Limitless is 5G - How 5G will allow you to build smart factories

When discussing 5G, I have come to realize, it's often best to simplify the discussion down to its simplest parts. What’s significant here? What can you do with this network? How will it affect you as a manufacturer? I’m often asked these questions. Straightforward answers work. It is your wireless network on steroids. While I'm sure there are many who could argue for each generation, one can’t dispute that since its genesis, the Wireless network has been getting faster, smaller, and more powerful for years now. And with 5G that power is exponential for manufacturing. How?

The new standard’s promise of massive connectivity means that any device with an internet connection will have enough bandwidth to stream videos or upload pictures right through the factory floor. 5G means potential for real-time data collection, improved connectivity between your workers, machine controllers, and your factory floor automation systems, and implementation of brand-new equipment with increased reliability. From optimizing the supply chain, IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) systems, and enabling smart factories, 5G will significantly accelerate the realization of Industry 4.0.

The Factory and Beyond: Rethink 10 Modern Manufacturing Foundations with 5G

Five years ago, only the largest industrial companies were able to justify spending significantly while they waited for 5G to become a reality. Today, as 5G services are deployed across industries worldwide, smaller companies are joining the 5G party.

“This is a defining moment for manufacturing organizations, as they see 5G being a reagent/catalyst for their digital transformation”

Gartner predicts, within the next three years, 25% of supply chain decisions will be made across intelligent edge ecosystems through 2025. These supply chains cover larger networks where data and decisions originate at the edge – from operators, machines, sensors, or devices, says the same report. With the speed and reliability, it offers, 5G will be important to inventory tracking, warehousing, and logistics, moving beyond the physical factory and connecting to the larger manufacturing system.

According to a recent study by the Manufacturing Institute, nine in ten manufacturers (88%) indicate 5G connectivity allows easy troubleshooting remotely. An equivalent number of manufacturers (87%) also report that remote visibility and monitoring enabled by 5G will help them adapt to any economic crisis.

All activities dependent on connectivity technologies will witness a lift with 5G. Whether it’s a reconfiguration of production lines, remote controlling of equipment, use of augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/ VR) applications, mobile robots, autonomous guided vehicles, or automation. The 5G communication standard opens up critical new prospects across industrial manufacturing domains. Here are 10 Modern Manufacturing Fundamentals/ Practices/ Foundations that will witness a boost:

·?????? Intelligent Automation

·?????? Edge Intelligence

·?????? Factory Floor Communication

·?????? Device Management

·?????? Data Collection and Analysis

·?????? Production Scheduling and Management

·?????? Maintenance and Operations

·?????? Supply Chain Operations

·?????? Digital Twins

·?????? Industrial IoT

5G will have a profound and wide-ranging impact across many manufacturing processes and connected operations. We translate the actual value of 5G-powered innovation as a multidimensional solution to manufacturing. ?Let’s dig deeper into its role in providing new impetus to industrial transformation.

References:

https://www.rtinsights.com/five-ways-5g-is-transforming-the-manufacturing-landscape/#:~:text=5G%20has%20the%20potential%20to,connected%20to%20the%205G%20network.%E2%80%9D

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/why-5g-matters-to-manufacturing-companies/

https://www.themanufacturinginstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Manufacturing-Institute-5G-study.pdf

Industrial 5G : The wireless network of the future (yash.com)