Augmented Reality for Manufacturing
Orizon, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is a leading aerostructures manufacturer serving the commercial, military/defense, and general aviation markets. With 850,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space and a $250 million investment in advanced facilities, Orizon specializes in complex subassemblies for the aerospace industry, consistently upholding high standards of precision and quality.
As Orizon scaled its operations, they faced several challenges, including slow and labor-intensive onboarding processes, increased potential for errors, and gaps in supporting employee confidence during mechanic development. To address these issues, Orizon leveraged AR technology to enhance training, streamline production, and improve quality control across their operations.
To address Orizon’s onboarding, quality, and efficiency challenges, I implemented PTC’s Vuforia Studio, enabling Orizon to streamline complex manufacturing processes with targeted support and training for new employees. These AR-guided work instructions reduced onboarding time by offering step-by-step guidance that accelerated proficiency, reduced errors by delivering prices, repeatable instructions and eliminating guess work, decreased inspection time, and improved employee confidence.
The implementation of AR work instructions brought measurable improvements:
60% faster onboarding for new employees
40% reduction in errors across complex tasks
Lower Cost of Quality due to fewer mistakes and rework needs
1.75M total value created for front and rear spars
Higher employee retention and confidence, as AR tools empower employees with clear, step-by-step guidance
“Jack’s expertise and recommendation of Vuforia AR solution has transformed our operations. Our onboarding is faster, our processes are more precise, and our employees feel empowered and confident on the floor. It’s enabled us to scale efficiently and deliver consistently high-quality products.”
Rick Newell, Innovation Manager, Orizon