A Cumbrian firm have developed a new virtual reality service to change how engineers interact with operating systems and machinery.
Delkia, an engineering and technology firm who are based at Westlakes Science and Technology Park in Whitehaven, have developed a new virtual reality service allowing engineers to interact with operating systems and machinery before they are created in a bid to save time and money and improve safety.
The new virtual reality service was recently demonstrated for the first time to key members of the Sellafield Nuclear Plant Product and Residue Store Retreat Plant Project.
The firm said that by using VR, they can save time in production by allowing potential issues to be identified before manufacture starts, improving operational safety and saving money by reducing the need for changes later in the design and manufacturing process.
Gareth Powell, Technical and Engineering Manager at Delkia, said: “The control panels we make bring together many complex systems, the designs for which are difficult for non-specialists to visualise.
“However, once we put these designs into a virtual world it is much easier to see how systems come together and any potential problems with the design. You can also see if the control unit will fit into the space allotted and if any existing structural features such as doors, for example, would be in the way.”
They added that VR also saves time in installation and gives engineers the chance to further improve safety and operability by analysing how humans use machines.
The first people to try out the system were Dave Brocklebank, Construction Manager, and Graham Young, Stakeholder Manager, from the Sellafield Product and Residue Store Retreatment Plant Project for which Delkia is producing a turnkey design, build and test package.
