Remote Injection Molding Trial Support Using Wireless Video Camera Technology and Traditional Videoconferencing Capabilities 2002-01-0724

The challenging economic climate of today is causing many suppliers to develop new and creative ways to improve efficiency and meet the needs of customers without jeopardizing the quality of service and support. The Dow Automotive business group is evaluating a new mechanism for remotely supporting customers' injection molding trials by combining wireless video camera technology and traditional videoconference (VC) capabilities. The Video Response System^™ (VRS), from Teleco Video Systems, incorporates a wireless remote camera on a wheeled tripod and a wireless audio connection to allow users to transmit a real-time video and audio signal from anywhere within a location to other sites around the globe. The video and audio signals generated by the VRS system are transmitted to a traditional VC unit in the molding shop which in turn transmits the signals over ISDN lines to an awaiting VC unit. Three molding sites have been setup to utilize the technology where one to three ISDN lines can be selected depending on the image clarity the technical support representative needs. This technology was implemented as a way to improve process efficiencies, eliminate/minimize down time at molding trials, improve productivity, and save expenses for both the resin supplier and the customer.

This paper will provide an overview of the system components, how it works, benefits, and costs.