AkzoNobel Supports Sustainability Through Virtual Reality Painting

AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings will be focusing on the role of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in helping MROs to become significantly more efficient and sustainable in the future painting/repainting of aircraft for which they are responsible.

Local teams from AkzoNobel’s Waukegan facility will be inviting visitors to experience in a virtual world the challenges they face in a real-world environment.
 

Photo courtesy of AkzoNobel

The VR technology – delivered as part of AkzoNobel’s Aerofleet Training + portfolio – includes a headset that immerses the painter in a virtual paint booth, complete with the aircraft part to be coated. The system can be programmed with various paint specifications, such as the thickness of the coating required, and as the operator uses the spray gun, they can see whether too much or too little paint is used and look for inconsistencies in the way the coating is being applied.

Their skills can be measured, including the distance, angle, and speed at which the gun is used. It shows where runs and sags occur, or where the wet film thickness is not sufficient, or the coverage inadequate to deliver a smooth finish.

The technology is not only relevant to trainees; it is also an essential way of further upskilling or refreshing existing painters. A painter may have been using a polyurethane topcoat, for example, and need to switch to a paint with a different specification that may require a higher or lower amount of paint to be applied, and all of this can be programmed into the system to replicate the experience in the spray booth.

Matthew Amick, Global Technical Services Manager at AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings says the integration of VR into an MRO’s training regimen is an example of how it is supporting its customers with meaningful help: “Typically, when a customer asks for training, we must provide significant quantities of paint, much of which is wasted.

“By effectively moving the spray booth into the classroom, we completely eliminate waste, reduce costs and unnecessary shipping, and prevent VOCs from being released. There are also no costs or time associated with cleaning the spray guns, or the additional VOCs releases from the solvents required, or in providing the panels needed for wet paint training. With VR, customers can train more painters, more quickly, and allow them to make mistakes without incurring high costs for scrap and rework.”

Continuing its sustainability theme, AkzoNobel will also be promoting its Aerofleet Coatings Management innovation, a new digital, data-driven service that helps airlines and other large operators to tailor and optimize the coatings’ replacement and maintenance schedule for individual aircraft within an airline fleet.