AkzoNobel Virtual Reality Paint Initiative Achieves Significant Success in First Year of Launch
AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings is celebrating the success of its virtual reality (VR) paint technology, having recorded notable sales and gained widespread international interest in the first 12-months since its launch.
Some 26 units are now being deployed across AkzoNobel and customer sites, more than half (15) of which are owned and operated by AkzoNobel Aerospace Coatings’ customers, with early adopters already realizing significant advantages. Customers include OEMs, MROs and industry education and training establishments, among them Embraer, International Aerospace Coatings (IAC), and The Machinists Institute. The units are also proving popular across all geographies, with technology operating in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC — evidence of an industry- and world-wide appetite for technology that supports a more sustainable aviation future.
AkzoNobel first adopted VR technology in 2021 to deliver advanced training and technical service support. Initial early successes led to the launch of a dedicated VT training initiative in early 2024 as part of its wider Aerofleet Training+ portfolio. The VR training software immerses the individual painter in a virtual paint booth, complete with the aircraft part to be coated. It can be programmed with various paint parameters, such as the thickness of the coating required, overcoat times and tailored spray gun set-up. As the operator uses the spray gun, they can see whether too much or too little paint is used and can look for inconsistencies in the way the coating is being applied. Their skills can be measured, including the distance, angle and speed at which the gun is used. It shows where runs and sags occur, where the wet film thickness is not sufficient, or where coverage is inadequate to deliver the desired finish.
While the system plays a critical role in training new painters or upskilling current professionals, it also delivers significant corporate advantages to early adopters in helping them to eliminate waste, reduce costs and further improve safety, since no physical products are involved in the process. There are also no costs or time associated with cleaning the spray guns or in providing the panels needed for wet paint training, nor are there additional VOCs released from solvents.
Michael Green, Global Business Services manager at AkzoNobel Aerospace, says that with VR, customers can train more painters more efficiently and at a time that is convenient to them. “With VR as an integral part of our Aerofleet Training+ portfolio, we’re helping OEMs, MROs and educational establishments to become significantly more efficient and sustainable,” he says. “It is encouraging to see our first customers now taking multiple units, and to see how the concept is finding favor in all four corners of the globe. It’s an excellent example of a true partnership at work and demonstrates our commitment to enhancing sustainability in practical and meaningful ways.”
The introduction of the new VR concept is already delivering tangible results. IAC, which was the first MRO to acquire the technology and is now deploying VR worldwide, says that up to 70% of all new apprentice training can now be completed in the classroom, without a single drop of paint being sprayed. The mobile nature of the VR technology also enables IAC not only to train painters at its headquarters in Shannon but also its other sites around the world.
John Mulqueen, VP of Operations, EMEA, at IAC, says the VR training has become integral to IAC’s global training. “The system plays a huge role in the development and upskilling of our staff and personal growth within the company," he says. "AkzoNobel’s VR training mimics a real-life aircraft and projects so it allows the staff member to practice, train and upskill before moving onto a live aircraft. The system correlates exactly to an individual’s capabilities so it is a very efficient tool for skill development."
“It’s an excellent motivational tool for our team,” Mulqueen goes on. "Our staff enjoy using it and have some friendly competitions using the VR system. It’s brilliant for us as a company with developing and growing of our staff skill base. It is a real positive for our business which has given us greater flexibility of skillset within the teams.”
For more information, visit https://www.akzonobel.com.