September 2019

A s one of 2019’s most disruptive technologies, 5G has captivated consumers and manufacturers alike as we gear up for faster communication and increased connectivity. But, as excitement mounts, it can be difficult to decipher what the upgrade will do for industrial applications, when it will be available and what the transition looks like for platforms using previous generations of cellular technology. The rapid growth of cellular technology over the past two decades has changed the way we live, work and communicate. As we stand on the threshold of the latest technological transformation, 5G is poised to be the tipping point that will bring the visions of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) to life. Today, manufacturing facilities rely on network connectivity to carry out tasks around the clock and conduct real-time monitoring of core processes and equipment. As this increasingly becomes a necessity, strong and reliable connectivity is essential to a plant’s everyday operations. What is 5G? Anybody familiar with 4G wireless connectivity can hazard a guess that 5G will be a new, better form of communication. But what exactly does the new technology promise? It seems that speed is the technology’s major boon, but its ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) will be more significant because it addresses services that require sub-millisecond response times. 5G’s high visibility and ability to host a huge number of connected devices in a small area will also allow it to facilitate massive machine type communication (mMTC) with ease. From augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices to life-critical autonomous vehicle and machinery sensing, the applications that will profit from 5G are numerous. Current mobile radio networks have a latency of approximately 100 milliseconds. While this is fast, there is still some lag time that makes real-time communication impossible. With targeted radio latency of less than one 22 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk September 2019 Smart Maintenance Management Focus How manufacturers can prepare for 5G Heiko Noll, product manager devices at industrial communication solutions provider INSYS icom, explores what manufacturers should do to prepare their machines and plants for the 5G roll out.