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2019/03/29 18:16:22

Interview of TAdviser Alexander Leus - about use of technologies of virtual and augmented reality in Sibur

The Russian industrial enterprises pay more and more attention to technologies of virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Alexander Leus, the owner of product AR/VR Industry 4.0 of this company told about experiments and projects of Sibur with these technologies in an interview of TAdviser in February, 2019.

Alexander
Leus
to Us still should estimate in more detail economic feasibility of VR technologies

What projects in the field of VR/AR are kept in Sibur? What of them the most significant – from the point of view of business customers, the invested funds expected results?

Alexander Leus: Both directions are studied. In the field of AR technologies we began with their application for quality improvement of work on maintenance and repairs at the plants. We implement tools for remote consultation of field specialists – the mechanics, mechanics performing works with connection of external experts – equipment suppliers or our internal experts from other plants.

Users are at the plant in AR points through which communication at the expense of the built-in video camera and the display on which different information – hints from removed specialists which they transmit from the computer through a single platform of communications is displayed is performed.

This direction develops, and further we consider the possibility of use of the AR equipment as the interface for "hints" with a binding to the equipment on different tags, implementation of functionality with formation of scenarios, including, for remote training of specialists in the course of carrying out repairs.

VR at us is used in the interactive training materials. The exercise machine for service of the compressor in Tomsk, for example, is already implemented in the pilot mode. In 2019 we will investigate the level of its influence on quality of training of personnel. Working off of actions in the virtual exercise machine allows the employee to reduce decision making time when it is afterwards on an object.

The second scenario of use of VR – working off of actions during the work with dangerous reagents and also when studying bases of industrial security and work in dangerous conditions – for example, on gas dangerous productions, is on the ball, etc. We defined for ourselves a set of the most reasonable scenarios of application of VR, and in 2019 we are going to start development of the simulator for work with dangerous reagents.

In 2019 we still should estimate in more detail economic feasibility of VR technologies and to understand what scenarios should be translated in an interactive format

Do you aim to increase examination on VR/AR in the company or involve third-party developers more?

Alexander Leus: We aim at the mixed model. Internal specialists are necessary: for example, for the translation of language of developers into business language, into petrochemistry language. Therefore we create at ourselves expert division. At the same time we do not plan creation of full-scale studio of development of computer graphics since it is not our core business.

How in Sibur decisions on implementation of VR projects are made - who studies concepts of projects, who is a stakeholder / the actual customer how decisions on financing scales are made (pilots / complete implementations)?

Alexander Leus: The initiative goes from two parties – from technology divisions, and from functional customers - the plants. From the second the task which needs to be solved often arrives, and technical divisions offer as it can be done. If its solution is crossed with VR technologies, further there is a study of the technical and economic questions including assessment of economic effect of implementation. Based on this calculation the decision on expediency of the investing in development and deployment is also made. All digital instruments in Sibur pass through such filter. All effects should be expressed in a numerical equivalent.

How the efficiency and payback of solutions is estimated? Whether you use some internal technique or you rely on the techniques and calculations offered by the companies implementers? Whether there are already payback results/estimates which you could publish?

Alexander Leus: I did not see techniques of efficiency evaluation and payback of solutions yet based on AR/VR technologies which would offer the companies implementers. Everything is under construction on the analysis of key indicators of business of our company. Products made by Sibur have the determined cost for a certain volume. We have absolutely transparent indicators of calculation concerning time of useful work of installations at our plants and, for example, idle times during their maintenance. On these indicators, including, efficiency evaluation of work of specific sites and the plants of holding is conducted. And if we can estimate the reduced time for carrying out service or changes of effective time of work of this or that installation, then we can easily transfer it to a cash equivalent.

In a case with hazardous production facilities there is a sheaf on risk control. Affecting readiness of personnel, we reduce these risks. An opportunity to control risks can also become a basis for making decision on implementation of these or those technologies.

Decision making has joint character, as well as on other investment projects, and representatives of functional customers and internal contractors participate in it.

So far I cannot give payback assessment. Such projects should accumulate experience and statistics in the course of preparation and personnel training in our industry. In a case with the AR projects of one of the most obvious benefits are an economy on business trips.

Whether you are going to expand application of solutions VR/AR in the next years? In what directions? On what calendar horizon?

Alexander Leus: In terms of use of interactive tools in training 2019 for us will be defining. Further so far it is difficult to look.

May you call the summary budget provided on implementation of VR/AR projects for the next 2-3 years? If is not present – perhaps, an order of digits or the budget of the separate project solving a specific objective?

Alexander Leus: We cannot open these indicators yet.

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