose so much knowledge from the industry and AR gives us a cost effective and easy way to retain skills and experience in a virtual library for generations to come.”

General manager for UKI for PTC, David Grammer, added: 

“This project with the Materials Processing Institute gives an entire sector the opportunity to explore how AR can be applied and developed in a real live steel plant without the potential disruption and cost of trying it in their own facilities.

"The end goal is that we will have proven business cases on how steel and metals companies can optimise processes using Augmented Reality and live data, not to mention protecting vital skills for the steel workers of the future.”