FEATURE Smart Factories
5G-enabled smart factories of the future
[Image: Jonas Morgner for Unsplash] W
Ste Ashton of 5G Testbed-as-a-Service provider nexGworx explains how 5G can sit at the heart of a smart factory industrial setting.
ith the arrival of 5G, the technology to turn ideas into reality is fi nally here, and three years after the UK
government launched its ‘5G Testbeds and Trials’ (5GTT) programme, the results are demonstrating serious potential to transform manufacturing operations across the world. The UK’s fi rst live 5G factory trials took place at the Worcestershire 5G testbed through 2018-2020, in what was a landmark step toward the creation of smart factories in Britain. Worcester Bosch tested 5G for improved factory output, exploring preventative maintenance using IoT sensors and data analytics to predict failure; Yamakazi Mazak explored how technology could be used to troubleshoot applications, allowing operators to remotely guide onsite engineers; while QinetiQ looked at designing security into 5G networks and applications. Elsewhere, SME aerospace manufacturer
AE Aerospace’s ‘glass factory’ concept has been investigating how private 5G networks can be used to plan production, by collecting and monitoring performance data in real time, and create a new ‘capacity availability’ model. It has also been testing how sensors can be used to locate and ensure gauges are correctly calibrated, with artifi cial intelligence (AI) improving the quality and inspection processes.
These examples have all contributed to seminal work as part of the DCMS 5GTT programme, which identifi ed that 5G networks could enable productivity savings
20 April 2022 | Automation
of 2% in manufacturing, amounting to £2.6bn when extrapolated across the whole of the UK – and this is just a conservative estimate based on a handful of examples. As the team behind the installation of the
fi rst private 5G network at a UK manufacturer, we’ve seen fi rst-hand the challenges and benefi ts of setting up a smart factory environment, from the perspective of both manufacturing businesses and also technology providers. That is why we created our Testbed-as-a-Service programme, supported by technology partner BT, to provide a safe and accessible platform for UK industry to develop and test next-generation technology. Whilst a handful of applications require 5G networks on their own merit, there isn’t one killer application or one that will single-handedly drive 5G adoption – more likely, the installation of private 5G networks is best justifi ed where several applications operating together require the benefi ts off ered by 5G. These range from increased bandwidth capacity, faster download times, reduced latency and greater ability to connect multiple devices in a fl exible environment and, on the shop fl oor, might translate into the ability to monitor and adapt production schedules in real time, storing and processing highly-detailed inspection images for quality inspections carried out by AI, or locating tools and moving them around the factory on a just-in-time basis. Crucially, we are now working with the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry to build a 5G network and develop demonstration examples that will highlight the capabilities of 5G in an
Many applications are likely to arise
from existing continuous improvement programmes and, as such, Industry 4.0 readiness may well be led by a combination of continuous improvement and operations and R&D teams. Productivity gains from improvements in process, quality control, health and safety, customer experience and a sustainable agenda are all achievable and can be amplifi ed still further by collaborating between project teams, in-house departments, manufacturing sites and even supply-chain businesses and customers. Of course, with greater collaboration comes security risks. But this is where access to public and private 5G testbeds comes into its own, allowing security features such as multi-site network access control, strong mutual authentication and encryption to be trialled, tested and built into programmes, and supported by security experts such as those of BT and QinetiQ. The potential off ered by 5G to power smart, connected manufacturing is exciting and the eco system is developing quickly, with an ever-increasing number of 5G entry- point options. Governments across Europe are investing in networks and trials to drive adoption within their own manufacturing sectors and ensure they are well placed to reap the benefi ts off ered by Industry 4.0.
nexgworx.co.uk CONTACT:
nexGworx
automationmagazine.co.uk
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