IR 4.0 and manufacturing landscape
IR 4.0 benefits include driving operational efficiency, real-time customisation and designing of products, improving CX, making decentralised decisions across the value chain, and information transparency to deliver real-time services assistance. IR 4.0 is beyond the digitalisation on the shop floor. The real vision of IR 4.0 applies to the entire value chain — starting from the supply of raw materials down to the delivery of end products.
According to the World Bank, the manufacturing vertical, contributed to 16% of the world’s GDP in 2020. Vietnam, Mexico, and Malaysia are some of the emerging manufacturing hubs in Asia.
Figure 1 below shows the top manufacturing hubs globally and their contribution to the world’s GDP:
Various economies realised the importance of IR 4.0 during the pandemic when everything came to a sudden halt. The manufacturing industry is facing the following challenges:
- Shortages in availability of skilled labour
- Data security issues
- Fast changing customer needs
- Global competition
The core of digital transformation is in the availability of optimal connectivity, especially as we transition to IR 4.0. Private networks have a role to play in industrial use cases. You can read our foundational report on private 5G networks. This report gives an overview of what private networks are, why we need them over legacy networks, different models for varied enterprise needs, and the challenges of building a private network.
The extent of the adoption of IR 4.0 standards will determine connectivity needs. 5G offers ubiquitous connectivity, high capacity, flexibility, and low latencies, all while ensuring security. However, SLAs may vary from model to model.
Role of 5G in manufacturing
- Device density and data volume- The amount of data generated by sensors and other devices on the factory floor at a large scale is huge. 5G will enable the high bandwidth and faster implementation of analytics.
- Ultra-high reliability and security – To make the right decisions, every data point needs to be captured to produce the right analytics. 5G ensures such standards of reliability and secure data transfers.
- Ultra-low latencies– Machine tool monitoring requires very low latencies as offered by 5G with its mobile edge computing capabilities.
Key technologies enabling IR 4.0
Before we understand how 5G will play a role in enabling different use cases in the manufacturing industry vertical, it would be logical to look at which technologies enable IR 4.0.
Figure 2 below shows five key technologies enabling IR 4.0:
Internet of Things– IoT is the devices embedded in different objects in the manufacturing concern. The sensors generate data to enable efficient and proactive decision-making. Industrial IoT connections are expected to reach 40 billion by 2025. The smart manufacturing industry represents 60% of these total connections. The technology will mature around 2030.
Artificial Intelligence- The technology resonates with the cognitive abilities of human beings — such as think, store, and process. And it takes actions based on current situations and past trends and experiences. Further, AI provides benefits at both social and economic levels.
3D printing– 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is another technology that encapsulates the vision of IR 4.0 in manufacturing. We discuss the application of 3D printing and how 5G enables it in the later sections of this report.
Advanced robotics- Advanced robotics can have a wide range of applications, including remote robots and collaborative robots. It can make human efforts redundant to a certain extent, depending upon the industry’s needs.
Augmented reality – Augmented reality has multiple applications in the manufacturing industry. It brings objects at a remote location closer to the person sitting at another end. In manufacturing, it has application potential in maintenance, repairs and staff training. Other functionalities of AR include asset identification.
5G enabled use cases in the manufacturing industry
The technologies of AI, augmented reality, IOT, robotics and 3D printing when combined with the 5G connectivity enable the following used cases:
#1 Remote control and collaborative robotics
Remote-controlled robots as a use case are useful for locations where it is hard for humans to reach due to safety reasons. Such locations could be hazardous and may cause harm to human life. Technicians can remotely operate and control the robots over the 5G network. Another application of robotics — also known as collaborative robots, works with applications in factory warehouses. The robots pick and drop production from one point to the other.
Role of 5G
There is visible advancement in industrial automation with the increased use of cloud computing and real-time data exchange on a large scale. For remote control robotics, ultra-low latency is the key necessity. The current speeds of wireless networks do not support robotics on a large scale. In the case of collaborative robots deployed at warehouses, high speeds and bandwidth are critical. These help in reducing human effort and increasing productivity simultaneously.
#2 Predictive and preventive maintenance
The breakdown of a single machinery piece or a part of the assembly line can cause downtime, which comes at a certain cost. A highly integrated assembly line in a large enterprise demands predictive and preventive maintenance based on real-time and trend-based analytics. This requires the use of condition monitoring sensors. Based on the information gathered from the sensors by way of analytics, enterprises can identify and schedule the maintenance of equipment that show signs of damage and deterioration. This reduces cost and increases the life expectancy of the equipment.
Role of 5G
Predictive and preventive maintenance involves using multiple sensors to provide timely information about any machinery breakdown. 5G connectivity is highly reliable in terms of real-time data collection. Also, reliable connectivity would ensure that there are no missing data points, otherwise leading to wrong decisions. Secondly, 5G can handle device density, which happens due to multiple sensors at the manufacturing site. Each sensor could have a different role in generating volumes of data.
#3 AR for remote expertise
Using AR headsets provides near-instant access to data and equipment. In the case of maintenance or repairs, it is like putting the equipment in the hands of a person sitting at a remote location. AR remote expertise can provide real-time and secure assistance to the on-site person. Manufacturers would no longer need to wait for a specialist to arrive. Another augmented reality application could be to train internal staff by connecting them to remotely available resources or vice versa.
Role of 5G
High bandwidth and low latencies are the fundamental connectivity requirements for this particular use case. AR applications require high bandwidth for video uploads when deployed at a large scale and low latency for the information to reach in real-time.
#4 Additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is making a significant positive impact on the manufacturing industry. In particular, 3D printing is revolutionising spare parts management. It helps combat the obsolescence of spare parts. In order to keep track of the demand and orders received, 3D printers are put to use to create the part, on-demand. Analytics determine the usage of 3D printing, which forecasts the demand for spare parts.
Role of 5G
5G supports multiple standalone printers deployed in a single location and also enables remote control.
#5 Precision monitoring and control
The application of precision monitoring and control determines whether machinery is working at an optimised speed and is producing outputs efficiently. The data collected from sensors replicates to form a digital twin. Digital twins are simply the exact digital architecture of the existing physical object. Digital twin models help identify the discrepancies in the existing model, if any. Machine learning and AI are the technologies behind the algorithms and patterns formed by analytics that help determine defects or discrepancies to diagnose the problem further.
Role of 5G
Ultra-low latency is a must for precision monitoring and control as the benefits of this use case come from real-time analytics. The ideal latency required to record the actions of machines in real-time should be less than 10 ms. A digital twin can only provide accurate results if it is able to receive all the data points from the sensors in a reliable manner.
The current state of private 5G in manufacturing
While manufacturing is one of the top verticals to benefit from Private 5G networks, what is the current mindset and concerns of the manufacturing leadership?
- Wifi is still a preferred choice for local networks. According to an Accedian smart manufacturing survey, 92% of the respondents mentioned the use of Wifi in their manufacturing operations.
- Challenges like the cost of deployment and the management of networks followed by security are top concerns while deploying a private 5G network. Despite the challenges, the preferred choice of deployment is a hybrid network.
- High reliability and operational data security are the top drivers of private 5G use in the manufacturing vertical.
To know how 5G and private networks are impacting other verticals, here is a quick overview of 5G enabled opportunities in ports.