•We propose a methodology to create technical documentation in AR.•The methodology is based on the use of STE and 2D symbols.•We applied successfully this methodology to two real case studies.•We ...validated the layout of information with a subjective user study.•Visual organization of information is clearer than iFixit and PDF manuals.
Augmented Reality (AR), is one of the most promising technology for technical manuals in the context of Industry 4.0. However, the implementation of AR documentation in industry is still challenging because specific standards and guidelines are missing. In this work, we propose a novel methodology for the conversion of existing “traditional” documentation, and for the authoring of new manuals in AR in compliance to Industry 4.0 principles. The methodology is based on the optimization of text usage with the ASD Simplified Technical English, the conversion of text instructions into 2D graphic symbols, and the structuring of the content through the combination of Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) and Information Mapping (IM). We tested the proposed approach with a case study of a maintenance manual of hydraulic breakers. We validated it with a user test collecting subjective feedbacks of 22 users. The results of this experiment confirm that the manual obtained using our methodology is clearer than other templates.
In the light of Industry 4.0, the field of Industrial Maintenance faces a large digital transformation, adopting Extended Reality (XR) technologies to aid industrial operations. For the manufacturing ...corporations that provide maintenance services, the efficiency of industrial maintenance plays a crucial role in the competitiveness and is tightly related to the technical documentation supporting maintenance. However, the process of documentation creation faces several challenges due to lack of access to the physical equipment and difficulties in remote communication between globally distributed departments. To address these shortcomings, this research investigates the utilization of Virtual Reality (VR) to facilitate asynchronous collaboration of globally dispersed departments involved in the pipeline of maintenance method and documentation creation. The presented proof-of-concept (the COVE-VR platform) has been developed as an academia-industry collaboration and evaluated iteratively with subject matter experts. The proposed VR platform consists of two virtual environments and eight virtual tools, which allow interaction with virtual prototypes (3D CAD models) and means of digital content creation. Our findings show the high relevance of the developed solution for the needs of industrial departments and the ability to support asynchronous collaboration among them. This article delivers qualitative findings on the value of VR technology and presents guidelines on how to develop virtual tools for digital content creation within VR, adaptable to other industrial contexts. We suggest providing embedded guidance and design consistency to ensure smooth interactions with virtual tools and further discuss the importance of proper positioning, the transparency of operations and the information property of generated content.
•This study provides qualitative insight on how VR is used to aid maintenance method and technical documentation creation.•The presented proof-of-concept (COVE-VR) was developed in equal collaboration between academic and industrial researchers.•Results show that COVE-VR is highly relevant to the needs of and desired by industrial experts.•Our findings show the value of VR to enable multidepartment collaboration, which increases the quality of related services.•We provide guidelines to support the implementation of virtual tools for content creation, generalizable to other contexts.
It is considered relevant to assess the potential of modern normative and technical support for programs/ life cycle projects of complex technical systems, which is based on system, process and ...project approaches, as well as on risk-oriented thinking, which is an integral condition for achieving (maintaining) competitiveness not only of products produced by the organization, but also the competitiveness of the organization itself.
To develop the procedure for evaluation of expediency of normative and technical documentation use in the field of project management and system engineering as a basis for the development of enterprise standards for science-intensive products life cycle ensuring.
For the analysis of the existing array of information materials for this problem, such criteria were proposed and substantiated, which allowed to perform a criterion analysis, involving a comprehensive analysis of the information material content, identification of criteria significant for the organization, and subsequent expert evaluation of sources of scientific and technical information.
According to the results of the criterion analysis of the array of normative and technical documents that can be used by the domestic science-intensive sector of industry, the concepts of building of the programs/projects life cycle for the life cycle of complex technical systems were determined and recommended depending on the nature of the organizations' activities.
The approach proposed allows to choose the basic concepts of normative documents as possible analogues for their use based upon the peculiarities of the enterprise's activity and the specifics of the science-intensive product.
In this study, we summarize the drastic restrictions introduced in the last eight years within the European environmental legislation governing electro-medical devices, and highlight manufacturer's ...obligations to demonstrate compliance with these rules. On July 1, 2011, the recast of the Directive on the Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment (known as RoHS II) was published in the European Official Journal. This Directive, that within its scope, included medical devices (MDs) and in-vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs), aimed to limit the amount of six toxic materials released into the environment through discarded electrical and electronic equipment (EEE). MDs and IVDs had to be RoHS II compliant from July 22, 2014 and July 22, 2016 respectively. On June 4, 2015, the EU Commission published RoHS III, a new Directive that limited the content of four additional substances belonging to the phthalates group. According to RoHS III, phthalates will be subject to restriction for all EEE, starting from July 22, 2019, with the exception of MDs and monitoring and control equipment which will need another two years. RoHS II is a CE marking Directive; therefore, manufacturers must adhere to its requirements both in technical documentation and in subsequent EU declaration of conformity before affixing the “CE” mark on their finished products. RoHS III is also a CE marking Directive that medical device manufacturers will have to apply starting from July 22, 2021. Although this seems a long time, manufacturers need to start meeting the RoHS III requirements by now to avoid the risk of being out of business for that date.
•Electromedical-devices contain hazardous substances that partecipate in soil and groundwater pollution and cause health people risks.•The European Union has implemented a group of Directives aimed to eradicate certain hazardous substances from new EEE.•RoHS II added MDs and IVDs within its scope. RoHS II and RoHS III are CE marking Directives.•Manufacturers must provide technical documentation in order to demonstrate compliance with the RoHS requirements.•RoHS III will entry into force starting from July 22, 2021. Manufacturers must start meeting its requirements by now.
This paper analyzes the consistency between the domestic and main international systems of standards, scientific and technical documentation, and manuals on digital control and monitoring systems of ...nuclear power plants (NPPs), including documents of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), etc. Recommendations are formulated on the nomenclature and content of normative and methodological standardization documents developed in the Russian nuclear industry, as well as on their harmonization with international systems and documents.
This letter illustrates the use of a graphical argumentation notation, more specifically, the Goal Structuring Notation, to document and represent the different elements in the overall argumentation ...of why a piece of equipment is deemed to comply with the essential requirements of the EMC Directive. Such a graphical argumentation notation helps to overcome the significant bottlenecks of a pure-text-based approach by presenting the different elements of the argumentation in a clear and easy-to-understand visual format. This letter proposes several patterns to argue compliance with the EMC Directive corresponding to various argumentation strategies. Manufacturers can easily reuse and adapt the proposed patterns to the specifics of their equipment. Together, the different patterns provide a detailed overview of the steps to be followed in the progress towards the equipment's declaration of conformity. As a practical example, the proposed patterns are applied to the use case of a power drive system inside a air-compressor.
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