Mechanical Engineering Plays a Special Role as a 5G Consumer

In local 5G networks, up to 1 million devices will be able to communicate reliably and with low latency. Interest in setting up local campus networks is growing in the mechanical engineering sector. An updated guide provides orientation.

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Networked machines, driverless transport systems, collaborative robots, augmented reality - industry is in the midst of digital transformation, and one of the pioneers is 5G technology. This generation of mobile communications is setting new standards compared to other wireless solutions, not only in terms of transmission rates, reliability and latency, but also in terms of flexibility, security and availability.

Over the next few years, the technology will gradually become more and more powerful. Peak data rates of 20 Gbit/s in the downlink and 10 Gbit/s in the uplink are expected by the time the final development stage of 5G technology is reached, as well as the connection of up to 1 million end devices per km2 and guaranteed communication with a latency of up to 1 ms. However, such a powerful network still requires the corresponding infrastructure and end devices, some of which are still under development today, as well as the planned releases 16 to 19 for mobile communications technology.

Hundreds of Applications Received for Local 5G Networks

Release 16, which is due to be released in 2024, promises reliable communication with low latency (URLLC) and the possibility of localization, for example; release 17 will bring progress in terms of greater energy efficiency, while release 18 will reduce localization accuracy from 20 m today to well below 1 m.

Mechanical and plant engineering occupies a special position as a user for 5G. In contrast to other sectors, it is not just certain features of 5G technology that are relevant here, but all of them. There is interest from the industry: since 2019, companies in Germany have been able to make their own private 5G campus network exclusively available in the 3.7 to 3.8 GHz frequency band. By the beginning of 2024, the Federal Network Agency had received 376 applications for the construction of local 5G networks, 371 of which were approved.

Some Companies with Several Years of 5G Experience

Some companies now have several years of experience in setting up and operating 5G campus networks, with the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits ISS in particular active as a research partner. For example, the company Lapp is testing the control and synchronization of robot arms via 5G radio. The wireless connection is intended to replace wear-prone cables and make the production of small batch sizes more flexible.

The company Agco-Fendt operates and networks mobile robots, production systems and the control system via 5G. This should enable the agricultural machinery manufacturer to flexibly restructure or relocate production halls and thus bring new vehicle models to market in even shorter cycles. The companies Still and Sick are using 5G to retrofit existing machines, with sensors transmitting monitoring data such as vibrations or images wirelessly.

A recently updated guide, which was first published in 2020, provides an overview of the current status of 5G in mechanical and plant engineering. It was compiled by the Fraunhofer ISS with the support of the VDMA. In the new version, the authors also address aspects such as Open RAN and security, which have increasingly shaped developments recently.

Open RAN Should Ensure More Competition

Like any mobile network, a 5G network consists of three parts

• Radio access network, in which end devices, antennas or base stations are located
• Transport network as the connection between the base stations and the core network
• Core network for subscriber management, control and use, which includes the switching of voice and data streams.

Innovations have been made in recent years, particularly in the area of the radio access network, where the so-called Open RAN is increasingly being used. This is an open architecture that allows components from different manufacturers to be integrated into the network.

Until now, access networks have been dependent on the technology pools of the respective manufacturers, which use proprietary, unpublished interfaces. The open interfaces of the Open RAN should now ensure more competition here. However, the setup of Open RAN systems is comparatively complex, meaning that the additional expense compared to setting up a conventional RAN system must be weighed against the opportunities offered by a wider selection of components.

5G Technology with a " Big Step Towards Security"

According to the authors, 5G technology has now taken a "big step towards increased security". Particularly with regard to campus networks, security gaps known from the LTE standard have been eliminated. In addition, the 5G security standard defines measures that affect security within the core network and between user equipment and the core network, among other things. Security aspects in mobility, between coupled 5G networks and in network slicing - i.e. the division of a 5G network into several virtual networks operated in parallel and separated from each other - are also addressed.  

For the introduction of a 5G network for in-house production, the authors recommend the following basic preparation steps, among others:

• Work out current and future use cases and formulate requirements for data rates, latencies, reliability and accuracy 
• Identify the maximum potential of existing systems such as Wi-Fi, DECT telephone systems, Ethernet or, for example, UWB-based localization systems
• Compare costs for 5G campus network and potential savings by eliminating already installed systems

Campus Network Operated In-house or by Mobile Network Provider?

In this context, the question of the type of campus network should also be clarified. In principle, there is a choice between a self-operated network and a network provided by a mobile communications provider. The self-operated campus network is separated from the outside world by a firewall and offers a maximum degree of freedom, low latency and high security. At the same time, however, it also requires its own operating staff with the appropriate expertise. If, on the other hand, the mobile network operator provides the network, the production company does not need its own staff to operate the network. However, network operation is also less flexible here, as key decisions have to be agreed with the mobile network provider. In addition, the latencies are likely to be greater than with a campus network operated by the company itself. There are also mixed forms of network operation in which the factory operator and mobile network provider share responsibility for the network.

According to the authors of the guide, the full range of 5G functionality will only be available over the next few years. It is therefore to be expected that 5G will continue to coexist with other technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LPWAN and UWB in the future.

This is a partly automated translation of this german article.