Nestlé Accelerates Use of Augmented Reality Amidst COVID-19

To keep employees safe and adhere to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Nestlé has expanded its use of augmented reality (AR) technology to remotely support its production and R&D sites as well as connect with suppliers.

The Vevey, Switzerland-based company and its suppliers are using remote assistance tools, including smart glasses, 360-deg cameras and 3-D software, to work on complex projects at Nestlé facilities across the globe during the coronavirus crisis. Nestlé has used these various AR technologies to set up or redesign production lines and carry out vital maintenance with suppliers.

For example, R&D teams in Switzerland remotely worked with employees at the Nestlé factory in Navanakorn, Thailand, to upgrade existing production lines and install new production lines and technologies that make ready-to-drink dairy products. The project was completed ahead of schedule. 

AR tools also proved useful in helping Nestlé install a new production line at its Shuangcheng, China, facility, which makes infant cereals, and a new pet food line in the U.S. In addition, the R&D team in the U.K. worked with suppliers remotely to successfully redesign Nestlé’s new confectionery molds for its Kit Kat brand. The company has also used AR to help with maintenance at its factories in Colombia and Ecuador.

“To ensure business continuity, we accelerated the use of remote assistance and augmented reality technologies across our global R&D organization,” says Thomas Hauser, head of Nestlé Product and Technology Development. “These innovative technologies enabled our experts to provide support to our factories worldwide for critical activities.”