Imagine technology that can extend machine lifespan, offer advanced analytics and reduce both introduction costs and production times: that is the promise of smart manufacturing.
T-Mobile recently unveiled its Advanced Industry Solutions suite that leverages 5G to bring smart retail, cities, factories and logistics solutions to customers of all sizes.
Connectivity
Smart factory applications demand fast data rates, low latency times, reliable connectivity and secure communication; wireless cellular technology offers all these capabilities in abundance.
An IoT sensor on a machine could detect mechanical issues and then use 5G connectivity to alert maintenance staff and allow them to take corrective action before the problem worsens. This helps reduce machine downtime, improve quality and extend equipment lifespan.
5G wireless cellular technologies enable smart factories with flexible or modular production lines to quickly reconfigure production lines, reduce upfront site costs by eliminating extensive cabling needs and provide cost-effective alternative to fixed ethernet connections.
A strong mobile network can be an essential differentiator in the market, helping accelerate adoption of new digital systems. Manufacturers who invest in robust cellular solutions can expand their business offerings while driving ROI by improving efficiency, flexibility and productivity – vital elements for achieving Industry 4.0 and creating intelligent manufacturing.
Automation
5G can power smart factory automation capabilities as a business-grade network. By connecting sensors to a central data management system, manufacturers can track equipment performance and detect issues quickly – saving on downtime repairs while meeting customer expectations with higher-quality products while cutting costs for lost inventory or refunds.
Advanced sensors allow continuous monitoring of any aspect of a process, providing continuous insight. This data is transmitted to the cloud where data analysis and machine learning help improve performance; operations technology (OT) teams can use this knowledge to quickly identify and address issues.
One of the most exciting applications of 5G technology for manufacturing environments is collaborative robots. Thanks to 5G’s ultra-reliable low latency and bandwidth capacities, cobots are now capable of monitoring sensor output, mirroring movements in real time, and safely working alongside humans in shared spaces – a significant upgrade over previous safety-critical industrial applications that relied on wired communications.
Analytics
As the fourth industrial revolution commences, manufacturers need access to smart devices in their workplace that provide insights from smart devices in order to form an accurate picture for them. That requires wireless cellular connectivity capable of supporting advanced solutions like IoT, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and more.
As your initial step on the road to Smart Manufacturing, the initial task should be identifying your data assets: their types and locations as well as who has access. This involves an audit of current infrastructure to see what digital information may already be accessible outside your organization from sources like HMIs, PLCs, ERPs or manual data captures.
Step two is creating standardized metrics and views, giving full access to your data and enabling full visibility of it. From there, you can proactively identify problems and opportunities relating to sourcing, shipping, supply chain efficiency, cause/effect relationships between products in their journey through business operations all the way to customers – with AI helping bridge that gap! With this step complete, AI becomes transformative: connecting dots along its supply chain for cause/effect associations between causes/effect associations between steps within your supply chain as well as tracking products right through their journey from production all the way up until delivery to customer.
Security
Smart manufacturing technology brings new capabilities to your business. These capabilities include task automation, autonomous robots and inventory controls; real time insights and analytics provide real time optimization of performance of your enterprise. With America’s largest 5G network at our fingertips, T-Mobile for Business stands ready to support IoT innovations of today and tomorrow; in fact, we partner with an expanding ecosystem of industry-leading IoT innovators so you can find solutions tailored perfectly to meet the needs of your enterprise – find out more today.
Utilising 5G technology and artificial intelligence, this digital simulation imitates physical objects and systems, using information derived from both real and simulated sensors to simulate problems before they arise.
Deepak Wadhwani has over 20 years experience in software/wireless technologies. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies including Intuit, ESRI, Qualcomm, Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone, Nortel, Microsoft and Oracle in over 60 countries. Deepak has worked on Internet marketing projects in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange Country, Denver, Nashville, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco and Huntsville. Deepak has been a founder of technology Startups for one of the first Cityguides, yellow pages online and web based enterprise solutions. He is an internet marketing and technology expert & co-founder for a San Diego Internet marketing company.