Enhancing transformer maintenance with augmented reality for remote assistance services

Hitachi Energy and startup Wideum partner on augmented reality technology for remote assistance services on transformers maintenance, thanks to the Basque Government’s BIND 4.0 scheme.

As part of the partnership, Hitachi Energy’s Transformer Service Team chose to work with start-up Wideum to develop a proof-of-concept technology that would support the maintenance of operations remotely. The pilot is part of Hitachi Energy’s Transformer Service Center in Trapagaran’s (Vizcaya) continued commitment to the program, which it has been a part of since 2017.

The transformers service center in Vizcaya has over 90 years of history and develops a complete portfolio of services from distribution transformers, industrial transformers, and reactors to large power transformers. The program partner, Wideum, develops technology which integrates smart-phones, tablets and smart glasses to complete complex tasks and maintenance operations using remote assistance.

At Hitachi Energy, we are global technology leaders focused on advancing the world’s energy system, making it more sustainable, flexible and secure and this partnership showcases this. 

BIND 4.0 Acceleration and open innovation platform

BIND 4.0 is a public-private startup acceleration program promoted by the Basque Government, aimed at developing the best startups by implementing projects with leading industrial companies and offering comprehensive support and mentoring.

The program received over 700 applications resulting in more than 30 joint projects. “The collaboration enabled by the program aligns with our innovation spirit for developing products and services with our partners to allow energy systems to become more sustainable, flexible and secure that might complete Hitachi Energy’s transformers remote service solutions”, explains Goizeder Pajaro, Global Product Specialist, Transformer Services, Hitachi Energy. 

Wideum – Remote support solutions with smart glasses 

Wideum was chosen by Hitachi Energy’s Transformer Service Team to develop the proof-of-concept on augmented reality technology. Their technologies, Remote Eye, Process Eye, and Twin Eye, integrate smartphones, tablets, and smart glasses, allowing users to execute complex tasks and maintenance operations with remote assistance.

“The exchange of information between the field service technicians and experts from Hitachi Energy or our customers becomes easy and efficient”, explains Goizeder Pajaro.

“Technicians, empowered with such digital AR tools, enable better responsiveness, quality and traceability when servicing the equipment, machines, or solutions”, said Alberto Carril at Wideum. “We are extremely happy about this collaboration with Hitachi Energy, a global technology leader. We found many synergies and great learnings in this project.”

This project successfully:

• Improved production processes and product validation tests by supporting experts to help customers and site technicians quickly while upholding the quality and traceability of the process – central to Hitachi Energy’s HSE and Quality processes.
  
• Minimized the risk of downtime, improved traceability of the process and allowed easy access to the project status for the customer. This saves time and money and reduces carbon footprint by eliminating associated travel and logistics.
  
• Improved response time and resolving incidents by establishing contact with multifunctional reference teams.
  

“A highly qualified service team utilizing new Industry 4.0 technologies like this can help solve customer and technician issues quickly and efficiently,” concludes Goizeder Pajaro. 

Hitachi Energy's transformers services in Spain at Trapagaran, Vizcaya

The Vizcaya Transformer Service Center has nearly a century of history and leverages this expertise to ensure dedicated service teams deliver exceptional service solutions that cover the entire lifecycle of your assets.

Focused on advanced engineering solutions, Hitachi Energy transformers services provides services across the complete transformer life cycle, from installation and commissioning, condition monitoring and assessment systems, maintenance and spare parts, training, transformer upgrading, repair and life extension services, to end-of-life replacement services.

We at Hitachi Energy have placed sustainability at the heart of our purpose - we are advancing the world’s energy system, making it more sustainable, flexible and secure. We are considering sustainability across the whole transformers value chain including resource conservation, circularity of production processes and carbon footprint reduction.