Kymera: ‘Virtual Tannery’ for remote maintenance

Kymera director Alexia Fischer…Time- and money saving is the rationale behind the system.

Kymera Group, which specialises in spares, consumables, and services, demonstrated its ‘Virtual Tannery’, a communication system which allows remote technical advice for machinery servicing and repairs.              

“This isn’t new technology,” said director Alexia Fischer, “but it’s quite new in the leather industry.”

The system consists of a headset worn by the customer, which incorporates both a camera which captures what the customer sees, and a small screen in which the customer can see the advice given by a remote technician.

“This is about time saving,” she said. “Most of our customers are small- and medium-size businesses, often far away from technicians based in Europe.  

“We can give access to a vast network of professional experts, who provide advice on their equipment.             

“Often, the customers’ own technicians can repair problems under remote supervision, and that saves time and money.”

She said the system was so far being offered for machinery and processes. “We’ve been asked about advising on processes,” she said, “and even though it is not our core business, we can arrange for a specialist to connect with the customer.”         

Kymera’s package includes the headset and associated hardware (€2400), an annual licence (€750), plus an hourly fee (€100) when the system is being used.              

“So far, this service is by appointment,” she said. “We believe we can get to the stage where it’s a 24-hour service.”

Kymera is represented in southern Africa by TST Agencies.