Private 5G revolutionising manufacturing industry 4.0

While no two manufacturers are the same, every manufacturer shares a common set of business challenges: the need to increase productivity and operational efficiency, reduce costs and downtime, maintain safety and security, and identify new revenue streams.

Industry 4.0 aims to meet these challenges by revolutionizing how manufacturers incorporate new digital capabilities that supercharge agility and resiliency. Technologies such as private 5G networks, Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins that utilize Augmented Reality(AR) and machine learning. More manufacturers are implementing these solutions on the factory floor to streamline designs and production capabilities.

As manufacturers build out Industry 4.0 infrastructure in the factory, connectivity options are one of the major decision factors. Many continue to rely on wired networks which can be expensive to install, manage, upgrade, reroute, and extend and can limit equipment mobility. In addition, traditional Wi-Fi is often plagued by signal interference and degradation, requiring numerous repeaters, in sprawling and dynamic factory environments and can be more vulnerable to cyberattacks

Fast, reliable private 5G networks offer a proven way to provide wider coverage areas, low latency, and increased bandwidth, and can make the factory more efficient, secure, and cost-effective.

Benefits of private 5G in manufacturing

Private 5G networks introduce many new capabilities on the factory floor revolutionizing factory automation and enhancing human-machine interactions. Private 5G networks allow more control over autonomous guided vehicles and robotic devices; they move data faster from IoT sensors and connected devices to support near real-time data analysis and decision-making about factory operations; and they feature built-in security controls that can reduce the risk of cyberattacks that too-often cause downtime and reputational damage.

Implementing Industry 4.0 solutions with private 5G networks can help companies realize the full potential of smart manufacturing and gain a significant competitive edge.  Meaningful business outcomes made possible by private 5G include:

• Accelerating production cycles by connecting factory assets that are in motion, such as autonomous guided vehicles and forklifts. (Context-aware robotics can raise productivity up to 20% and AGVs can boost productivity by 50 to 75 percent, according to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.)
• Reducing operating costs. (Manufacturers anticipate cost savings of roughly 38% from using 5G to connect their machines and equipment wirelessly, according to Manufacturing Institute )
• Improving quality control and enabling predictive maintenance by increasing visibility into critical processes using cameras and computer vision. (Maintenance costs can be reduced up to 10% with predictive maintenance, and AI-drive quality assurance can spot up to 90% more defects in products than human operator, ASME research)
• Minimising the number of employees needed on the floor, which can improve safety and lower costs. (Workplace injuries accounted for $171bn in costs in the US in 2019, according to OSHA.)

Getting started with private 5G networks

Manufacturers can decrease the time it takes to get a new factory or process up and running by using a private 5G network. They are often up and running within a couple of months when working with an experienced technology solutions partner like Verizon.

Manufacturers can have their private 5G networks up and running in just a couple of months when working with an experienced technology solutions partner like Verizon.

One often-overlooked early step is to conduct a baseline assessment of current infrastructure and cybersecurity in the production environment(s). Once their experts have determined a manufacturers’ current capabilities and needs, Verizon can deploy the fast, secure network that will optimise every site across the business.

Further, it is essential that manufacturers have the option to match use cases with the right wireless spectrum. Verizon’s ability to provide and manage bandwidth all along the wireless spectrum, including unlicensed spectrum like CBRS, gives industrial customers a single partner to enable them to align their industry 4.0 initiatives with the right service.

Private 5G drives innovation

In factories, warehouses and ports worldwide, private 5G networks from Verizon are already proving to be effective and secure foundations that can scale to support new production lines and future factories.  Verizon even works with Deloitte as a collaborator in The Smart Factory @ Wichita ecosystem of 20 leading organizations, providing the private 5G network that fuels research into manufacturing innovation at that cutting-edge facility.

In a very short amount of time, “Industry 4.0” has evolved from buzzword to business-ready, solving immediate business challenges while inspiring new ways to meet ever-changing customer demands.  And at the heart of Industry 4.0 is private 5G, making it possible to achieve true digital transformation and establish a significant competitive advantage.