3D Digital Twin to mitigate COVID-19 safety restrictions
Encouraged by a fall in infection rates, a vast majority of countries has started to ease lockdown rules and industry is restoring operations.
In order to return to work safely there are numerous protocols that need to be put in place. This safety protocols can also have an impact in the production line. This is due to staggered shifts to increase social distancing, more frequent deep cleaning, and higher rates of absenteeism, especially among older workers who fear getting infected, or younger workers that have to stay at home with their children due to school systems closed. In addition, getting the parts on time from suppliers will be a challenge, as they also must manage new layers of precautions and complications that didn’t exist before shelter-in-place orders came into effect nearly a month ago.
Our solution
Our 3D digital twin technology can analyze the sequence of work in production to find ways to spread apart workers. 3D real-time monitoring technology allows production managers to start planning all these production changes in advance from home and keep in teleworking while the plant is in operation. This helps to minimize staff on-site and to protect older workers, which is the case of production managers typically. They can run new process simulations with the new safe distance measures, fine tune production logistics and material flow because it takes longer for people to move around each other at a safe distance, and even plan for part shortages from suppliers. Virtual training modules are then easily configured for the new tasks that the workers need to perform, and can be used to train production workers before they go to the production line in the factory or even at home. These VR training modules are especially important for older workers due to their highest risk factor.
On a corporate level, 3D digital twin allows corporate to use VR to analyze remotely what is happening in each of their plants worldwide and how they are adopting to the new safety procedures.
3D digital twin technology can help industry to safely and efficiently restart operation in order to successfully overcome this challenging time.
André Godinho Luz
CEO Infinite Foundry