PECM Issue 49 2021 | Page 24

PTC technology accelerates Watson-Marlow ’ s digital transformation plans

EDITOR ’ S CHOICE LATEST NEWS FROM PTC

WATSON-MARLOW
PTC technology accelerates Watson-Marlow ’ s digital transformation plans
One of the world ’ s leading manufacturers of peristaltic pumps and associated fluid path technologies is accelerating its digital transformation by signing a major new deal with PTC ®.
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group ( WMFTG ), which has multiple sites in the UK and more than 1700 employees globally , has invested in Augmented Reality ( AR ) technology to combat the restraints of the pandemic and bring its business forward .
The company selected the Vuforia ® Expert Capture , Vuforia Studio and Vuforia Chalk solutions to achieve several goals set to ensure operations continue seamlessly .
This technology will primarily be used to support the transfer of production and assembly skills to help drive the opening of new manufacturing facilities within the group , as well as provide remote technical support and enable a virtual approach to sales and marketing .
The firm finds itself juggling a softening of its industrial activity with increased demand from the healthcare industry , including exciting contracts to supply specialist pumps for use in feeding the fermentation tanks used to produce potential COVID-19 vaccines . At the same time , management must develop a whole new way of marketing and selling its products .
Martin Johnston , Strategic Business Development Director at Watson-Marlow , explained :
“ We have been working with PTC for more than five years now , globally through its product lifecycle management tool Windchill and , in the UK , through Creo , a suite of computer aided design apps .
“ The pandemic has changed the way every manufacturing business operates and , in my opinion , has accelerated our need for digital transformation by two to three years . AR is something we had discussed , but it wasn ’ t until the pandemic struck that we decided to press the button quicker and engage with PTC to explore how to do it .”
He continued : “ Skills transfer was our immediate priority and we needed to find a solution that would allow us to take the expertise of our engineers and replicate it at new manufacturing locations without having staff on site .
“ Vuforia Expert Capture will enable us to record the processes of an established production line , edit it in the cloud , and then , via wearable tech such as Microsoft HoloLens glasses , impart all of this knowledge through a step-by-step guide for new engineers .
“ The benefits will be huge if we can get this right . Speed of set-up will be dramatically improved , we will see significant cost reductions as staff aren ’ t travelling and we will gain the ability to train employees to perform out-of-core roles for a period of time - all whilst eliminating the risk of spreading the virus among our employees .”
In addition to replicating production lines , Watson-Marlow is also keen to retain the skills of its older staff for the next generation of graduates and apprentices coming through the ranks .
It is expected that PTC ’ s technology could also be used to produce permanent training manuals that come to life via wearable tech .
Vuforia Chalk will be in place to aid in remote service and maintenance . Using this simple app with a handheld device ensures repairs and service can continue without endangering the health of experts by bringing them onsite .
David Grammer , General Manager for UKI at PTC , added his thoughts : “ Industry has had to quickly find new ways to deliver services and AR can be a real game changer when applied in the correct way .
“ Watson-Marlow approached us with a clear idea of what they wanted to accomplish , and our experts developed an integration plan that will see Vuforia Expert Capture , Vuforia Studio and Vuforia Chalk play an important role in its UK and overseas businesses .
“ I have every confidence the firm ’ s digital transformation plan will deliver a host of operational , cost and safety benefits .”
Martin concluded : “ Sales and marketing will be the final focus . In normal times , we would be attending over 100 exhibitions all over the world every year , but this has now been reduced to just a handful , which means we need to find a new way of talking to potential customers .
“ This could be through webinars , virtual shows , or even demonstrating our product capability by playing it out in real time through AR . Vuforia Studio will support us with endless opportunities .”
PTC , which has bases in the UK and Ireland , provides a host of technology solutions to help industrial companies create value for themselves and the rest of the world .
This is achieved through a combination of Augmented Reality , Industrial IoT , Product Lifecycle Management and CAD solutions .
For further information , please visit www . ptc . com or follow @ ptc on twitter . More details on Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group can be found at www . wmftg . com
PTC , Vuforia , and the PTC logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Parametric Technology Corporation and / or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries
For further information , please visit www . wmftg . com
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