AR in Manufacturing — What You Should Know in 2025

Augmented reality has the potential to transform manufacturing by refining efficiency and safety. AR is one of the modern innovation levers that companies can use to reduce errors and accelerate workflows, making their processes more adaptable to industry demands.

Industrial Design: Visualizing and Testing Without Boundaries with Augmented Reality

AR technology can be helpful during many stages of the design process. To name some examples of elements with benefits of using augmented reality in design stages:

Teleportation and visualization

AR enables precise integration of digital prototypes with existing physical components, ensuring millimeter-accurate fits, which is crucial in managing the complex process of industrial design. Teams can virtually teleport designs to real-world locations or offices, eliminating the need for physical prototypes and on-site visits. For example, manufacturers can simulate the placement of machinery on factory floors before production for optimized layouts and to save significant time.

Stakeholder collaboration

High-fidelity 3D models allow stakeholders to experience the product in a way static screens cannot convey. Animations and real-world simulations foster better feedback loops during the design phase, particularly in industries with high stakes, where inefficiencies can lead to substantial losses. As Magic Leap reports, in industries with large-scale operations, even small inefficiencies can translate into significant cost overruns​.

Simulation for testing

Augmented reality lets designers simulate products in multiple environments and test functionality and human interactions before committing to production. This reduces errors and saves time by helping designers identify potential issues early. Virtual simulations allow for numerous iterations without the material costs associated with physical prototyping.

Production: Streamlined Planning and Training

AR and VR can also have a big impact on streamlining the manufacturing process and staff training. These immersive technologies can enhance the performance of the assembly line by improving many aspects of the workflow:

Enhancing worker efficiency

AR and VR can support workers with real-time, contextual information that improves task accuracy and reduces downtime.

Augmented work instructions — AR-based training provides hands-on learning experiences without utilizing physical equipment. To enhance these experiences, it is essential to create work instructions that are clear and interactive. A notable example is Toyota’s adoption of Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Remote Assist, which reduced training times by 50%. This system combines live two-way video support and holographic, step-by-step instructions for field service technician support. The result is faster upskilling of new workers while allowing senior experts to focus on high-priority tasks​.

Virtual simulations — VR creates fully immersive environments where workers can practice complex tasks repeatedly, refining their skills without disrupting ongoing operations.

Performance tracking — Both AR and VR collect real-time data on worker performance, offering insights that can be used to refine processes and improve efficiency.

Reducing training time

Augmented reality can drastically reduce the time required to onboard new employees compared to traditional methods.

Interactive training modules — VR allows trainees to experience realistic scenarios in a risk-free environment, accelerating skill acquisition.

On-the-job AR support — New employees can use AR glasses to receive live guidance during tasks, letting them learn while contributing to production.

Flexible, scalable training — These technologies allow companies to create standardized training programs that can be deployed across multiple locations simultaneously, improving consistency.

Preventing hazards

Immersive technologies enhance workplace safety by helping workers identify risks and simulate emergency protocols.

Hazard identification — AR devices can highlight dangerous areas and real world objects, such as high-temperature zones or moving equipment, in real time.

VR safety drills — Workers can practice emergency protocols, such as fire evacuations or equipment malfunctions, in a simulated environment, reducing real-life risks.

Real-time error alerts — AR systems can notify workers of mistakes or unsafe actions immediately, helping them correct course before accidents occur.

Enabling detailed process analysis

AR and VR can provide manufacturers with valuable data insights that help optimize production processes across the whole assembly line.

Visual analytics — AR applications visualize workflow bottlenecks, allowing managers to identify inefficiencies and reallocate resources effectively.

Digital twins — VR simulates entire production lines, enabling detailed analysis of machinery interactions, equipment placement, and worker ergonomics before implementation.

Predictive maintenance — AR systems integrated with IoT devices provide real-time machine performance data, alerting operators to potential breakdowns and reducing unplanned downtime.

Optimized production layouts

Using immersive technologies, manufacturers can virtually arrange machinery in their manufacturing environments, ensuring efficiency and ergonomics without moving heavy equipment. These capabilities are critical in sectors where even minor mistakes in equipment placement can disrupt the entire production chain.

Sales: Enhancing Customer Engagement

There is nothing like a “wow effect” during a sales process to help close the deal and AR can provide just that, for example:

Interactive product demonstrations

Augmented reality provides immersive, high-resolution 3D presentations that showcase products with realistic lighting and audio effects. Customers can explore configurations, simulate features, and interact with virtual controls to better understand product value.

Flexible use cases

Whether at dealerships, trade shows, or customer sites, augmented reality elevates presentations by delivering detailed, immersive experiences. Customers can even interact with products remotely, fostering engagement without physical inventory constraints.

Servicing: Redefining Support and Documentation

Servicing can be a costly stage for many manufacturers, especially when it requires travelling of top experts to help with machine maintenance. Here’s how immersive technologies can help:

Advanced documentation

Digital twins and 3D visualizations replace static manuals, offering explosion views and interactive overlays that help technicians locate and service components with precision. For instance, augmented reality step-by-step guidance overlays digital work instructions directly onto machinery, reducing errors and improving operational efficiency.

Guided procedures and remote assistance and collaboration

Assisted reality solutions like Toyota’s Remote Assist allow technicians to receive live support through smart glasses, enabling seamless “see what I see” video calls and annotations. Additionally, these sessions can be recorded to create on-demand training materials, boosting institutional knowledge and helping maintain consistent skills across teams​.

