Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry by boosting productivity, streamlining workflows, and cutting down on operational expenses. A recent ABI Research report predicts that AR smart glasses shipments in the manufacturing sector will soar to 27 million units by 2025.
Manufacturing requires precision and attention to detail, and even the smallest mistake can cost the company dearly. AR-powered smart mirrors can help employees perform tasks more efficiently and accurately, reducing the risk of errors and improving quality control. In this article, we’ll learn about augmented reality manufacturing, ways to use AR in manufacturing, provide examples of successful applications, and explore the benefits of this technology. Let’s get started!
What is AR Manufacturing?
AR in making things has become a new way to use cool technology with making things. It lets workers see and use digital stuff as if it’s real, making a fun and active time. Plus, AR is used to make making things faster, right, and safe to make it work better and be safer. It lets makers find things that might go wrong, make their work way simpler, and make repairs work better too. This way to use tech is all set to change making things to be easier, cheaper, and really different in the end.
Augmented Reality in Manufacturing: The Current Market Share
New tech and more AR use in making stuff is boosting the market. By 2026, about 28 million AR and MR glasses will be sold, making over $175 billion. Big companies such as Google, Apple, and Samsung are going all in with AR, boosting the growth. The COVID-19 pandemic made AR even more in demand. Now, being able to give help from far away, train folks, and solve issues fast is a must. Many firms are getting into AR, giving workers good help and guides. This also applies in making things.
Top 10 Use Cases of Augmented Reality in Manufacturing
Augmented Reality (AR) has numerous use cases in the manufacturing industry. Below are the top 9 augmented reality industrial applications:
1.Field Service Technician Support
The people who work outside often meet hard problems where they need to help more without getting ready or knowing a lot. This can make the costs go up and maybe make the company look bad if they don’t fix it fast.
Use AR tech for remote help, a big change in field work. This tech lets workers get help fast from experts, making it much better to solve problems right the first time. With live video and fast sharing of info, companies can do work better without needing more people there. This not only helps with work but also makes customers happier, making the company look good.
2. Warehouses and Logistics
Managing big stores and moving things is hard. Especially for big companies with lots of things to sell. But workers must find the right thing to give people, which takes half their time and makes them work slow. So how can AR help?
Store and moving experts can use a head device with AR to find things fast, handle stock better, and get live directions on where to take things. 
3. Field Service Collaboration
Today, businesses want to find ways to work together and connect with their groups through good communication. But if team communication is bad, it causes employee frustration, slow work, and unexpected breaks.
By using live AR help, you can improve the way you talk with your on-site and off-site teams. This not only helps with working together from far away, but also makes your relationships with your coworkers stronger. It helps them work well, finish tasks with guidance from experts, and get info on time.
4. Product Line Development
Making and sending out good things is very important in making a line of things. A big group can’t take the chance of any wrong part as it might harm the rest of the line and cause broken or low-quality things or times when things are not working.
Using AR’s far-off help for looking helps your workers to give out details and make good choices to pass over problems. The group at the place can get help from any part of the world. They can also look at sets of things in a row and do checks and look at things from a far-off place and also do things to keep good working of the things in real-time to make good the making.
5. Industrial Training of the Workforce
It’s hard for new workers to learn their job well because there aren’t enough experienced people to teach them. Many businesses struggle to provide good training because the skilled workers are retiring.
But with AR, you can bring in mentors and trainers from anywhere to teach your workers about the newest industry ideas. They can use 3D AR drawings of machines, digital guides, and step-by-step instructions to train your workers. This will help to improve and update your workforce’s skills.
6. Equipment Inspection and Reviews
Keeping machines and tools working well is essential for businesses. Regular checks can help them run smoothly and keep workers safe. It can also catch problems before they become big.
Your workers can use expert guidance and clear instructions in live videos to check their work thoroughly. This helps with safety, planning maintenance, and cutting repair expenses. Machinery operators, inspectors and safety staff benefit from these checks.
7. Quality Audits
Keeping workplaces safe and up to standard in manufacturing is crucial. However, doing regular safety checks with on-site experts is hard work. Companies must also follow rules and get permission for these checks.
Businesses need to do regular checks to ensure safety and meet standards. Augmented reality (AR) can help merge auditor and safety specialist video with the workforce, giving control over checks from anywhere. This way, auditors can quickly spot non-compliant or risky areas.
8. Equipment Installation
Setting up machines and tools is hard. Companies rely on engineers, which is expensive and slow.
By using AR, engineers can help customers and other sites with the setup. They give clear steps for installing specific equipment. With real-time help, workers can finish the job on time and do it right.
9. Real-time Troubleshooting 
In making things, machines breaking and not working can cause expensive stoppage and less work, and more fixing cost. Fixing these issues quick is key to lessen work stoppage and make work more efficient.
Makers can use AR to fix issues fast and make more stuff every day. It will also help them run smooth work with less stoppage. The businesses get help to spend less on fixing by giving on-time help to workers and fixers, making their skill to find and fix issues quick better.
