The Virtual Reality technology of AkzoNobel allows to eliminate waste, reduce costs and prevent VOCs release.
AkzoNobel
Aerospace Coatings has recently announced a partnership with American Airlines that provides a new way of training apprentice painters and upskilling the existing teams using a Virtual Reality (VR) technology. The platform mimics the production environment and the multiple coating systems, allowing to train teams virtually: a headset immerses the trainee in a virtual paint booth, completed with the aircraft part to be coated.
The system can be programmed with various paint specifications, such as the thickness of the coating required. Furthermore, as the operator uses the spray gun, they can see whether too much or too little paint is used and look for inconsistencies in the way the coating is being applied.
Meanwhile, the core skills of the operator – from setting up the spraying session to the distance, angle and speed at which the gun is used – are measured and provide immediate feedback, so that trainees can react quickly and change their technique to become more consistent. The VR shows where runs and sags occur or where the wet film thickness is not sufficient or the coverage inadequate to deliver a smooth finish. It also helps them avoid common problems such as paint overlap.
“The AkzoNobel VR solution is an efficient and safe way of training the team. In a spray booth, we would have to spray the primer, then let it dry, then measure the results to see how they did – all of which takes time. If we were training 13 painters, we would also have to have 13 nose landing gear cylinders available to paint,” has declared Terry Lesperance from American Airlines. “With VR, we do not have any of these challenges. I can train more painters, more quickly, and allow them to make mistakes without it costing me anything. It is a very high quality of training and I’m looking forward to getting more of my team.”
“The integration of VR into American Airlines’ training regimen is an example of how we are supporting clients with meaningful and practical help. Typically, when a customer asks for training, we have to provide significant quantities of paint, much of which is wasted,” has explained Matthew Amick, the Global Technical Services Manager of AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings. “By effectively moving the spray booth into the classroom, we eliminate waste, reduce costs and unnecessary shipping, and prevent Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from being released. There are also no costs associated with cleaning the spray guns, or the additional VOCs releases from the solvents required, or providing the panels needed for wet paint training. It is a win-win situation for all involved.”