When we hear the term “wearable technology,” most think about luxurious leisure gadgets designed to make our lives more comfortable. However, wearable tech has found its way into many industries and can help improve various processes.
Digital solutions and hardware are usually associated with sectors like IT, data, marketing, and development, but they have much broader applications, including older industries like manufacturing. Data has become one of the most critical aspects of business decision-making and insights in this digital age.
However, data in manufacturing has a different role – it helps employees understand work order details, visualize essential conditions of the production line, manage tasks, and see how close they are to current goals.
Why is wearable tech helpful in manufacturing?
One of the main challenges in manufacturing is real-time data access. That’s why companies are turning toward mobile solutions and wearable technology. Employees need to have critical data at their disposal to make the right decisions.
Most companies today see these technologies as tools for improving safety during production while increasing performance. The latest wearable gadgets effortlessly bring data and information together, saving valuable time.
Of course, factories and other manufacturing businesses still use production technologies like CNC machines, packaging machinery, and robots. Still, wearables like smartwatches, headsets, and microchips enable companies to make the most of their technologies while ensuring safety.
Why now?
The growing extent of automation pushes companies to remove repetitive and mundane tasks. Everyone is doing it, and companies need to boost their efficiency on microtasks. At the same time, the growth of ecommerce has led to an increased demand for custom and unique products.
Automated machines take care of simple tasks, while manual labor is used on mixed-model operations with custom products. These trends require human labor in different areas of large production lines.
Wearable tech allows companies to boost productivity and efficiency on the human level. It helps manufacturers set consistent standards similar to automated mass production lines while guaranteeing safety.
Types of wearable tech in manufacturing
There are all kinds of industrial wearables manufacturers can use today. They can focus on employee safety, productivity, or efficiency. Some solutions even bring multiple benefits. Here are some of the latest manufacturing wearables.
AR glasses
AR glasses are a significant addition to many production lines. They allow employees instant access to information without using their hands or looking elsewhere. In other words, all the information is displayed in their field of vision.
Many gadgets can even capture videos or photos with live assistance. That means employees can assist without being physically near each other.
Smartwatches
Smartwatches are probably the most used wearables in all industries. These devices allow employees to connect with other workers and their work environment. The connection is integrated into each worker’s wrist in a small platform, making getting information and important alerts or messages easy.
Workers can also have a better connection with the machines, and if there’s something wrong with a device, they can get an automated notification on their smartwatch. These watches even have tiny screens that can display short messages.
Social distancing devices
The term “social distancing” reminds us of the COVID-19 pandemic, but distancing is also critical in a production line. Workers in factories need to move around freely, but they also need to be aware of their surroundings.
Complex and challenging workplace settings can overwhelm employees, causing them to get too near other individuals or machines. These wearables notify people about how close they are to others and machines. It’s mainly to be careful when approaching devices that could easily injure employees.
Proactive injury prevention devices
Various intelligent devices can recognize, display, and collect data, helping workers stay safe. For example, a wearable device can use sensors to scan and read the temperature of surfaces. That can help employees understand whether a particular surface is too hot or safe to touch.
On the other hand, some devices can recognize toxic fluids, fumes, and other conditional hazards. Wearables can also track critical physiological data and notify employees when they should take a break or send out notifications to management that someone isn’t in condition to work.
Amplifying & noise-canceling earpieces
Several companies have produced innovative earpieces that help workers hear better in noisy environments. Sometimes employees must have excellent on-site communication as their lives might depend on it.
These earpieces can do more than just cancel out the noise from the outside. They can also allow coworkers to hear each other clearly and stay on top of what’s happening.
Conclusion
These are only some of the new wearables available to the manufacturing industry. The 4.0 industry era has opened up so many opportunities, and since wearables haven’t shined in the residential sector, they are genuinely starting to make swings in the production world.