Technology
5g on test bench for industry: what's possible in the future? SOURCE: VDMA
5G and other wireless technologies represent an ideal supplement to wired communication solutions, each with its own specific advantages and disadvantages. 5G will change a lot, but it will not change everything. The mobility of communication subscribers in industrial applications is definitely being advanced.
THE GERMAN ENGINEERING INDUSTRY Association (VDMA) recently published its report “5G in mechanical and plant engineering - Guidelines for integrating 5G into products and production”. Connection experts from LAPP were heavily involved in two of the applications. The aim was to provide mechanical and plant engineers with a practical idea of potential applications and the challenges of introducing 5G in production. You are undoubtedly already familiar with claims that 5G will revolutionise mobile communications, and not only in terms of public mobile networks. To date, the use of such technologies for wireless communication in industry, and particularly in the automation environment, was inconceivable due to a lack of network coverage, real time capability and guaranteed bandwidth. But 5G is different.
Anticipating 5G impact
It could actually turn out to be an interesting technology for industry. There are several reasons for this. Low latency values of up to 1ms promise real time capability, the basis for
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automated, fast-moving production processes. Increased reliability and availability of the network, improved localisation functions, connection of up to 1 million terminal devices per km² with peak data rates of up to 10/20 Gbit in the up/down link and, last but not least, centrally controlled allocation of licensed frequencies for industry. Therefore, protected and secure networks could be set up on company premises with 5G. Users could efficiently connect Industrial Ethernet, TSN and 5G. This would bring the worlds of OT and IT increasingly close together. Mobile phone operators would suddenly be sitting around the table with machine manufacturers. 5G is currently still at the beginning of its market launch, with the construction of public networks. Initial developments for industrial devices have also begun. The functions that will be of interest for real time critical industrial applications are still a way away. It can be expected that improvements in latency will extend the range of applications in the coming years.
New options: wireless in industry
Wireless technology has been used in industry for a long time. Wifi and Bluetooth are already used as standard for applications such as hand-held scanners or driverless transport systems (AGVs). In specific cases, wireless is also used for real time critical applications for transmission of field buses and control data via wireless connections. The objectives that users hope to achieve through the use of wireless systems are varied. In moving applications in machines, where cables are worn by constant movement, wireless data transmission can reduce this wear. Wireless technology is also a problem solver in mobile applications where cables restrict mobility. In other applications in the production environment, wireless systems have only achieved a limited foothold to date. This is due largely to the fact that the advantages of wireless are not enough to justify its use to meet the requirements of industry, as industrial production processes depend on control data in real time. However, with existing wireless technologies it has only been possible to
in d u s t r ial et h er ne t b o o k
02.2021
