Croc developed a training system based on VR for Perm UralChem

On October 29, 2020 the Croc company announced that the PMU branch of URALCHEM holding implemented the exercise machine of virtual reality for training of electricians. The solution will allow specialists of the enterprise to fulfill skills of operational switchings on the electrotechnical equipment in the safe environment and also will reduce time of training of the qualified electricians and will simplify training of experienced employees for certification. As the developer of the new training system the command of CROC Immersive technologies — business division of CROC IT company acted.

The exercise machine was located in an educational class of the Perm branch "URALCHEM" and consists of the hardware block based on the system of virtual reality HTC Vive Pro and, CROC developed by experts, the software. Two scenarios were a part of the virtual exercise machine. The first – an output in repair of the complete distributor (CD) of 6 kV of the first section of buses of distribution substation No. 15 (RP15). The second – input of this equipment in work.

Operation of such electric units as KRU, demands from personnel of high qualification and exact actions. Errors in work with the similar equipment can have adverse effects for all enterprise – from forced equipment downtimes and, respectively, finance costs before accidents among field employees. Before getting admission to carrying out operational switchings in electric units, the electrician studies a large amount of theoretical material, and can practice in real life only once a year during scheduled stopping repairs. By means of the VR exercise machine it is possible to fulfill and bring to automatism skills every day that directly influences the speed and quality of training and also promotes decrease in an indicator of LTIFR (coefficient of frequency of injuries with time disability).

Long can also occupy process of training of the duty electrician to three years. Working off of skills on the working equipment being energized 6 kV is extremely life-threatening also health of the electrician and bears risks for production process. In reality it can be done only during scheduled stopping repairs which happen once a year. By this moment the duty electrician should know already ideally all forms of switchings and perform works unmistakably. The virtual exercise machine should help with learning process, – Ilya Karandashov, the chief of electroworkshop of PMU branch of JSC UCC URALCHEM noted

Scenarios of the exercise machine include 14 chapters, each of which contains a certain volume of organizational and operational actions, for example "preparation for an output in repair and input in a parallel". The general time of passing of all heads of scenarios borrows from four to six hours continuous work in a testing format on the virtual exercise machine.

Also report generation about the undergone training and testing is provided in the exercise machine. Results automatically go to mail to the head in a table Excel format together with videos of the training sessions that there was an opportunity to carry out analysis according to the results of the undergone training or certification. The report includes assessment by a number of parameters – from the choice of SIZ to the sequence of actions within the operational actions. Control of the exercise machine is exercised from the administrator's panel where it is possible to select scenarios and certain heads, to appoint training in the specific electrician, to issue access rights and to unload statistics for any period.

faced us a task to develop not the just beautiful picture in a format of virtual reality, and the full training solution directed to working off of practical skills of operation of complete distributors of 6 kV. When implementing projects of such level it is very important to pay due attention to a design stage and analysts to create the draft decision for hundred percent meeting requirements of the customer. The contractor should understand very well data domain of the customer, know requirements for labor protection and industrial security, understand the principle of operation of electric equipment, and it is better – to have own examination in power industry. It very much helped us,

In 2021 development of a system and scaling of the exercise machine by scenarios is planned.