Put on your Smart Glasses

Remote monitoring of all types of equipment used in printing operations has been around for some time. However, its value became even more evident during the pandemic, when it was not possible – or at least difficult – to send technicians on site when a customer had a problem.

Remote monitoring is not unique to the printing industry. We’ve been talking about Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things for some time now, and digitization in all kinds of equipment and processes has become de rigueur for modern operations. One could even argue that implementing remote monitoring has become mandatory in order to remain competitive.

One provider of remote monitoring services defines it as “the ability to view machine status, performance and behavior from a distance.” This offers a number of advantages for equipment vendors and their customers alike. And while in the early days, some print operations considered it to be too “big brother-ish,” the value has been proven, and it is now generally accepted as a thing of value.

I recall attending the Heidelberg press conference at drupa 2016 where significant emphasis was placed on this capability and its value to customers and to the industry. Not only can remote monitoring capture data that enables predictive maintenance – i.e., predicting imminent failure of a component so the issue can be addressed before machine failure, thus reducing downtime. It also allows the equipment vendor to aggregate data from across the installed base to identify issues that may occur in multiple installs, providing them with insight into how to correct them.

The equipment manufacturer can also look across the installed base and identify high-performing operations, isolating some of the causals for their performance and generating baseline expectations. If a customer site is under-performing, this type of data enables the equipment manufacturer to make fact-based recommendations that can improve performance.

And then … the Pandemic.

All of these benefits were clearly understood before the pandemic struck. But COVID-19 introduced another benefit – the ability to address service issues remotely. Prior to that, it was common practice to send a technician on site. But when that became increasingly difficult, manufacturers responded by leveraging the remote capabilities they already had in place to enable the operator, or a local technician, to handle the problem without the need for an on-site visit by a specialist.

This obviously offered cost benefits to the equipment manufacturer; but in many cases, it also served to correct the problem more quickly, eliminating the wait time for someone to travel to the site and reducing overall downtime.

“Our ability to look inside the systems and see what they are doing has allowed us to minimize the amount of on-site service," said Larry D’Amico of Durst.

Heidelberg noted that the data sets from remote monitoring contribute to their Smart Print Shop approach. It enables them to use data on a large scale, helping people operate more productively and ensuring maximum uptime.

As we spoke to equipment manufacturers throughout 2020 and 2021, we heard these views over and over again. And we expect to see this trend continue, even when the pandemic becomes endemic, and we learn to live with it. Customers expect equipment to be reliable, and they expect quick fixes when something breaks. Vendors strive to meet these expectations; and leveraging their investments in remote monitoring is a key element in making that happen.

Will smart glasses make our print operations smarter?

The other accelerating trend we have seen is the growing use of smart glasses.

During the pandemic, smart glasses got a significant boost, according to a Tech Native post. Unlike in previous years where these glasses were seen as a “nice to have” technology gadget, people have now come to appreciate this wearable technology as a valuable tool that frees up hands and helps employees get their jobs done more effectively.

Tech Native also described smart glasses as a technology that superimposes data onto a field of view. This view is achieved through an optical light display embedded in wireless glasses or an AR overlay. AR glasses augment the reality perceived by the wearer of the glasses…while all AR systems are hands-free, they can look like classic eyewear, or binocular-like goggles, and some even with safety helmets attached.

We have seen several examples among equipment manufacturers where smart glasses are used in the installation and training process. Customers have reported that they liked the experience, both because it was more timely than waiting for someone to show up on site, and also because they found they were more engaged in the learning process when they had to do the installation work themselves. Following installation, they felt they were more self-sufficient than if a technician had been on-site and they were less engaged in the process.

And equipment manufacturers are also able to make better use of their specialists when the customer has smart glasses on site. The operator can walk the specialist through the issue remotely, and the specialist can provide verbal, written or even video guidance on problem resolution via the smart glasses. If an on-site visit is required, a local technician, supported by a remote specialist, can be very effective. And as a side benefit, the knowledge level of the local technician is also boosted.

The good news about smart glasses? There are more of them available, and they are increasingly more affordable. In the remote maintenance scenario, even a $1,500 pair of smart glasses will quickly pay for itself in terms of reduced travel costs, increased machine uptime and less customer frustration.

Don’t have smart glasses? Not quite as sexy, but valuable nonetheless, is a cell phone Zoom call.

The Upshot

The demand for and the capabilities of remote technologies for predictive, preventive and even on-site maintenance has been accelerated by the pandemic. We don’t expect to see the use of these technologies decline, even post-pandemic. Rather, they will continue to gain critical mass and increased sophistication over 2022 and beyond. If you are not sure about your equipment supplier’s position on remote monitoring, smart glasses, predictive maintenance and the like, now is a good time to schedule a Zoom call with them to find out.