Romaco services: Smart glasses for better visibility

Remote Assist is an innovative service concept which enables Romaco to support machines in real time. Smart glasses technology permits virtual communication between machine operators and service technicians.

Smart glasses allow the manufacturer’s machines to be monitored from a distance. These glasses connect the responsible Romaco technician to the machine operator at the user via a Wi-Fi interface. Customers requiring urgent assistance to operate their equipment can now opt for virtual support from Romaco. A camera integrated in the glasses transfers its perspective of the machine directly to the Romaco hotline employee’s monitor. The Romaco support team can form their own picture of the situation in the field by live stream and take action accordingly. Machine operators anywhere in the world can be issued with targeted instructions, for example during the ramp-up phase, format changes or repairs. Thanks to the resolution of 800x600 pixels or more, Romaco can also show the operator important information on the system’s transparent screen. Each pair of smart glasses is moreover provided with a microphone and headphones for audio communication.

The use of smart glasses in customer service saves time and money because minor faults or error messages can be dealt with quickly and easily. This in turn means less downtime and significantly better OEE (overall equipment effectiveness). “Smart glasses are an instrument for the factories of the future; their advent is definitely a milestone for service activities of all kinds,” explains Gero von Stackelberg, Director Customer Service at Romaco Pharmatechnik. “The ability to communicate virtually simplifies our hotline team’s daily work, while our customers profit from efficient and affordable services.” These glasses are an important element of Romaco’s Remote Assist service concept.

Romaco’s Remote Assist service concept

Romaco Service offers Remote Assist as a next-generation concept for remote online support. The system bridges the physical distance to the customer by exchanging data directly with machines in the field. Romaco HMI terminals are configured with a “Call 4 Service” button for this purpose. A push of this button is all it takes to initiate a service assignment via the Romaco ticket system. All relevant data, including the error message, is then forwarded via a secure connection to Romaco’s central support platform. This concept enables rapid troubleshooting, for instance because valuable diagnostic time is economised. In the second step, the Romaco experts set to work to find a solution without delay. The number one priority is to restrict machine downtime to a bare minimum. Using a status app, owners of Romaco-built equipment can check the status of their machines at any time via the manufacturer’s customer portal. The Remote Assist concept introduced by Romaco gives an entirely new meaning to the term “close to the customer”.