Enabling Communications for Industry 4.0: Private 5G in Smart Manufacturing

High performance networking is at the core of every industrial system, as more and more companies look inwards towards the digital transformation of their entire manufacturing environment. The driving factor for all these changes is Industry 4.0, there are many options for communication systems for the latest generations of hardware with one of the most promising technologies being private 5G networks. A smart automation use case will be implemented using private 5G as the communication backbone, the performance of this communication type will be compared to other communication types that were historically used within smart automation and manufacturing settings. Performance metrics will be compared to show typical performance that may be expected when deploying a private 5G communication network. The paper will also explore the roadmap for future 5G performance increases through updates and network optimization.

I. Introduction

Industry 4.0 brings advancements in many areas of the manufacturing process. The factory of the future is going to be a dynamic environment which means all parts of the manufacturing chain will need to analysed and potentially updated. [1] Machinery can now be configured to desired formations very quickly and easily. Made to measure and dynamic production is now at the forefront of major companies' agendas to reduce unnecessary waste by only making just enough product as ordered from the customer; while also turning the tide on climate change by eliminating unnecessary waste. [2]