Products

VR MODELS OFFER AN IMMERSIVE VIEW OF PRECAST PLANTS

19 June 2019

Elematic, will shortly unveil a VR
model of a hollow-core factory, allowing customers to visualise what it’s like
to be in the centre of it all announced Petteri Laitinen, Vice President of
Projects and Services.

Laitinen said “Imagine being able to
step into a virtual model to see how the factory is built, moving around the
space by just moving your computer mouse or your fingers on a mobile device and
really being able to see how it’s going to look. This is what we will offer:
how with modern technology it is possible to visualise how the plans will
function in reality”.

Virtual models put people in the
middle of the factory and give them a concrete idea about how the machines,
space and the different functions and operations all come together. It is not
always easy to understand from a 2D-line drawing what is required of the
building where the production line will be built or how much space is actually
needed for everything to really fit in and how it really will feel when working
in that environment; but from a 3D model, it is easier to grasp this. VR takes
the guesswork out; and by doing that, it also allows customers to avoid costly
mistakes.

Using a virtual model of the
proposed layout makes it easier to see why a building with a 7-m-high ceiling
is needed. Or if you decide to expand existing production lines, will the new
machines fit in the space available?

“Of course, 3D models have been
around for a while, but they have usually been used in design software that
require very powerful computers to run them smoothly. Now we can use similar
technology to what the gaming industry is using, making the model itself
smaller so that smartphones and tablets can run them.

“One of the reasons Elematic has
turned to this technology is its ease of use. The next step is to use VR as
part of our offerings. Then, in the future, our plant layout designers can use
VR modelling to make sure that there is a place for every machine and that
every machine is in its correct place. Also, when an installation supervisor
comes to your site, the VR model can be used to explain to the factory crew how
the installation will progress.

“Elematic has been on the frontline
of digitalisation of the construction industry and believe that VR models are
the next step we need to take.”

Elematic, based in Finland, is
regarded as a world leader in the supply of precast concrete production
technologies.

More information from Nina Lehtonen,
email:
nina.lehtonen@elematic.com

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