Frequently Asked Questions

Virtual Reality:  Is a fully immersive digital experience.  Usually facilitated through the use of a headset that transports you to another world.

Mixed Reality:  Combines the real and digital, letting users interact with both.  Facilitated through a mobile device such as a smartphone or a tablet, this is a portal into a digitally integrated world.

Augmented Reality:  Overlays digital objects on the real world.  Facilitated through a headset that allows you to be immersed in the digitally integrated world instead of merely looking through a portal.

Workers understand that mobile device use in a steel shop needs special care and attention.  When given this hardware to use, the worker will respect and value it like any other tool that is essential to their work.

And if that doesn't reassure you, protective cases and available insurance plans with loss or damage coverage certainly will.

Absolutely!  Our system, used in conjunction with a Hololens 2 mixed reality device, can be used to complement even the most rigorous Quality Assurance programs.

Our system gives your QA technician the ability to visually inspect completed steel assemblies by comparing the 3D design overlayed, with our mixed reality feature, on the physical object it is being compared to.  By utilizing this method, inconsistencies can be easily identified for further investigation and possible rework before being shipped to site.

The opportunities to save production costs are numerous. A few of the benefits are:

• Better visibility of the status of assemblies (fabricated, inspected, complete)
• Faster training for
  • apprentice workers
  • Reduced layout time
  • Increased quality of work

  By creating a better understanding of the 3D model the fabricator spends less time guessing, more time placing components and a better quality job.

FabStation only needs to save you minutes a day to pay for itself.

The tablet app has an intuitive user interface and is similar to operating other equipment in the shop. If an employee is familiar with the use of a smartphone or tablet, they can easily  navigate through the basics of the software.

However, the Hololens 2 requires a bit more training.  Therefore, we recommend a dedicated quality assurance specialist start using the equipment exclusively until it is mastered (it takes approx 1 week to be completely comfortable).  Then the QA specialist can train others in its use as needed.

• The software is offered as a service.  Pricing is based per device with unlimited access to the web-portal.
• The system is customizable and there is no minimum or maximum number of devices that can be deployed.
• In fact, it may make more sense to deploy only a few devices initially and slowly integrate their use into your production workflow.