Development of virtual reality application for centrifugal pump impeller–machining process for training purpose

The manual training of the new employees requires more time and labour work hours. Virtual reality and modern digital manufacturing techniques can be used to reduce the time required in this, thereby reducing the product cycle time. Virtual Reality (VR) provides a completely immersive and interactive experience of a simulated environment to the user. It helps in better understanding of the manufacturing process without using much of the employees working hours. The study aims at developing a Virtual Reality application for the machining process of a centrifugal pump impeller. This application would help the trainees in understanding the machining process involved and the process parameters. The factory setup and the impeller are modelled using Solidworks. The Virtual Reality application is developed using Unity 3D and played using Android smartphones and VR glasses. The application can be used as an alternative to the traditional training processes in industries.