Facts Power Plant Trainers Should Know About 3D Field Simulators

All vocational training is valuable, and, in some cases, it can be crucial. 3D field simulators offer a rapid means to build engaging training scenarios. There are many examples of jobs that require employees to undergo intensive, in-depth practical training.

Each time you board an Airbus A350 or a Boeing 787, you can be grateful that your pilot has gained extensive experience in a flight simulator during initial training. In addition, the person in the left-hand seat will have spent time with the relevant simulations to gain familiarity with these new, hi-tech, wide-bodied aircraft.

If you or a relative should need an operation, don’t be alarmed if the surgeon appears inexperienced. What that practitioner may lack in years has likely been compensated by many hours of intensive practice in multiple life-like but computer-generated scenarios. Wherever there is an element of danger, trainers are now choosing software-based solutions more frequently, and there are many sound reasons for their choice.

Among the sectors that have welcomed this option are the mining and power generation industries. Many mine and power plant managers will agree that training simulations are the way forward. The technology combines increased safety and efficiency with lower costs and less downtime. In short, it enables trainees to develop their practical skills more quickly and apply them consistently in any routine or emergency situation.

3D Field Simulators Are a Safe Means to Reproduce Emergencies for Training Purposes

Proto team members often undergo training at a participating fire station. They are provided with protective clothing and an experienced instructor to teach them the various procedures for dousing flames in a specially constructed room. While this instruction can be helpful, there are more potential hazards than burns and smoke inhalation if a fire should break out underground. Training personnel to fight fires in a mine poses some unique challenges.

For a start, there is no way one could risk conducting the training underground. A single spark could be sufficient to cause a conflagration or explosion that could claim countless lives. Sadly, fires tend to be a constant risk in a closed environment where methane gas and coal dust can accumulate and ignite spontaneously. If a real fire should occur, only prompt and efficient action by experienced personnel offers a chance to extinguish it, and it’s certainly not an opportunity to conduct a training session. Nevertheless, this specialised training is vital to the industry to protect its employees. Fortunately, 3D field simulators offer a perfect means to train miners to perform many of their day-to-day tasks and manage emergencies such as an outbreak of fire.

How Does One Create 3D Field Simulations?

These simulations employ game-based learning technology and specialised software to create life-like, interactive real-world scenarios. Commercial developers like SimGenics can prepare bespoke simulations tailored to the precise needs of end-users that provide a photorealistic reproduction of their unique working environment. The result is an almost addictive dynamic learning experience designed to instantly capture and retain a learner’s attention, making it a far more effective option than conventional practical training.

Alternatively, trainers could utilise the specialised 3D PACT software package to develop any simulations they might need in-house. The product can be used to create CAD/CAM objects using the data from a laser scan to build the required scenario, or one can employ the prebuilt objects from its relevant library. The even better news is that one can add the appropriate functionality to these objects even if you have no knowledge of coding or scripting. Other valuable functions like questionnaires and timed tasks that can monitor and record a learner’s performance may be added using the compatible virtual instructor software, which, like 3D PACT, one can purchase from SimGenics. Data gathered this way can also be analysed and used to generate reports.

Benefits of 3D Field Simulations

Simulated training scenarios benefit both trainers and trainees. Here are some examples:

• Convenience: Learners may study wherever there is a suitable digital device and can access programmes of their choice when it suits them best.

• Speed: Learning with game-based technology requires a much shorter learner curve than other training methods.

• Economy: Trainers may employ a local area network to allow multiple learners to practice simultaneously.

• Safety: Trainees can hone their firefighting skills in an air-conditioned classroom without breaking a sweat.

You are welcome to contact SimGenics to learn more about 3D field simulators and how they can improve your on-site practical training.