Augmented reality in pneumatic conveying system: Fuller pump dry material line charger

The overall purpose of this project is to test the impact and potential benefits of Virtual and Augmented Reality technologies (AR&VR) to improve maintenance operation in industrial equipment. The main function for a Flapper valve of a Fuller-Kinyon type M pump is to prevent that the air generated to convey the bulk material through a conveying pipe flows inside of the material chute through the rotating screw. If this will occur, the material flow will decrease or even stop, causing a reduction of the pump capacity. Thus, it is necessary to maintain calibrated each flapper valve in the plant. This process of maintenance is done ten times per month, or when necessary, and it needs the pump to be shut down, taking up to two hours to finish the complete process. For this reason, an augmented reality application is being developed, aiming to reduce the consumed time by the maintenance process. Using this application, it is expected to dedicate less time training the new personnel responsible for the maintaining process, displaying tridimensional models, animations, images and text information that would simplify the instructions shown in a printed manual and adding an interactive environment between the users and the information displayed. A mobile device either a tablet or a smartphone is to be used as the hardware that will run the application, allowing the user to take it right to the working area, either in a workshop or directly in field. The information displayed includes CAD models of the pump and its components as well as animations illustrating the instructions to follow in each step of the process. Also, the right tool to use in each step will be indicated following by security warnings when needed. This project was developed from knowledge and experiences gathered among the different previous AR projects developed at ITESM. This information has been studied and "best practices" has been noted, learned and established to develop and implement AR.