1. Process automation
Industry 4.0 and IoT have brought about the smart factory4—a highly digitalised and connected environment where robots, machines, and devices are able to self-heal and run operations autonomously. One of the main benefits of the smart factory is its ability to automate repetitive, labour-intensive, and potentially dangerous tasks. Not only will this lessen human error and the risk of accidents, but it will also give people more opportunities to take on more complex roles.
German aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines has been experimenting with 5G-based production technology5 to make their operations more efficient. They pilot-tested its applications on blade integrated disks (blisk), which are high-tech components that are used for jet engines. These are milled out of solid pieces of metal, are extremely complex, and require the utmost accuracy to produce.
The total lead time to create a blisk is around three to four months. With new 5G-enabled production technology (which involved sensors and IoT technology), the company was able to create an automated factory6 that could be managed through one network. This reduced the time for the process design phase by 75%7.
5G is one of the key enablers to these smart factories, as it gives manufacturers the ability to create highly reliable systems that can sustain the web of information passing through various machines and devices. It’s predicted that by 2023, the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of smart factories will add between US$1.5 trillion to US$2.2 trillion8 to the global economy.
2. Remote monitoring of production assets
Another benefit of smart factories is the ability to monitor and control production assets remotely. Operators don’t need to be on the factory floor, but can instead keep track of operations in real-time9 through software systems. This means operators can easily locate and manage assets, gain actionable insights in real-time, and configure the machinery to optimise safety, efficiency, and quality.
While live monitoring has its benefits on the factory floor, it can also expedite certain SOPs outside of it. Siemens, for example, implemented its first live remote monitoring system10 for Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) in its Transformers factory in Mexico. The FAT is proof that the equipment manufactured by Siemens follows the customer’s contract specifications and is ready to be installed on-site. Normally, customers must be physically present at the factory to conduct the FAT, but because of live monitoring, customers can conduct the FAT from their own locations.
This sort of environment relies heavily on connectivity. Siemens used 12 cameras transmitting high-quality videos in real-time—without a fast and stable connection, it would be difficult for both operators and customers to conduct the FAT without some sort of delay or potential for miscommunication. With 5G, live streaming and remote monitoring will be more seamless, accurate, and secure, enabling operators to broaden its application and troubleshoot problems as they happen.
3. Collaborative robotics
Manufacturers employ a variety of robots for industrial tasks11. There are robots that can move products from one location to another and robots that are designed to work alongside humans in the warehouse. Most of these industrial robots are connected using a wired system as the data required to power a warehouse of robots cannot be supported by current wireless speeds.
The emergence of 5G will make robot use in manufacturing faster and more efficient without the heft or limitation of cables. Manufacturing robots are expected to see significant growth in the next few years.
A company that makes use of collaborative robotics is Ocado, a UK-based online grocery market that claims to be one of the largest in the world. Their smart factory in Andover, England has over 1,100 robots12 picking up items from crates and delivering them to packing stations, fulfilling thousands of grocery orders every week. They travel along a grid using an air traffic control system so they don’t collide with one another and travel up to 37 miles per day. They are said to pack 50 items in just five minutes, which amounts to 65,000 orders made by customers in a week.
Such an operation would require huge volumes of data to be transmitted across a number of sensors to avoid real-time collisions. The speed and bandwidth of a 5G network would support robotic warehouses of this calibre.
4. Analytics to predict breakdowns and downtimes
Unplanned downtimes are one of the great impediments to achieving maximum productivity for manufacturers. Studies have shown that unplanned downtimes are costing industrial manufacturers around US$50 billion13 each year, with equipment failures being the cause of 42% of these downtimes. Through connected systems and predictive analytics, manufacturers can predict and prevent unwanted downtimes. This is what global automobile parts manufacturer, HIROTEC, implemented in its factories.
The Japanese manufacturer employed an IoT cloud platform and edge analytics14 and integrated these with its manufacturing systems to conduct a series of pilots. These pilots gave HIROTEC real-time visibility into its business operations to measure efficiency and then leveraged machine learning to predict and prevent failures in critical systems. This led to a 100% reduction in manual inspections.
Process automation and remote monitoring are all prerequisites to predictive analytics. 5G networks will ensure the reliability of information gathered from pilot tests and increase the accuracy of the predictions.
5. Augmented reality for repairs
The low latency and stable connectivity that 5G provides also enables augmented reality troubleshooting15 to repair electronic boards. Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson has been experimenting with augmented reality (AR) overlays in their factory in Tallinn, Estonia so technicians can repair electronic boards without referring to blueprints or word documents.
The company found that technicians spend roughly half of their time on non-value add activities like finding and linking schematics with layout files when they were troubleshooting a faulty unit. They use AR to quickly identify parts of an electronic board that need to be fixed. This cuts the time it takes to create, edit, and update those documents, train technicians, and repair electronic boards significantly.
6. Additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is making significant impacts on the manufacturing industry. In particular, 3D printing is revolutionising spare parts management16.
Many warehouses maintain a huge inventory of spare parts for customers who are still operating older machines. Half of all orders shipped are one-time requests for spare parts. With predictive analytics, they can forecast the demand for spare parts and use a 3D printer to create the part on-demand. This will reduce waste and the cost to store spare parts.
American multinational home appliance manufacturer Whirlpool adopted 3D printing17 through a partnership with Singapore service bureau Spare Parts 3D. They are using the technology to “combat obsolescence and fulfil part-shortage areas.” While this will result in cost-savings for the company, Whirlpool believes that the most significant outcome is the impact on customer care—customers can receive brand new spare-parts whenever they need it.
The emergence of 5G can supercharge this process by enabling operators to connect with multiple standalone 3D printers, so they can monitor and control the 3D printing processes remotely.
7. Creation of new business models
The emergence of 5G also opens up new business models in the manufacturing segment. The ability to control various devices through a mobile network allows operators to stretch their creativity to its limit. Drones18, for example, are increasingly being used in smart factories for a breadth of tasks, from transporting materials across the factory floor to conducting aerial site audits.
Drones require data networks in order to fly great distances. However, in the air, current LTE networks are prone to interferences, making it difficult to monitor and control drones. 5G networks should be able to resolve these issues and provide drones with the connectivity needed to be used outside the factory floor. 5G also enables network slicing19, which means operators can use the same network infrastructure and segment them for various use cases. So in case the network is encumbered, the dedicated ‘slice’ for drones is protected and can maintain smooth operations.
Amazon has been teasing its plans for a drone delivery system20 since 2013 as part of its push to reduce package delivery times for its customers. They recently announced that their Prime Air service will be ready within a “few months,” but that remains to be seen. But the fact that 5G makes this sort of service possible makes us wonder what else the world of 5G has in store for us in the future.