Assisted Reality (aR): Enhancing Precision, Support, and Quality Control and Inspection

We’re also witnessing the rise of aR, assisted reality. Assisted reality brings a pragmatic approach to manufacturing by delivering real-time, contextual information through wearable devices such as smart glasses. It is especially valuable for addressing the challenges of knowledge retention and transfer in industries with an aging workforce. As Gene Feldman, Training Manager at Nestle Preena, Pet Care North America, an AR expert notes, “When experienced workers leave, that’s a gaping hole in the enterprise; their knowledge is gone from the company.” aR provides tools to bridge this gap by enabling real-time guidance and capturing institutional expertise in a scalable format​​.

Enhancing quality control and inspection

aR is revolutionizing quality control processes in manufacturing, bringing unprecedented levels of precision, speed, and consistency to inspections and evaluations:

Streamlined inspections — aR provides technicians with instant access to visual overlays of specifications, tolerances, and data during inspections, ensuring that every component meets required standards. For example, a technician inspecting a turbine blade can view real-time deviation markers to identify defects more accurately.

Error prevention through real-time feedback — Workers can use aR devices to view holographic comparisons of expected vs. actual outputs, highlighting discrepancies that could lead to production errors. This is especially impactful in sectors like aerospace and automotive, where precision is non-negotiable.

Simplified reporting — aR systems automatically log inspection data, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards while reducing administrative workloads. Reports generated in real time help quality teams make informed decisions faster.

Bridging the knowledge gap and scaling expertise

Digitizing expertise for scalability — By combining wearable devices with AI-powered tools, manufacturers can digitize workflows and best practices, creating a library of resources that scales expertise across teams. This includes step-by-step visual instructions for specific tasks, interactive training modules, and recorded troubleshooting sessions. Such resources ensure that knowledge is not only retained but continuously updated as workflows evolve.

AI-enhanced knowledge transfer — AI-powered aR tools take knowledge transfer a step further by analyzing patterns in expert behavior and generating predictive insights. For example, AI can identify the most efficient methods used by experienced workers and suggest improvements to standard procedures. Predictive insights from AI help newer team members anticipate and prevent issues, creating a more seamless learning curve.

Types of Augmented Reality: Hardware Options

There are several types of augmented reality, including tablet and mobile AR, wearable AR, and projected AR. Each type delivers an immersive experience that enhances operations. Knowing which type of AR best matches an application will lead to the most operational success, enabling manufacturers to choose the right tools for their specific needs.

Tablet and mobile AR

Tablets and smartphones deliver AR experiences through mobile screens, displaying digital overlays that enhance productivity. This type is particularly effective for mobile tasks like layout visualization, quick assembly checks, or remote collaboration. While cost-effective and easy to implement, tablet AR is best suited for scenarios where hands-free operation isn’t required.

Wearable AR

Devices like AR glasses and head-mounted displays provide hands-free access to information. Workers can view real-time instructions, overlays, or remote assistance directly in their field of vision, making it invaluable for precision-driven tasks like equipment assembly, maintenance, and quality assurance. The immersive and portable nature of wearable AR ensures high efficiency but often comes with higher upfront costs.

Projected AR

This type uses light to project digital content directly onto physical surfaces, such as workstations or factory floors. Projected AR is ideal for interactive tasks, such as assembly guidance or design reviews, enabling real-time collaboration without requiring individual devices. However, its stationary nature may limit flexibility compared to mobile or wearable AR solutions.

Manufacturing Industries Benefiting from AR

Manufacturers in a variety of industries worldwide are investing in AR solutions. AR is versatile enough to solve many challenges and provide major benefits. Leading manufacturers are using AR to drive operational efficiency. Some of the industries benefiting from AR include:

Automotive manufacturing — AR applies to automotive manufacturing operations by making changes instantaneous and efficient, given the extreme variation that both OEMs and tiered suppliers have to produce. AR helps in visualizing complex assemblies, ensuring precise fits, and streamlining quality control processes.

Aerospace and defense manufacturing — Quality is the name of the game in aerospace and defense manufacturing equipment. AR ensures quality and standardizes and digitizes work instructions. It helps in maintaining stringent standards and reducing errors in the production of critical components.

Electronics manufacturing — AR guided work instructions train and retrain in a simple, agile way. Systems like LightGuide’s TrainAR provide dual functions for training and production, helping workers be always up-to-date with the latest procedures and techniques.

Medical manufacturing — AR verification is used to guarantee safety and integrity. AR is used to confirm a process step, such as which bin a component should be picked from, what tool to use, and where the component should be placed. This ensures that medical devices are manufactured to the highest standards of quality and safety.

A Collaborative Future with Augmented Reality in Manufacturing

AR isn’t just a tool for optimizing workflows — it’s a gateway to fostering collaboration and innovation. The uses of augmented reality in the manufacturing sector are vast, enhancing productivity, efficiency, and precision. Whether improving product designs, streamlining production, or delivering exceptional customer experiences, augmented reality is proving to be a vital asset for manufacturers seeking efficiency and growth. If you're interested in exploring the implementation of augmented reality or virtual reality into your manufacturing workflow and operations, nomtek can help you map out possible opportunities where these technologies could help.