Many companies these days are discovering the benefits of digital work instructions and visual guidance on the workfloor. But not all departments operate in the same way. While assembly processes tend to have a repetitive and structured character, maintenance work is often unpredictable and specific.

So, where does digital guidance fit in both these settings? And what is the difference in needs between assembly and maintenance?

Let us have a closer look.

Assembly: precision, repetition and speed

Assembly tasks are often structured and step-by-step. The same actions are repeated hundreds or thousands of times to produce a unit. In this setting, the use of digitalized standard work instructions is highly recommended.

Key characteristics of assembly:

• Often consist of repetitive workflows
• Fixed workstations or workflows
• Operators often vary in skill level (often many new or seasonal workers)
• Minimal variation in each process
• Quality depends on precision and correct order of execution

What does digital guidance do:

• It reduces errors and rework by visually guiding each step.
• Accelerates new employee training
• Ensures nearly seamless execution of standard work procedures
• This increases the quality of the production item.

Example: In a factory where they assemble electrical cabinets, AR guidance shows employees exactly where and how each component should be placed – step by step, with confirmation checks.

Maintenance stands for diagnosis, flexibility and immediate decision-making

Maintenance tasks require flexibility in identifying, interpreting and solving problems. No two interventions are exactly the same even if it’s just a standard periodic maintenance. So the work instructions are never the same.

The key characteristics of maintenance tasks:

• There is a high level of variation in the actions to be taken, depending on the problem.
• Often performed across different machines, buildings, and even locations.
• Requires more problem-solving skills.
• Contains fewer steps, but is more complex, and often requires weighing up actions.
• This is often performed by experienced technicians.

What digital guidance does:

• It provides easy and quick access to technical data or manuals on mobile or AR devices.
• It enables remote support via live video calls, primarily for more complex issues.
• It provides visual steps based on the equipment's fault.
• Technicians can enter and record the repairs they carry out, which is very useful for future machine maintenance.

Example: A maintenance technician scans a QR code on a broken conveyor belt with his smartphone. An AR overlay launches with the correct steps to perform and also connects to the head office for additional support via live video.

User Profile: Operators vs. Technicians

Assembly operators need simplicity. Their focus is: “What’s the next step, and how to do it right?”

Maintenance technicians need more flexibility. Their question is: “What’s wrong, what are my options here and what do I have to do next?”

That’s the reason why the platform for both digital task guidance and assembly should offer different user interface paths depending on the
context of the task ahead. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work in this situation.

From how-to to know-how

In assembly, guidance is often about the execution of several small steps. In maintenance, it’s about having support when making a decision and knowledge sharing.

By documenting the repair procedures, documenting the rare fixes and enabling live video support, companies can turn maintenance into a learning process. This is especially helpful if you have aging staff and a loss of internal expertise due to retirement.

Stability and flexibility

Digital guidance isn’t just for step-by-step instructions in large-scale production. It can also be a powerful tool in environments like maintenance that require a lot of flexibility. Knowledge, insight and decision-making are very crucial here. The key is showing the right visual guidance to the right task. Whether it’s a repetitive production process or an urgent machine malfunction, employees benefit from visual, clear, and flexible support. Another interesting topic in all this is “Augmented Reality in Automotive”, the use of AR in this sector is booming. But let’s discuss this in later articles.

Want to see Ansomatic in action?

This article shows the difference between digital support for assembly and maintenance. While Ansomat’s expertise lies entirely in product assembly, this blog post takes a closer look at the differences between the two. Book a free demo and discover how Ansomat can assist you on the assembly process with smart digital guidance.