Teaching industrial skills virtually is no easy feat. More than many subjects, industrial and technical training involves a key hands-on component that doesn’t necessarily translate well to a virtual setting.
We’ve talked about the types of video/audio equipment you need to teach from home, but what equipment and technologies can simulate “hands-on” training for your students learning from home?
Nothing can truly replace the experience of learning with real life equipment, but a virtual experience can come pretty close. Here are our favorite trainers for teaching industrial skills virtually.
Amatrol Virtual Simulators
These Virtual Simulators replicate hands-on equipment in such great detail that students will feel like they are using the actual equipment. Students perform essentially the same industry-based tasks using the virtual equipment that they would perform using equipment hardware.
Amatrol offers virtual trainers for:
- Electrical
- Electronics
- Fluid Power
- Machining
- Mechanical
- Manufacturing Processes
- Quality Assurance
Coupled with Amatrol’s eLearning software, these virtual trainers make teaching industry standard skills virtually easy. The curriculum uses a competency-based instructional design and the content itself offers eye-popping graphics, 3D simulations, videos, and complete explanations combine with strong interactivity to develop technical skills.
FANUC ROBOGUIDE Simulation Software
FANUC’s ROBOGUIDE — HandlingPRO, PaintPRO, PalletPRO and PalletTool and WeldPRO — are a great option for industrial robotics programs. Students can create, program and simulate a robotic workcell in 3D on their home computers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqAtJLMyrv4
PLC Training with Factory IO
You can easily turn a computer into a PLC trainer with Factory IO, which covers the most common automation technologies: PLC simulators, Modbus, OPC and many others.
With this software, you can create a virtual factory using a library of industrial parts, including sensors, conveyors, elevators, stations, and more. This parts library makes it easy to build your own 3D scenarios, but there are also more than 20 scenes inspired by typical industrial applications to practice real world control tasks.
Why do we like Factory I/O?
- One license includes 20+ ready-to-use industrial applications
- Can teach a whole classroom simultaneously
- Works with all PLC brands and the most common automation technologies
- Takes only 600Mb of disk space
- Move it anywhere
- Students can experiment, edit and modify their virtual factory without risks
- An inherent feature of simulations: no wear
Teach Carpentry with VRSim SIM Build Carpentry
SimBuild Carpentry teaches the fundamental skills used in residential construction. Students progress through a wide range of activities requiring an increasing degree of skill and creativity. As they complete assignments, they build up skills, until they gain the full competencies needed to launch a career in construction.
We love that the SimBuild learning management system (LMS) provides instructors with tools to follow student progress and assess learning needs. You can try out a free demo version here.
Teach Metalworking Fundamentals and Entry Level Machinists with VRSim SIM Build Industrial
SimBuild Industrial teaches the fundamental skills used by metalworkers and entry level machinists in industrial manufacturing operations. The software’s content builds competencies needed for many manufacturing jobs – tools, safety, applied shop math and plan reading.
Similarly to SIM Build Carpentry, the LMS provides instructors with information about student progress and performance, and tracks that progress against competencies students need for job-readiness. You can try out a free demo version of SIM Build Industrial here.
Cover Electrical Simulation with Simutech Training System
What’s great about the Simutech Training System is its generic in nature and can be applied to any industry including: food and beverage, automotive, oil and gas, plastics, and industrial packaging.
The hands-on learning labs and troubleshooting simulations provide a realistic environment where students learn to diagnose and repair electrical faults in complex production machinery quickly, effectively, and safely.
Simutech’s LMS help you manage your team’s learning and ensure that all of your professionals achieve a consistent level of expertise. This video offers a pretty in-depth showcase of the full training system:
If you’re looking for a specific type of virtual trainer, check out our database of remote teaching resources (you can search a list of virtual trainers by grade level and subject).
