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Employee with augmented reality glasses works in the lab.

Schwan Cosmetics uses an assisted reality solution

How augmented reality glasses help with machine maintenance

A wide variety of application possibilities: worldwide remote support

Logo Schwan Cosmetics

As part of Deutsche Telekom's 5G/low latency program, Schwan Cosmetics initiated a pilot project with Microsoft HoloLens. These augmented reality glasses offer the possibility of remote support for maintenance and repair work. T-Systems has already conducted productive remote sessions with the Schwan Cosmetics subsidiary in Tennessee, USA. And it has paid off: the travel costs of the service staff are reduced, machine downtimes are reduced to a minimum. At the same time, the quality of communication between machine operators and specialists increases. 

In a next step, the scope of services of the HoloLens application is to be expanded in order to use it, for example, for training purposes.

Benefits for the customer

  • Minimization of downtimes, thereby increasing adherence to delivery dates
  • Reduced repair costs and more efficient use of resources, as long journeys are no longer necessary 
  • A scalable solution, tailored to customer needs 
  • Further possible applications, e.g. setting up a knowledge database and conducting training courses as well as usability and security tests 
  • Establishment of Schwan Cosmetics as digital leader
Image of Alexander Sarkissian

With the help of digital glasses and the AR solution from T-Systems Multimedia Solutions, our experts in Heroldsberg can see through the eyes of their colleagues abroad and support them with maintenance or repairs in real time. This saves costs and time: the long flights to the subsidiaries have been eliminated, and the machine downtimes are ideally reduced to a minimum.

Alexander Sarkissian, Digital Initiative Manager at Schwan Cosmetics and leader of the project

More efficient machine maintenance thanks to augmented reality

Over the shoulder shot of man with headset in front of the computer. On the screen are two hands.

Schwan Cosmetics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the internationally active family business Schwan-STABILO and produces cosmetic pencils for many well-known brands. Schwan Cosmetics develops and produces the necessary production machines at its headquarters in Heroldsberg near Nuremberg and operates them at eight locations worldwide. Since the highly specialized experts for these machines work at the company headquarters, routine maintenance as well as defects in the production equipment pose a great challenge: either the employees on site have to describe the problem via telephone, email, and using photos, or a service expert has to travel on a time-consuming and costly flight in order to repair the problem personally.

The challenge

  • High organizational expenses in case of machine defects or routine maintenance 
  • Cumbersome handling of technical problems at international locations by service staff at the company's headquarters via telephone or photo documentation 
  • Cost-intensive processing on site due to personal journey of the service employee 

HoloLens glasses reduce downtime

Man in an office room is reading and typing something on his tablet

The experts at the Schwan Cosmetics headquarters are connected to the machine operators and maintenance staff on site via a HoloLens desktop app and can see everything that the technician at the production site can see through his glasses. Through the field of vision of the glasses, the service expert can detect defects, give instructions for machine settings and guide the colleague through the maintenance or repair process. The support cases can be documented by adding screenshots and text annotations to the video.

The solution

  • "See what the other sees." Live video chat and video sync between the AR device wearer and back office
  • Innovative and easy handling of voice and gesture control 
  • 3D annotations on the machine for improved communication and interaction
  • Support documentation of individual processes possible (text and images incl. annotations)

We look forward to your project!

We are happy to provide you with the right experts and to answer your questions about planning, implementation, and maintenance for your digitalization plans. Get in touch!

About Schwan Cosmetics

Schwan Cosmetics, a subsidiary of the Schwan-STABILO family business, is the global market leader in the development and manufacture of cosmetic pencils with 3,000 employees and nine production facilities. 

From the headquarters in Heroldsberg near Nuremberg, subsidiaries in various countries are supported in the maintenance and repair of production machines. 

The independent mechanical engineering company Schwan Cosmetics Produktionstechnik GmbH & Co. KG with its 56 employees manufactures complex machines for the cosmetics industry and is responsible for the maintenance of Schwan Cosmetics machinery.

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