Tamturbo has something grand to showcase at exhibitions worldwide: their new turbo compressor utilising high-speed technology consumes approximately one fifth less electricity than traditional models. However, the transportation of a large and heavy compressor to exhibitions is an unpleasantly arduous and expensive process.
“The machine’s dimensions are two metres each way. Hauling it on site requires power, fuel and thousands of euros. You may have to pay several thousands of euros just to move the machine from the truck to the stand with the logistics services which have a monopoly at the exhibitions,” says Tamturbo’s CEO, Timo Pulkki.
One-time exhibition machines may have arduous customs procedures in distant countries, and the schedules of handling them in customs may also be uncertain. Before an exhibition in Brazil in the spring of 2018, there was a risk that the machine would not arrive in time for the exhibition. Pulkki contacted Wakeone after realising that it may be best to haul the machine to the exhibition ecologically on an iPad in a briefcase.
Thus the super high-speed compressor was showcased in São Paulo, Brazil, on a tablet. “This was the right solution for our needs. The implementation of XR Showroom is a great and impressive experience, also for exhibition visitors. It enables a machine to be showcased diversely without having to haul a physical machine weighing several tonnes on site. XR Showroom is a package clearly worth the money,” says Timo Pulkki, contently.
With the help of the XR Showroom application utilising augmented reality technology, an exhibition visitor may examine the real-sized machine far and near – and even inside! A CAD model of the machine is uploaded into the application used on a tablet or a mobile phone, and the application transforms it into a 3D model which can be moved with your fingers. Modelling still requires some manual labour from the people at Wakeone, but this will also be automated in the future.
Just as Tampere-based Tamturbo’s new completely oil-free compressor saves both oil and electricity, XR Showroom developed by Wakeone saves expenses arising from the showcasing and sales of the turbo compressor.
“Savings for a single exhibition trip may be as much as 10,000 euros. This would have been the combined price of freighting the machine to Brazil, transporting it by truck to the exhibition centre, moving it from the truck to the stand, storage fees of the transport containers and all expenses and time spent on organising this,” says Pulkki
“We have received praise for a very good showcasing, because, compared to a normal 3D model looked at on a computer, the application allows you to see the machine’s rough physical dimensions through the tablet as a part of the surrounding reality. The compact size of our machines is an important competitive advantage, and it is great to be able to emphasise and demonstrate this in such a tangible way with the application,” says Timo Pulkki.
The application is handy for showcasing engines with magnetic bearings and other core components of the compressor. According to Pulkki, the showcasing of the machine with a tablet is significantly more compelling and interesting than merely handing out brochures and flyers to exhibition visitors. Indeed, the most common comment from a visitor is “Wow, you can do this? – This works great!”
“Having the physical machine on site is of course the best solution, but it is very expensive. In addition to money, organising the transportation takes a lot of time. A tablet, on the other hand, can be carried in a briefcase or even in your hand onto the plane and to the exhibition stand.”
The software house Wakeone receives praise for understanding the needs of the machinery industry. “They completely understand our business and needs. The people at Wakeone have clearly worked with the manufacturing industry before. The implementation of XR Showroom supports our sales, and our cooperation has been terrifically smooth in other respects as well. I am glad to recommend XR Showroom to any company manufacturing or marketing machines with transportation challenges,” says Timo Pulkki.
