Factory maintenance application using augmented reality

Tissue converting lines represent one of the key plant in the paper production field: with them, paper tissue is converted into its final form for domestic and sanitary usage. One of the key points of the tissue converting lines is the productivity and the possibility to follow conversion process at relativity low cost. Despite the actual lines have yet an high productivity, the study of the state of the art has shown that choke points still exist, caused by inadequate automation. In this paper, we present the preliminary results of a project which aims at removing such obstacle towards complete automation, by introducing a set of innovations based on ICT solutions applied to advanced automation. In detail, advanced computer vision and video analytics methods will be applied to pervasively monitor converting lines and to automatically extract process information in order to self-regulate specific machine and global parameters. Big data analysis methodologies will be also integrated to obtain new knowledge and infer optimal management models which could be used for the predictive maintenance. Augmented reality interfaces are being designed and developed to support converting line monitoring and maintenance, both ordinary and extraordinary. An Artificial Intelligence module provides suggestions and instructions to the operators in order to guarantee production level even in case of unskilled staff. The automation of such processes will improve factory safety, decrease manual interventions and, thus, will increase production line up-time and efficiency.