Whoever called us resistant to change? No way! In the Bern district of Wankdorf, in the heart of the capital, a biotech company is making its mark on the way to becoming a “smart factory”: The Bern Augmented Reality agency afca., based in Zollikofen, has developed an app which can be used in fractioning for CSL Behring AG, the world-leading manufacturer of biotherapeutics made of human plasma. Fractioning involves separating the plasma into individual protein fractions by means of a number of complex process steps. This production step takes place in a strictly controlled clean room at the company. The employees are intensively trained while performing a large number of operations in parallel. They need to keep an overview at all times and introduce the correct steps in the correct order even under considerable time pressure. The app supports them with keeping an overview and enables them to react rapidly on site without needing to visit the control room first.
Digital twin enables information to be conveyed as fast as possible
“PlasmiX” - a word created from “plasma” and “mixed reality” - makes the invisible visible: The app has the potential to show real-time data wherever it appears, virtually and on the real object by using the latest Mixed Reality technology. The systems of CSL Behring AG generate a huge volume of data every day, all of which is crucially important for the production of their life-saving medicine. In order to visualise it, all the data which is collected is called up and allocated to a smart AR cloud system, known as a “digital twin”. Mixed Reality glasses (MR glasses) are then used to map all the information which is required directly onto a corresponding real object. The MR glasses are a completely new kind of human-machine interface which enables a natural interaction in the room.
The information necessary is conveyed to the employees as fast as possible and the complex production processes are presented clearly. This accelerates workflow and reduces errors. By using a head-mounted display (MR glasses), the employees have their hands free and are able to move safely and efficiently around the plant.
Breakthrough of immersive technologies in the evolution of industry 4.0
The app “PlasmiX” helped afca. to make it onto Microsoft’s Mixed Reality partner programme. Extending services to include Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence promises a breakthrough of immersive technologies in the evolution of industry 4.0. Immersive technology reduces perception of the real world so that the viewer increasingly identifies more strongly with the fictional world. A further development of “PlasmiX” for CSL Behring AG is currently being examined.
