Pioneering tests in a real industrial environment to promote safety through Extended Reality

At Factor, we continue to advance our commitment to innovation applied to industry by participating in the European SUN project, an initiative that develops an integrated Extended Reality (XR) platform to improve safety, occupational health, and interaction in professional environments.

A leading industrial pilot project in Europe

Factor has become the first of the three European sites -alongside Italy and Switzerland-  to carry out the final validation phase with real users. This contribution is key for the consortium, which has been able to validate the technology in a 100% real and functional industrial setting, with real processes and equipment in operation.

In this context, operators, technical staff, and prevention trainers have tested the XR platform in real working conditions. Unlike other pilots geared toward medical rehabilitation environments, the validation at Factor has been carried out entirely in a productive environment, involving a team of more than ten professionals.

“For the SUN project, having validations in a real industrial environment is crucial and has allowed us to obtain valuable information about the applicability of XR in the manufacturing sector and its ability to improve safety and efficiency in critical processes”, explained Alfredo Giménez, Director of Innovation. 

Positive validation results

The assessment of this phase has been very positive. For the Factor team, it has been an opportunity to interact with cutting-edge technologies and see first-hand how they can support their daily work. The participants have been fully involved and their real-time feedback has been essential for the project developers.

The experience has allowed us to observe how technology adapts to the needs of industrial work, becoming more intuitive, useful, and accessible. “It has been a motivating experience for everyone, allowing us to visualize how safety training and industrial safety management will evolve”, said Pablo Rocamora, Head of Innovation Projects.

The transformative potential of XR in industry

Extended Reality has great transformative potential in the short term. Its application allows for:

• Recreating risk simulations without real exposure.
• Improving training in critical situations.
• Facilitate maintenance or assembly tasks through guided remote assistance.
• Reduce the margin for human error.
• Streamline the execution of processes in the plant.

All of this contributes to a safer, more efficient, and more connected work environment, in line with the natural evolution of the sector.

Next steps for the project

Following validation at our facilities, a detailed analysis of the data and comments collected has been carried out and shared with the other project partners in order to make the final adjustments to the XR platform and ensure that it meets the needs identified.

At the same time, internally, we are analyzing ways to integrate these XR technologies into training programs and safety protocols, thereby reinforcing our commitment to an increasingly safe, advanced, and innovative industrial model.

A distinction that highlights leadership in business growth

Factor has been selected as one of the CEPYME500 companies, a distinction awarded annually by the Spanish Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CEPYME) to the 500 Spanish companies with the greatest potential for growth, projection and impact on the national productive fabric.

The awards ceremony took place at the Madrid Stock Exchange, in an event that brought together representatives from around a hundred companies selected in this edition. Fernando Gastaldo Lázaro, CEO of Factor, was responsible for collecting the award on behalf of the company.

"For Factor, this recognition is an incentive to continue advancing with technical rigour, a vision for the future and a commitment to adding value to Spanish industry", said Fernando Gastaldo.

Factor's inclusion in CEPYME500 highlights our commitment to innovation and industrial excellence, the result of a fully integrated value chain that ranges from R&D&I and product design to advanced manufacturing. This model allows us to continue growing steadily, boosting industrial competitiveness and generating quality employment.

At Factor, we are grateful for this recognition, as well as for the efforts of our entire team and the trust placed in us by our customers and partners. These are essential elements for continuing to advance our goal: to develop high-value industrial solutions with precision, technology and proximity.

New continuous scanning technology improves accuracy, speed, and reliability in dimensional verification processes

At Factor, we continue to reinforce our commitment to quality and innovation with the addition of the new Hexagon Scan+ to our Quality Department. This continuous scanning technology raises our standards of accuracy and reliability, optimizing dimensional verification processes and consolidating our position as a leader in high-precision machining.

A technological leap in dimensional control

In the high-precision machining sector, where tolerances are measured in microns, dimensional control is as important as the manufacturing process itself. At Factor, we know that ensuring quality is not just about measuring, but about measuring better, faster, and more reliably.

