Mr. May, what role does the topic of virtual reality play for Lenze beyond the trade fair demo, which is sure to attract a lot of attention?
May: The demo is fun at first, but it's definitely not a gimmick! Because there are real use cases behind virtual reality at Lenze. If you think about the design and engineering phase of machines, the possible combinations of motors with different gearboxes are still relatively simple to imagine in terms of geometry and dimensions. Sophisticated software applications or robot solutions, however, bring with them a level of complexity whose wealth of detail is already far beyond human comprehension. Although simulation processes and 3D models on the screen provide the first in-depth insights into interrelationships, the most important step is still missing - namely the experience.

Virtual reality closes precisely this gap. It enables us to make complex interrelationships easier to understand and, above all, more manageable, even for non-experts.

To what extent is Lenze already using the technology in operational practice?
May: We are already actively using VR in the area of training in order to simulate machines and to be able to commission and verify PLC applications in this way. But we also use these models to develop our own software modules from the 'Fast' application toolbox. Our application engineers can test these software modules very easily using VR. This makes it easy for both our sales department and our customers to experience and understand software directly.

An example: For material handling, we need to implement a pick & place application with the robot. We have already cast standard functions into prepared software modules for this purpose. These can be used to determine the movements of multi-axis robot kinematics, for example, without first having to delve into the depths of robot programming languages. So far, so simple. But for all the convenience of programming, what effect does changing parameters have later on in the real application? How does the movement of the robot arm change when the drive motors vary speed? Questions like these are crucial when we talk about collaborative systems - i.e. direct cooperation between man and machine - in Industry 4.0 production.

If virtual reality is now used in project planning, then developers have the opportunity to experience the real effect of changing settings in the VR world via the generated digital twin.

Michael May, Lenze: "We have received consistently positive feedback on VR technology from our mechanical engineering customers so far."

© Lenze

How is VR technology integrated into the Lenze environment in detail?
May: We use different model levels for different use cases, whereby virtual reality models are already available directly on the controller. This means that during a training course, for example, a participant can call up a virtual reality model of a textile machine or a robot system directly from the controller, develop the PLC software for it, put it into operation and experience it in virtual reality.

Do you also see concrete potential for this technology beyond the topic of training?
May: Absolutely! In addition to training courses, we use the models - as already mentioned - to develop our own software. And if we broaden the topic a little and look beyond VR, then we also use other modern technologies such as intelligent data glasses - so-called smart wearables. This is where we see the greatest benefit for logistics and aftersales service.

The advantage for logistics is that the glasses make it very easy to visualize the flow of goods. This works, for example, if barcode scanners are built into the glasses. The order picker only needs to look at the device he is booking, the scan code is recorded and sent directly to the MES system - all fully automatically. On the subject of service, we can add: With the glasses, it is possible to send a service employee to the customer even if they have not yet built up full expertise. In this case, they can be guided by a specialist engineer via the glasses. This saves valuable time and resources. The glasses are also useful in service workshops: Here, employees can be 'remote-controlled' during a repair. Learning videos on the glasses can provide additional support in carrying out the repair process - guided step by step.

The fact that programming can be tested and optimized without risk using VR technology means that we see a significant increase in safety in mechanical and plant engineering - both from the perspective of the project in the form of trouble-free operation, as well as for the subsequent protection of people from possible malfunctions. Because when designers or software developers look through the virtual glasses during their work, they can experience impressively - up close - whether safety functions really work in reality and how minimum distances work at different machine speeds.

What else do you think is conceivable with VR technology in the future?
May: Our vision is virtual classrooms and training environments that are located in the cloud. In this way, the participants and the trainer meet in a virtual classroom and use virtual training worlds to develop and test system software, for example.