Page 32 - Food&Drink Magazine October 2018

PLANT DESIGN & FITOUT
✷ INSIDE STORY VIRTUAL
ADVANTAGE
Five key advantages of AR and VR in plant design and construction are outlined by Wiley’s Brett Wiskar.
RECONFIGURING SPACES
AR and VR allows clients to experience a project before it is built. While the technology exists to do this on every project, it’s most useful when resolving a specific design issue – such as: ‘should the stairwell go there?’, ‘is this the ideal place for a piece of equipment?’ All of these can be experienced and critiqued, not just in terms of the use of floor space, for instance, but as a functional environment. This means designers can spend time upfront to make sure a project offers the best return on investment.
DYNAMIC DESIGN
This technology can also be used to collaboratively design parts of the facility by modelling to clients some of the different options, such as door placement, size of the room and walk spaces, to see which options best suit their operational requirements.
MODELLING NEW OPTIONS
AR and VR also allow designers to build a few different versions of the 3D model, and by doing so, open manufacturers’ eyes to other possibilities and how to create something a little different to what they’ve done in the past.
EXPERIENCE IN FULL SCALE
This technology can also be a useful tool to help companies to better manage their non-technical stakeholders, such as the board of directors, who are responsible for signing off on a project. By allowing them to experience the planned project at sign-off reduces the risk of surprises at the project’s completion.
MAKING THE
INVISIBLE VISIBLE
In the past, we have part-constructed a facility and then used an AR solution to turn on and off layers to show what’s behind the wall or under the floor. This lets clients see through physical structures to experience the hidden infrastructure, such as the pipes and the drainage, the things you don’t usually see.
Reality check
Wiley’s Brett Wiskar explores the benefits of using AR and VR in the early stages of food facility design.
WHEN considering the design of a greenfield or brownfield facility, did you ever stop and think; ‘I wish I could stand in this design and see how it feels. I wish I could have a clearer idea of process flow, equipment size and what might need to be changed’?
That technology is here, ready and available now.
Design and engineering company, Wiley has long been using and exploring the realms
of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and the best ways to use these tools in everyday business. In fact, we were one of the first companies in Australia to bring over a pair of Microsoft HoloLens from the USA to have a hands-on perspective of what the future might look like.
Historically, design has been navigated with 2D plans, a tool many people still struggle to understand and visualise.
The industry has progressed to 3D modelling but even this still doesn’t allow for effective collaboration around nuance of the design. The creative side of the human brain is extremely sensitive to visual stimulation and that’s why AR and VR create such a giant impact.
We have found that when we collaborate with a client using AR or VR to immerse them into the future of their facility their
decision-making process becomes easier. This technology enables our clients to quite literally walk around inside a factory that hasn’t been built yet.
They can foresee design issues, safety hazards and opportunities to improve the design. Moreover, we immerse operational professionals in to the facilities at the design stage which allows engineering of a more human-centred and productive solution long before a sod has even been turned.
When interacting with clients who are deep in the design process, being able to see their facility in real time provides the most realistic experience achievable. It enables all stakeholders to be fully engaged, provide feedback and the opportunity to discuss the plans before proceeding.
This allows key personnel to ‘optioneer’ what design changes could be made and have a preview in an augmented or virtual environment that can be immediately perceived, shared and collaborated on.
Essentially, AR and VR bring together visually complex data for the user to see in real life. At Wiley we have researched many devices and their uses; in the AR hardware space we’ve looked at Microsoft’s Hololens alongside
of products from DAQRI and Vuzix. In the VR space we’ve leveraged the Vive from HTC the Oculus Rift.
In one example we modelled a portion of a facility that included the water and electrical services. Then using a Hololens we stood our client in the partially constructed building and, using the 3D CAD model of the facility, allowed them to see the completed structure around them. This was incredibly powerful and was instrumental in decision making and client engagement. If required we could have modelled multiple design options and had the client explore them at full scale.
Integrating AR and VR in the design process is about creating and increasing the value of a facility. It’s about exploring how we arrive at a higher quality design earlier, making the facility more efficient and ultimately increasing the impact of the value created on their bottom line. ✷
✷ ABOUTTHEAUTHOR
Brett Wiskar is R&D and innovation director at Wiley, which design builds and maintains food
manufacturing
processes and facilities. Contact him on connect@wiley.com.au.
32 | Food&Drink business | October 2018 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au