Akzonobel’s aerospace coatings business announced the launch of a new innovation in training by investing in virtual reality (VR) technology that mimics a customer’s production environment. It does this by using VR to train painters to improve training to paint aircraft in a way that eliminates waste, reduces costs and eliminates unnecessary shipping.
Specifically, the VR headset immerses the trainee in a virtual paint booth, complete with everything from aircraft parts to the production floor itself. “The system can be programmed with various paint specifications, such as the thickness of coating required. So as the operator uses the spray gun, he can see if too much or too little paint is being used and look for inconsistencies in the way the coating is applied.” the company said.
The system, developed with technology specialists Virtual Paint Products, was successfully tested at the U.S. training center in Troy, Michigan, while several portable units were designed for use at the customer’s facility. It means that training can now be delivered in a significantly more sustainable and efficient way than was previously possible.
“Typically, when a customer requests training, we have to provide significant amounts of paint, much of which is wasted,” said Matthew Amick, manager of our Aerospace Coatings business. said Matthew Amick, Global Technical Services manager for our Aerospace Coatings business. “By effectively moving the spray booth into the classroom, we completely eliminate waste, reduce costs and unnecessary shipping, while preventing the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs),” he added.
Throughout the training, basic operator skills are measured, from spray session setup to distance, angle and speed at which the gun is used. Feedback is immediate, so students can react quickly and change their technique to be more consistent.
“Training is not only useful for onboarding new apprentices, but is also excellent for teaching advanced skills to more experienced operators.” adds Jeremiah Treloar, CEO of Virtual Paint Products. “They can practice spraying more challenging parts with rivets, awkward corners and curves, and on a moving production line. It also helps experienced painters teach techniques to new painters on difficult parts or assemblies.” he said.
The additional training tools and videos incorporated into the system also improved the quality of training and, ultimately, the quality of the workforce. Trainees using the system are fully certified to aviation industry standards.
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