Process Water

Emerson’s Virtual Reality Simulation Improves Workforce Safety and Speeds Training

Feb. 12, 2020

Expanded digital twin portfolio accelerates workforce upskilling to improve operator response time while reducing risk.

Using a plant’s existing CAD drawings, Mimic Field 3D builds a virtual-reality digital twin of the site.

Emerson announced Mimic™ Field 3D, an immersive training experience designed to help new and incoming workers gain a deep understanding of how changes in the field impact industrial plant processes. This virtual reality-based (VR) solution gives personnel simulated hands-on experience to prepare for any plant event, helping them make better decisions regarding operating changes and practice proper procedures before entering potentially hazardous plant areas.

In the coming decade, experts estimate there will be more than 2.5 million skilled jobs that go unfilled in the United States. There’s a clear need for organizations to seek innovative technology solutions to address this talent shortage quickly through innovative augmented reality (AR) and VR solutions like Mimic Field 3D. In fact, a recent survey found that 66% of companies plan to adopt these technologies by 2022.

The Mimic Field 3D immersive plant experience enables operators to learn about and interact with devices and assets in virtual reality prior to making a trip to the field.

Field operators typically train on physical equipment, which adds risks and costs, particularly during some of the plant’s most critical phases — startups, shutdowns, turnarounds, and outages. Many organizations are seeking technology solutions to rapidly upskill new workers for high performance in the shortest amount of time.

“Emerson’s digital twin portfolio is changing how we prepare the future workforce. Our industry will become increasingly reliant on VR tools like these to address the growing skills gap and improve training effectiveness,” said Jim Nyquist, group president of systems and solutions at Emerson. “This advanced technology enhances training by offering a hands-on experience, which ultimately improves the safety of workers.”

This effort supports Emerson’s larger digital transformation initiative that provides software, data analytics, automation technologies, smart sensor, and consulting services to help customers achieve Top Quartile performance — meeting performance metrics within the top 25 percent of peer companies. As part of Emerson’s Plantweb™ digital ecosystem, Mimic Field 3D empowers new workers to acquire knowledge and experience at a faster pace as they learn from each immersive experience, enhancing safety and overall operational performance.