To continue moving in this direction, we have carried out a technical refurbishment of the Global Lite three-dimensional measuring machine, incorporating a new continuous probing head. This upgrade represents a qualitative leap in our verification capabilities and a direct benefit for our customers.

"This advance allows us to offer our customers an even more agile and comprehensive dimensional control service, even for highly complex parts", says Mónica Grau, Factor's Quality and Environment Director, who emphasizes that "precision is an essential part of our identity, and this new technology reinforces our commitment to continuous improvement".

Until now, Global Lite worked with a point-to-point measurement system, suitable for simple geometries and discrete dimensions. However, machined components are increasingly complex in shape, with smooth transitions and critical radii, where even the smallest deviations can make a difference.

The new continuous probing head allows the sensor to maintain constant contact with the surface of the part, collecting hundreds of points per second. This mode of operation not only increases the density of data available for analysis, but also significantly improves the repeatability and reliability of results, especially on curved surfaces or free-form elements.

More speed, more capacity

The addition of the new Hexagon Scan+ strengthens our competitive position in the high-precision machining sector. Thanks to this new equipment, we have increased our responsiveness and flexibility, enabling us to handle a greater volume of dimensional checks in shorter timeframes and with total reliability.

This innovation allows us to optimize verification times, reduce waiting processes, and speed up measurement times by up to four times for certain parts, without any loss of precision. In short, the Hexagon Scan+ consolidates our commitment to continuous improvement and puts us one step ahead in guaranteeing quality and precision.

In addition, the second CMM incorporates a larger bed, allowing dimensional control of large parts or complete machined assemblies without resorting to partial assemblies or sectional measurements.

This capability significantly expands the range of applications that can be verified internally, ensuring the same reliability for both small, high-precision components and large-volume parts.

As a result, customers receive a comprehensive dimensional control service, adapted to any type of part manufactured.

Double control, maximum reliability

Having two measuring systems equipped with scanning technology provides a strategic advantage in terms of both capacity and reliability. On the one hand, it doubles metrological availability, reducing waiting times and preventing dimensional verification from becoming a bottleneck in production. On the other hand, having two systems with continuous probing allows results to be compared between machines, ensuring traceability and consistency of measurements even on parts with complex geometries or critical tolerances.

This combination reinforces Factor's ability to respond quickly to customer needs, while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy.

More data for better control

This technological improvement not only provides speed, but also depth in dimensional control. Continuous scanning allows complete surface maps to be generated, which facilitates:

• Direct comparisons with the CAD model using point clouds with greater speed.
• Early detection of deviations or wear trends in tools and equipment.
• Greater reliability in process capability studies (Cp, Cpk).

All of this translates into more robust, preventive quality control focused on constant optimization. For those who trust Factor, this update means parts verified in greater detail, in less time, and with guaranteed traceability, reinforcing our commitment to innovation, excellence, and reliable, accurate, and competitive solutions.

Membership of the Spanish Association of Defence, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Companies consolidates Factor’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and technological development in the field of defence

Factor, through its Factor Defence division, has joined TEDAE, the Spanish Association of Defence, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Companies. With this membership, we reinforce our commitment to innovation, competitiveness and national autonomy in the defence sector.

With extensive experience in the manufacture of high-precision machined components, Factor promotes a culture based on technical excellence, collaboration and applied research, enabling us to contribute to the strengthening of the Spanish industrial network and the development of innovative technological solutions for the defence sector.

"As an SME with 20 years of experience in manufacturing machined components for small, medium and large calibre ammunition and other weapon system components, we have joined TEDAE to strengthen our commitment to the sector. We value its support in legislation, sector representation, financing, R&D and internationalisation, and we will contribute our knowledge and collaboration to jointly promote innovation, competitiveness and national autonomy," explains Fernando Gastaldo, managing director of Factor.

TEDAE is a non-profit association established in 2009 that brings together Spanish technology industries dedicated to the defence, security, aeronautics, and space sectors. Its mission focuses on representing and promoting the interests of its members, enhancing the sector’s competitiveness and international presence, and fostering technological and industrial cooperation at both national and international levels.