Private LTE Networks Power Connected Manufacturing

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) offer many advantages, foremost among them being the enhancement of worker safety by effortlessly navigating environments fraught with risks to human workers. Moreover, AMRs exhibit superior material-handling precision, potentially reducing typical scrap by up to 30%, bolsters financial performance and contributes positively to the environment.

From a financial perspective, these benefits translate to an annual steady-state net value equivalent to approximately 1.5% of the revenue. The return on investment in the fifth year reaches an impressive 50%, with a payback period of fewer than four years.

Facilitating unrestricted AMR mobility for inspections and material handling within the manufacturing setting necessitates efficient data processing, management, and robust, low-latency, and secure real-time data transfer capabilities. This level of connectivity can be reliably achieved through the implementation of a private cellular network. By harnessing the power of 5G technology, AMRs can seamlessly traverse the factory floor without the need for magnetic guidance strips. With 5G's pinpoint positional accuracy, these robots can maneuver freely even in densely populated environments with numerous connected devices.

Collaborative robots, commonly referred to as cobots, operate alongside human operators to execute various manufacturing tasks, including operational work, drilling, assembly, and automated quality inspections of products on the production line. This approach enables the automatic inspection of all components rather than just relying on sample-based inspections. By employing cobots, factories can achieve comprehensive part inspections without extending the time required, ultimately enhancing overall product quality and customer satisfaction.

Cobots bring significant benefits to the workplace, notably improving worker safety and creating a more ergonomic environment. They excel at swiftly and accurately performing tasks that may pose risks to human workers.

To enable the flexibility and adaptability required for cobots to move seamlessly within the facility and serve multiple purposes, wireless connectivity to the facility network is essential. A 5G-ready private cellular network can provide the reliable and low-latency connection that cobots demand. Even in environments crowded with hundreds or thousands of connected devices, a private cellular network remains steadfast in delivering fast and stable connectivity, as it is designed to support high device density settings.

Investing in cobots yields a substantial return, equivalent to approximately 1.4% of revenue as yearly steady-state net value. In year five, the return on investment reaches an impressive 44%, with a payback period of fewer than four years.

Augmented Reality (AR) holds significant potential for enhancing quality inspection and diagnosis in smart manufacturing, addressing critical challenges in this domain.

AR technology can revolutionize quality inspections by providing visual aids that reduce the risk of human error and minimize the time spent in uncomfortable positions. Personnel can access geo-referenced 3D CAD models by overlaying visualizations, combining various data formats like CAD models, OGC 3D tiles, glTF models, and point clouds for precise visual analytics.

AR devices enable instant support and measurement, benefiting technicians, maintenance workers, and operators across the facility. Remote experts can visualize instructions swiftly, aiding on-site personnel from a distance. Additionally, AR has environmental benefits, as it can reduce the need for experts to travel to the site, cutting CO2 emissions by 50%..

To implement AR effectively in a manufacturing environment, reliable, highly secure, and high-throughput wireless data transfer capabilities are essential to handle the rich media and complex analysis required. Furthermore, wireless connectivity must provide accurate positioning and accommodate a high density of connected devices throughout the factory. Private cellular networks are well-suited to meet these requirements.

From a financial perspective, the benefits of AR quality inspections translate to a yearly steady-state net value equivalent to approximately 0.5% of revenue. The return on investment in AR in the fifth year stands at an impressive 68%, with a payback period of fewer than three years. This underscores the potential for AR to augment the bottom line in smart manufacturing.

Automated asset condition monitoring is a valuable tool for manufacturers, enabling them to optimize maintenance practices. This approach ensures that facilities neither suffer from downtime due to inadequate maintenance nor expend excessive time and resources on equipment upkeep. Asset condition monitoring effectively keeps equipment in good working order, preventing both excessive maintenance and premature part replacements. Consequently, manufacturers can reduce spare part requirements by 10% and minimize the amount of repetitive tasks performed by employees.

This intelligent tracking of machines enhances efficiency and promotes sustainability by extending the operational life of machinery.

To implement asset condition monitoring successfully, a facility must possess the capability to process and manage data efficiently. Cradlepoint provides a private network with high reliability, high speed, and high-throughput connectivity, essential for generating real-time data crucial for this monitoring process.

A digital twin serves as a virtual model utilized in smart manufacturing to optimize specific aspects of operations. It offers a digital representation of the entire manufacturing process, allowing manufacturers to identify ways to streamline production without making physical changes. By utilizing 3D scanners, sensors, and lidar technology, digital twins can create a comprehensive virtual 3D map of all assets within a facility. Real-time data collection from these assets results in a fully integrated view throughout their lifecycle.

Digital twins provide manufacturers with a visual representation of the production environment's current and past states, enabling them to plan for future scenarios and make informed decisions. This technology offers valuable insights for process improvement and factory management, empowering manufacturers to enhance asset efficiency and productivity and reduce operational risks. As manufacturing increasingly embraces data-driven and digital approaches, the use of digital twins can lead to cost savings by optimizing production processes and facilitating efficient product line changes.

Effective utilization of digital twins requires the processing and management of massive volumes of data, including data from 3D mapping sensors, video streams, lidar, and thermal streams, often generated in real time.

In closing, a fully connected manufacturing environment has a high density of connected devices. In this context, a private cellular network in smart manufacturing proves indispensable for the real-time transfer of large data volumes, thanks to its high bandwidth. It ensures reliable connectivity even in environments with numerous connected devices. Given the collection of critical factory data from facility devices, the private and ultra-high security capabilities of 5G are essential for safeguarding this sensitive information.