AkzoNobel Partners with American Airlines for Virtual Reality Paint Training
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings is partnering with American Airlines to deliver a new way of training apprentice painters, and upskilling existing teams, through the use of a virtual reality (VR). The VR platform mimics a customer’s production environment and multiple coating systems to train teams virtually. A VR headset immerses the American Airlines’ trainee in a virtual paint booth, completed with the aircraft part to be coated.
The system can be programmed with various paint specifications, such as the thickness of the coating required, and as the operator uses the spray gun, they can see whether too much or too little paint is used and look for inconsistencies in the way the coating is being applied. Meanwhile, the operator's core skills are measured, from setting up the spraying session to the distance, angle, and speed at which the gun is used. The feedback is immediate, so trainees can react quickly and change their technique to become more consistent. It shows where runs and sags occur, or where the wet film thickness is not sufficient or the coverage inadequate to deliver a smooth finish. It also helps them avoid common problems such as paint overlap.