industry hololens
Digital Twin VR/AR

WILLBÖ: Innovation in Industry 4.0 with Mixed Reality

WILLBÖ is an engineering and consulting company founded in 2017, with headquarters in Vigo and an office in Bombay, dedicated to providing state-of-the-art engineering services for industrial and naval installations.

They make intensive use of workflows integrating information from many involved in the engineering process and cross-platform applications for the design and analysis of structural elements, mechanics, piping systems, electricity and industrial instrumentation, and providing information to all other activities involved in the construction of the asset.

 

“Being able to visualize the metadata of the model with its properties in Hololens has been a key point, as well as being able to export high-polygynization models. We highly appreciate that everything has been integrated into our work pipeline, because the adaptation curve has been smaller. Azure Files also makes it easier to share projects between our employees and end customers”. – Julián Fontela, Business Development at WILLBÖ
CLIENT
WILLBÖ
SECTOR
Manufacturing
Services
VR/AR
Technology
Azure, Hololens 2, Evergine
Their business proposal is based on offering their customers constructible designs in the most efficient way possible. To do so, they invest in process innovation to evolve into the future that customers require, integrating CAD models and data into smart models. Because Plain Concepts is the first partner in Spain to be awarded Mixed Reality Partner by Microsoft, we were chosen to develop ``Willbö Holographic Model Tool``, an engineering visualization application designed for HoloLens mixed reality glasses.
Operario Wilbo Hololens
Willbo hololens
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Challenges

One of the challenges addressed in this project has been to ensure that the tool maintains geometries and metadata in the format that WILLBÖ used to export to HoloLens2 because the variability of structures used in shipbuilding does not facilitate the standardization of a solution.

In addition, the format that is loaded on the HoloLens2 should be optimized in graphic terms to have the best possible immersive experience on-board or in a design review in the office itself. Visualizing its implementation should be agile and comfortable so that quality control anticipates any problems on-site and everything from a 3D model.

Willbo fabrica hololens
Willbo hololens holografico
02

Results

To obtain the export of the 3D designs together with their metadata and their subsequent representation in HoloLens 2, we made a plug-in was that exports them in an optimized way. In addition, exported 3D projects are automatically stored on the Azure Files platform, where they are conveniently and securely managed for access and viewing, sharing with the viewer.

From here comes ``Willbö Holographic Model Tool``, an app that allows access to different functionalities, such as the visualization of models in design mode and in a real environment, the definition of inspection points, validation of measurements, and on-site elements... On the other hand, it allows capturing the real environment in cloud format of points using a 3D scanner type LIDAR to visualize it later.

We have also taken advantage of the voice command capabilities of HoloLens to be able to activate most of the functionalities of spoken form, achieving a faster and fluid interaction. You can even add localized voice notes relative to the model and store them next to it.

03

Highlights

This tool has applications in various stages of the construction process, both in new facilities and in renovation projects. Provides specific solutions from the engineering stage to manufacturing and assembly and on-board integration.

In the engineering phase, it dramatically facilitates better usability of the installation while increasing the possible solutions to a problem. Any impact on the design that can be identified in the first phase reduces the economic cost of its on-site solution by 90% and reduces its implications in time. On the other hand, in the prefabrication of components, variations on the design can be identified, reducing the costs of non-quality by 50%. This solves problems in advance and at a lower price. It considers what is manufactured, what is purchased and assesses the impact of the incidence, changing the available information and facilitating the most accurate decision-making.

The quality control of the plans has been improved in a 100% real environment thanks to the integration of technologies such as the graphic engine Evergine, the add-ons of MRTK, and Euforia for the design of interfaces and Azure Files to consume the models generated from export. This solution achieves greater competitiveness, both in terms of costs and dates of implementation, minimizing risks, and improving productivity.

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