How the cloud, edge processing and 5G private networks made smart factory a reality
October 22, 2020
The smart factory has arrived. A “perfect storm” of factors have converged to make smart factory a reality: Cloud computing and on-premise edge computing have matured and are widely available, while private 5G-ready networks are now becoming increasingly available as well.
By Claus Friedl, Digital Manufacturing & Robotics Lead ASGR, Accenture
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In Garching you can experience the power and the benefits of 5G for industrial IoT. | Image: Accenture
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Smart factories are no longer science fiction. Companies now have everything they need to use autonomous and collaborative robotics in production, do real-time inventory and production tracking, perform predictive maintenance or support the health and well-being of their workers on the shop floor.
Over the coming months, we are looking forward to welcome dozens of clients to the Industry X Innovation Center Garching so they can explore jointly the power of 5G in manufacturing and robotics and to test their 5G enabled industrial equipment and solutions in a real environment. At our testbed, they can see how their applications will work in a live environment with secure, ultra-reliable, low-latency and high-bandwidth connectivity.
5G private campus networks represent an evolution in mobile network technology, not just through their reduced latency. One important key characteristics of private networks is that the complete technology can be under full physical control of the customer. This way all security requirements can be met and the complete setup can be configured exactly to the client’s needs.
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- Network performance: Higher bandwidth and lower latency compared to Wi-Fi. Relevant for: Augmented/Virtual Reality, video based systems control,
- Reliability: For IoT devices and seamless handovers of highly mobile devices. Relevant for: driverless vehicles in ports, warehouses, robotics and shop floor automation,
- Security: SIM-based authentication, strong air interface ciphering, IPSec. Relevant for: video surveillance, transfer of sensitive data in hospitals, robotics, automation, etc.,
- Coverage: High ranges in outdoor and indoor environments due to lower frequency spectrum. Relevant for: industrial campuses, airport aprons, cities,
- Enables critical communications: Communication (voice and data) also possible when public network is down. Relevant for: all mission/business-critical communications, and
- Seamless with public networks: Same features when handed over to/from a public network. Relevant for: public venues, e.g. stadiums and convention centers, after market services, etc.
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At the Industry X Innovation Center, we have installed a new 5G private campus network using dedicated spectrum licensed from the German Federal Network Agency. It is independent from public networks and is based on the Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (NDAC), a leading 5G private campus network technology.
This new technology makes it possible for companies to overcome the hurdles which have prevented IIoT projects from being implemented at scale, such as insufficient integration between the shop floor and the “top floor,” no single database, and no single source of the truth about the associated process, such as production or inventory.
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The new technology will make all of these things easier and enable more flexible, efficient, reliable and secure connectivity of devices on the shop floor. This will lead to cost reductions, higher productivity and new revenue streams.
These are a few reasons why we’re excited to welcome clients from all industries to our “5G test bed”—whether they are working in discrete manufacturing, process industries, life science, food & beverage, travel & transportation, retail or finance and insurance. We are looking forward showing them, that it is nothing about science fiction getting a factory smart.
5G private network in Garching
At the Industry X Innovation Center Garching, Accenture helps clients design and prototype digital solutions to improve engineering, manufacturing, and production.
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About the author
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Claus Friedl
Claus is Technology Consulting Principal Director and is responsible for Production & Operations Industry X in ASGR at Accenture. In his career he worked in various industries including Communication Systems, Mobile Devices, Process Industry, Automotive, Industrial Automation, and Marine Automation. Start a conversation with him via LinkedIn.
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