Coveted technical innovation award goes to first-ever Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote SupportKoenig & Bauer (US) Receives 2019 Flexographic Technical Association’s Highest Award

• Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support combines high-definition camera, headset, and microphone
• Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica receives award at InfoFlex in New Orleans
• New product allows a remote support specialist to guide a customer´s press operator on site and offer step-by-step instructions on how to remedy the problem  

At the Flexographic Technical Association’s premier trade show InfoFlex 2019 held from May 6-7 in New Orleans, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica has received the FTA’s Technical Innovation Award for its Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support. This award recognizes the most innovative and impactful technologies for the ever-evolving package printing and converting industry. Representatives from Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica were honored at the Awards Banquet during Forum in New Orleans.

“With Koenig & Bauer’s rich 200 year history of technical innovation, we have the ability to offer more proactive innovative support ensuring that our customers receive the maximum uptime and throughput in their facility and allow them to remain ahead of their competitors,” says Jeff Dietz VP, Web & Specialty Press Division at Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica. “Our new AR-DataGlass stands out as part of our on-going innovation of new product introductions.”

The Augmented Reality-DataGlass Remote Support system is truly a revolutionary new product. It provides Koenig & Bauer remote maintenance specialists with the ability to experience, in real time, what a customer’s technical team can see and hear. This is easily accomplished with the aid of an HD camera, headset and microphone. The camera enables remote maintenance specialists from Koenig & Bauer to see and follow the actions of the technicians on site live in real time while they work on the press and see exactly what service technicians on site are seeing. The specialist can offer targeted support and be instructed step by step on how to remedy the problem.

By providing this one-to-one conversation between Koenig & Bauer’s technical team and the customer, Koenig & Bauer is better able to help them immediately diagnose the problem and get their flexo production system up and running. No longer is there a need to wait a crucial few days for a technician to visit and diagnose the problem. Using the AR-DataGlasses, technicians can quickly remedy technical issues and instantly provide helpful information such as circuit diagrams, part lists, text messages (including a real time translating tool between nine languages), technical documentation, diagrams, editable live-camera images, etc. which can be shown on the display of the AR-DataGlass. An online connection using a virtual private network (VPN) offers maximum data security through special hardware encryption. With this broadband solution, Koenig & Bauer remote maintenance experts can access a customers’ press system securely, quickly and inexpensively. The duration of service calls is considerably reduced and communication problems due to poor telephone lines are avoided. The system is absolutely free, no costs for hardware, software or licenses, no costs for upgrades or updates, and the app for smartphones and tablets is included. “

A remote support specialist can see and follow the actions of a press technician on site live and in real time while he or she works on the press, and see exactly what the technician is seeing,” explains Dietz.

As a recipient of this esteemed award, Koenig & Bauer Flexotecnica’s AR-DataGlass was deemed by a panel of industry experts to have the potential power to change flexography’s future for the better. These include innovative technologies that utilize the flexographic process or have been designed specifically to enhance flexographic printing.