Evaluating Digital Assistance in Form of Augmented Reality for Manual Processes in the Metal Binder Jetting Process Chain

This paper discusses the relevance of digital assistance systems in the form of Augmented Reality (AR) in the context of the Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ) process chain. In its present condition, the MBJ process is characterized by highly divided manual process steps. The only step to be viewed as automated is the fabrication of the green parts. Thus, every other step must be operated by a trained or supervised individual. Some steps rely more on human interaction than others. The most human error-prone step is the manual depowdering of said green parts. Digital assistance comes in a wide variety of forms. In this paper, the utilization of AR in a head-mounted display (HMD) for instruction and quality improvement is investigated. For that purpose, an AR application was developed as a Proof of Concept (PoC). To evaluate, two independent groups of test subjects, with and without the assistive system, were tasked with the depowdering of green parts produced via MBJ. Half of the subjects had prior experience with depowdering. Under test circumstances, subjects displayed faster process times, and the interviews concluded that the overall acceptance of the technology was high. Distinct differences in the time to fulfillment were measured using a test scenario derived from the real-world process. This paper proposes that bridging shortcomings in automation via the use of digital assistance systems improves not only the success rate of manual processes in Additive Manufacturing (AM) but also shortens training and supervision times. Furthermore, this paper shows that lightweight digital assistance solutions may be implemented without breaking process chains apart and without the requirement for specialized infrastructure.